Courtesy Photo | Spc. Michael Hubbard, Troop A, 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Advise and...... read more read more
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CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE COBRA, Iraq – From trip wire flares to seismic and acoustic sensors, U.S. Army scout platoons use a range of high-tech equipment and low-tech guile to compensate for smaller organization size and enhance survivability on the ground during operations.
Scouts at the Diyala combined checkpoints recently emplaced several Rapid Deployment Integrated Surveillance Systems cameras which are normally reserved for much larger bases.
“The RDISS provides the checkpoints with an additional set of eyes and enhances the force protection of our soldiers operating there,” said Lt. Col. Joel M. Miller, executive officer, 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division.
The RDISS consists of durable outdoor cameras that are similar to commercially available versions often employed in malls and businesses.
Equipping the checkpoints with RDISS helps protect Soldiers and their Iraqi counterparts by increasing their overall situational awareness, Miller said.
Like any fielded technology, setup became more complicated in an austere checkpoint environment.
Jeff Bowling, a field support representative and former Army cavalry scout from Radcliffe, Ky., coordinated with unit platoon leaders to construct and emplace camera mounts from available materials.
Filling sand bags and building wooden structures for the past ten months, soldiers from Troop A, “Ace High,” are no strangers to the important yet tedious work involved in force protection. As some soldiers worked extra security shifts, others picked up saws and drills to help the FSRs emplace the RDISS.
Bowling said the RDISS camera system is simple to use, comparing its interface with those of modern video games.
Sitting in front of two flat-screen monitors, Staff Sgt. Nicholas Lemay, a Troop A scout from Ojai, Calif., navigated the controls. A twist of the joystick zoomed the camera in while a few mouse clicks brought up the “burn CD” feature.
“It complements our other force protection improvements,” said Lemay. “If someone is outside our new gate, an operator can check the system and realize, it’s one of us and let him in.”
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Noah Switzer, a platoon leader from Summerville, Tenn., commented on the advanced force protection assets at his outpost.
“At this point, our platoon checkpoint has just as many force protection assets as a [larger base] in Iraq,” Switzer said. “You name it, we’ve got it; and we’re putting it to good use.”
“The squadron command is completely dedicated to improving the force protection and security of each one of the checkpoints,” Miller said. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our soldiers.”
| Date Taken: | 05.10.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 06.08.2011 11:05 |
| Story ID: | 71761 |
| Location: | DIYALA PROVINCE, IQ |
| Web Views: | 173 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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