Photo By Sgt. Jeremy Pitcher | SPC Lin Conway of 176th Signal Company, Brigade Troop Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade...... read more read more
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DIYALA, Iraq — Communications on the battlefield are a crucial necessity which can be easily overlooked by the average Soldier conducting their day-to-day business. The ability to pick up a microphone and talk to another person or leadership may seem as simplistic as just a push of the button, in reality it is anything but.
For Soldiers of the 176th Signal Company, Brigade Troops Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division the mission to keep communications working throughout the Diyala province is a daunting task.
Their response: go mobile.
With three retransmitting teams, the 176th has established two locations in strategic regions of the province and additionally have a mobile asset that can travel to the battlefield to keep the eight different communication networks going.
A Retran team is equipped with a set of four antennas. They move to a location and setup up the antennas to receive incoming signals. These signals are then relayed from the site to their desired location. Without the retransmission, these signals would fall short of their desired recipient and would not be heard.
The real ingenuity came in making the whole system mobile. Staff Sgt. Brian Gentile of the 176th believes their construction of mounting four antennas on each of the unit's two Stryker vehicles in order to allow for near instant repositioning may be a first for the Army.
"Before, if we were told to go somewhere it was a long task, now it is like 'ok you want us there', and we're gone," said Gentile. This added mobility also adds to the ground troops' ability to conduct missions.
"Since we can resend communications a long way it extends the battle-space for the troops. It allows them to move where they are needed," said Specialist Harvey Watson of the 176th.
With these capabilities, the 176th has the ability to move out and around the battlefield, giving them a capability which distinguishes them from the rest of the communications unit.
"We are the only ones who go out with the infantryman. What we do affects them directly," said Gentile.
In the end, the technology utilized by the military would never meet its potential without dedicated, hard-working Soldiers that have a passion for their jobs behind the wheel.
"It is all about the Soldier. Without the Soldier none of this would be possible," said Sgt. Shane Smith of the 176th.
With the ever-evolving role of U.S. military forces in Diyala and throughout Iraq, staying flexible and mobile is crucial to taking the fight to the enemy. The Soldiers of the 176th Signal Company are doing just that, while making intricate complexities as simple as pushing a button.
| Date Taken: | 04.28.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 04.28.2009 06:54 |
| Story ID: | 32951 |
| Location: | DIYALA PROVINCE, IQ |
| Web Views: | 728 |
| Downloads: | 594 |
This work, Retran keeps Soldiers talking on the Battlefield, by SGT Jeremy Pitcher, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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