FOXHOLE TO FOUR STAR

Photo By Maj. Melodie Tafao | (From left to right) Sgt. Edimar Purganan, in the M1151 weapons turret, Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Cox, and Sgt. Jason Baddo, on the wheel of the Satellite Transportable Terminal (STT), take a quick photo as they prepare the communications capability in the vehicles for eXportable Combat Training Capability at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. The Satellite Transportable Terminal (STT) is a highly transportable and mobile satellite system, which operates in conjunction with the Joint Network Node and Command Post Node. It is designed to establish secure voice, video and data communications virtually anytime and anywhere and will be used with the JBC-P to establish secure communications. Photo by Lt. Col. Steven S. Bittle  

HONOLULU, HI, UNITED STATES

03.31.2020

Courtesy Story

9th Mission Support Command

Honolulu, Hawaii - Some of the Army Reserve’s most important signal preparation and training is taking place at the 9th Mission Support Command at Fort Shafter Flats, Hawaii. The 9th MSC G4 and G6 team, along with the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment S6 Team, have answered the 9th MSC’s Commanding General, Brig. Gen. Timothy Connelly’s call to establish effective Mission Command.

Starting with the CG’s Priorities:

The 9th MSC is the most ethnically diverse, geographically dispersed command in the U.S. Army Reserve, crossing seven times zones, two U.S. states, two U.S. Territories, a Commonwealth and two foreign countries. The CG’s priorities include Readiness (Building Complete Combat Platforms), Operationalize the Command, Execute Pacific Pathways, and Rapid Mobilization and Deployment. With approximately 4,700 miles between the 9th MSC Headquarters to the farthest direct reporting unit, it is inevitable that challenges will arise when meeting the commanding general’s priorities.

However, the logistics and communications team continue to work diligently to ensure the command builds complete combat platforms and operationalize the command.

In the last 120 days, the team has installed and configured Radio Telephone Operator (RTO) stations for tactical radio use in the Current Operations Information Center (COIC) and in the tactical data center as part of operationalizing communications across 9th MSC and operational areas. This will accomplish communications using Frequency Modulation (FM) Communications and Blue Force Tracker (BFT) across Oahu and Hilo, a distance of about 200 miles. BFT will reach further, but still needs to be tested in future Communications Exercises (COMMEX). This is vital to many of the 9th MSC DRUs, including the 322nd Civil Affairs Brigade, 303rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, 302nd Terminal Transportation Battalion under the 658th Regional Support Group, and the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment. These units have Soldiers and Detachments on Oahu, Maui, Hilo, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Fort Wainwright in Alaska, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Korea, and Japan. The 9th MSC Headquarters will now be able to communicate through FM Communications and BFT during missions or other events to these units and locations. Foxhole to Four Star Mission Command will soon be possible over the Network (NET) and should be completed by the end of April.

9th MSC Combat Platforms:

The Joint Battle Command-Platform (JBC-P) is the Army's next generation friendly force tracking system equipping Soldiers with a faster satellite network, secure data encryption, and advanced logistics.

9th MSC G4 logistics team have been actively engaged in tracking, ordering, and offering their technical expertise for all units across the 9th MSC, expediting the identification of Non Mission Capable (NMC) parts and components of the BFT to be replaced by the JBC-P which is worth over 4.6 million dollars.

The entire JBC-P modernization would not have been possible without the intuitive thinking put forth by the 9th MSC logistics team and the Non Commissioned Officers from the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment. A process that could have taken well over a year was completed in a few months. These teams have fielded over a half dozen M1151 Enhanced Armament Carriers in the last two weeks with the JBC-P.

The efforts of our logisticians and signaleers and their ability to think outside-the-box will bring a network and tactical capability that is seldom seen within major reserve commands outside of the active component, bringing Foxhole to Four Star into fruition.

Pride of the Pacific!

Article by Lt. Col. Steven Bittle

• Date Taken: 03.31.2020
• Date Posted: 03.31.2020 21:57
• Story ID: 366289
• Location: HONOLULU, HI, US