Courtesy Photo | Chief Warrant Officer 2 Gilbert Sanchez, a native of El Paso, Texas, makes sure a...... read more read more
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By 2nd Lt. Nathaniel Beckett
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – They can't see it, smell it, hear it nor touch it, but its there, keeping troops safe while patrolling the streets of Baghdad. It is a device that interferes with radio controlled improvised explosive devices, or RCIED, which litter the roads Soldiers travel on daily.
These steps taken to eliminate, or interfere, with various RCIED threats is known as electronic countermeasures maintained daily by electronic warfare officers.
The men responsible for this within the 526th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Multi-National Division – Baghdad. are Chief Warrant Officer 2 Gilbert Sanchez, a native of El Paso, Texas, and Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Sean Zahornacky, an aviation electronics technician and a native of San Jose, Texas.
EWOs have an important part in keeping the Soldiers safe by ensuring the equipment is maintained and working properly. The importance of this task is magnified by the constant threat of roadside bombs that take all forms in the vast urban environment of Baghdad.
It might be an explosively formed penetrator camouflaged to look like a concrete block in a pile of rubble. In some cases it could be an old artillery shell, hastily shoved into a culvert that coalition forces convoy drives over from time to time.
They can simply be assembled in one's basement or back room by stuffing pounds of homemade explosives, or HME, into the most mundane of containers like soda cans, propane bottles, or worn out car tires. With a little cleverness, an insurgent attaches a hand held radio, car alarm, cordless phone or other electronic devices that transmits radio waves to detonate the bomb. Electronic countermeasures are used to combat this act of terrorism.
Although electronic warfare is a sensitive topic, shrouded in secrecy and talked about in only the most general of terms in public, there is one thing that is certain, electronic warfare is dynamic.
On a day-to-day basis, electronic threats to the U.S. military change; therefore, the solutions or the means of fighting that threat change.
For the ever changing electronic threat, the Army looked to the U.S. Navy for their expertise.
For years, the U.S. Navy has dealt expertly with electronic threats so it is fitting that they now work along side their Army brethern.
Although assigned to the Joint Crew Composite Squadron One, Zahornacky works alongside the 526th EWO and its sister battalion within the brigade, the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion.
"On a day-to-day basis, I work to get the battalions the latest and greatest software to keep electronic countermeasure working. My job is to be the bridge between JCCS-1 and the battalions. Essentially I do the same job as the battalion EWOs, just up one level," Zahornacky said. "This is the first time that I have had to work with the Army. It has been a great experience; I feel like a part of a team here working with Soldiers and wearing the 101st Airborne combat patch!"
Zahornacky's partner for this operation, Sanchez, known for his quick wit, and considered an encyclopedic missile systems maintenaner.
He's been training with the JCCS-1 here in Iraq to become a fully credentialed EWO, exemplifying the Army's push toward electronic countermeasure operation.
"I am just the first wave of electronic warfare officers the Army is training. As our capabilities grow, so will our need for trained individuals," Sanchez said. "In the future, this will be a military occupational specialty that will be assigned to every battalion Army wide."
Trying to best describe what he does as an EWO, without actually saying what he does, Sanchez said, "The hardest thing about working as an electronic warfare officer is convincing people that electronic countermeasures work. I could show you that it is working on a computer screen but that only goes so far; this is a system that you have to trust without seeing the results."
Without their expertise and drive to ensure Soldiers are not affected while operating in sector, there would be no countermeasure to combat the enemies desire to electronically detonate bombs against our troops.
Combined, Sanchez and Zahornacky are doing their part to keep Soldiers safe on the roads and have proved themselves indispensable technicians and vigilant warriors in the ever changing battle of electronic warfare.
| Date Taken: | 08.26.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2008 10:25 |
| Story ID: | 22885 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 164 |
| Downloads: | 114 |
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