2nd CAB Soldiers put new radio to the test

Photo By Sgt. Jesse Smith | Staff Sgt. Daniel H. Wright, the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade satellite communications non-commissioned officer, uses a compass to correctly position a Cambium radio antenna March 11 at G510, a Republic of Korea military base. The 2nd CAB wanted to test the new radio's capabilities in a combat situation.  

PYEONGTAEK, 41, SOUTH KOREA

03.13.2015

Story by Sgt. Jesse Smith 

2nd Combat Aviation Brigade

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea – Sending a message or ‘signal’ has been used in the military throughout time and has been an instrumental part of war. The first ‘signals’ were simply drums, horns, flags, and riders on horseback used to send messages over distances. The U.S. Army has come very far in technology since then. 2nd Combat Aviation Soldiers used a Cambium radio for the first time during the training exercise, ‘Key Resolve’ and tested its reliability and performance.

Staff Sgt. Daniel H. Wright, the satellite communications operations non-commissioned officer for the 2nd CAB, was in charge of setting up a Cambium radio system and keeping it in full function March 11 at G510, a Republic of Korea military base in South Korea.
Wright said that they had one radio set up at the 2nd CAB’s tent and another at the 602nd Aviation Support Battalion’s tent.

“The way it works is that it gives us redundancy which means that if our primary satellite system fails we have a back up and so does the 602nd ASB,” Wright said.

It uses line of sight to send radio frequency signals from one antenna to another, Wright said. It gives them another option when it comes to deciding what radio to use in the field.

“The system works very well and is very reliable while also giving us greater amounts of bandwidth,” Wright said. “We don’t have to rely on a satellite’s timing or position with this radio either.”

Maj. Dave C. Richards, the 2nd CAB signal communications officer, was another Soldier that saw the Cambium radio in action out in the field.

Richards said that Eighth Army purchased the Cambium radio and issued it out to the 1st Signal Brigade which then issued it to the 304th Signal Battalion.

“Prior to the exercise we coordinated with the 304th to use the radios in what we consider a ‘proof of principle’ to show that it could actually be used in a combat environment,” Richards said.
He said his Soldiers had never seen the capabilities of the radio system and this was the first time for them to get hands-on experience with it.

“It was very effective,” Richards said. “The 602nd ASB commander briefed how successful it was last night to the brigade commander.”
The Soldiers from the 2nd CAB were able to maximize the radios potential during their first training exercise with the new equipment. The Army has come a long way with its radio technology, but it’s Soldiers like these who truly make the Army’s communications what they are today.

• Date Taken: 03.13.2015
• Date Posted: 03.13.2015 01:51
• Story ID: 156887
• Location: PYEONGTAEK, 41, KR