3ABCT Soldiers hone signal skills

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Ange Desinor | U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Joshua Carter, center, flight chief adversary intelligence for 527th Space Aggressor Squadron out of Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, discuss what an adversary would look like on a screen and how to mitigate it during the Mission Command Validation Exercise at the Mission Training Complex Dec. 8. The training taught the Soldiers how to mitigate affects when they’re in a denied environment. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Ange Desinor, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Public Affairs)  

FORT CARSON, CO, UNITED STATES

12.08.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Ange Desinor  

3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

FORT CARSON, Colo. – Have you ever wondered what it would be like if there weren’t any phone, Internet or signal connections in a war zone? Sometimes those things are taken for granted and many don’t understand how it can be a security risk and put lives at risk.

Soldiers of 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, attended the Mission Command Validation Exercise at the Mission Training Complex Dec. 8.

“The purpose of this training is to teach Soldiers how to mitigate affects when they’re in a denied environment,” said Maj. Brenda Grusing, the 4th Inf. Div. chief of space. “Think of electric magnetic spectrum; adversaries denying our ability to communicate over Satellite Communication Systems Operator-Maintainer, Global Positioning System, all those types of capabilities that we use in our tools everyday. When they stop working, and they lose access to those satellites, how do they continue to operate?”

The 527th Space Aggressor Squadron out of Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, attended the training to teach Soldiers how to identify, report and mitigate those types of affects to continue mission.

The training showed realistic threats.

“Basic spectral awareness is something that we noticed across the board,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Joshua Carter, flight chief adversary intelligence for 527th SAS. “They know what they’re supposed to do but they don’t know how it looks. Tying the visual into the data helps them understand it better and know how to take action.”

“We need to learn how to fight in a Multi-Domain environment,” said Grusing. “It’s cyber, space, all these different affects and capabilities etc. that are non-lethal. We have to be able to synchronize all these different capabilities to achieve an affect and accomplish our mission.”

During a deployment, it is crucial to have communication according to Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Alvarez a senior telecommunications sergeant for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3ABCT.

“Since we will be split up to different countries, and our communication equipment will allow us to communicate across boarders,” Alvarez said. “We are ensuring our equipment are capable of being on the same network covering a broad distance. Also to ensure we have the latest software, are up to date with them security updates, and ensure our systems aren’t vulnerable to adversaries.”

Alvarez said 3ABCT would not be able to accomplish their missions without communication.

“The brigade commander needs to be in constant contact with the battalions so spread out,” Alvarez said. “If we fail this, the entire brigade fails. They will not be able to communicate. As we posture against a near peer adversary that is more important than any other mission in recent history that this brigades has ever taken.”


The upcoming mission allows the Soldiers to execute everything they have rehearsed.

“We have rehearsed about new terrain or unfamiliar situation,” said Alvarez. “This is unchartered territory. For us to take this mission, and execute a mission on this scale that hasn’t been done on this level, as we transition from assurance to deterrence, embodies the core of the training 3ABCT has done since it’s last deployment.”

According to Alvarez, the Army’s goals are shifting.

“We are transitioning to a new age of warfare, with technology at the forefront” said Alvarez. “You’re going to see signal and cyber have a much bigger part than any point in history. This our chance to prove our new mobile tactical operations center set up. We are going to be left to our own devices and training to figure things out. That’s something we haven’t faced at this level before.”

The 3ABCT Soldiers are scheduled to deploy early next year to Europe support of Atlantic Resolve.

• Date Taken: 12.08.2016
• Date Posted: 01.05.2017 17:37
• Story ID: 219382
• Location: FORT CARSON, CO, US