Global force tracking continues 24/7 during COVID-19

Photo By Carrie Campbell | The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command Force Tracking Mission Management Center provides continuous force tracking data services to the combatant commands, services, U.S. agencies and coalition partners amid the national COVID-19 pandemic. (U.S. Army)  

AL, UNITED STATES

04.28.2020

Story by Cecil Longino 

U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Alabama – The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command Force Tracking Mission Management Center has not missed a beat during the ongoing global pandemic.

Army personnel in the FT-MMC continue to provide continuous force tracking data services to the combatant commands, services, U.S. agencies and coalition partners.

This no-fail mission enables mission command and provides battle space situational awareness, enabling rapid decisions across all warfighting functions, and reducing fratricide across joint and coalition forces. It also provides continuous force tracking data to U.S. Northern Command, joint task force civil support, and to the National Guard Bureau in support of the national COVID-19 response.

“This isn’t the first time the FT-MMC has been called upon to support a natural disaster,” said Mark Utz, chief, Force Tracking Operation. “We’ve responded to numerous events in the past, ranging from hurricanes, to tornados, to forest fires. This is, however, the first time we’ve responded to a national disaster.”

Director of Operations Lt. Col. Bill Riley said that USASMDC provides 24/7 friendly force tracking/blue force tracking collection and data management, dissemination and technical expertise for force tracking systems that are employed for the response.

“Our force tracking systems provide for shared situational awareness, command and control communications between commanders and field assets via the NORTHCOM common operational picture and other tactical display systems,” he said.

Utz said that during the COVID-19 response, force tracking is being used on personnel, ground vehicles, aircraft and watercraft.

“USASMDC is working closely with USNORTHCOM personnel during this dynamic situation to ensure the accurate display of call-signs, track symbols, and monitoring and notifications for emergency 911 coming from force tracking systems,” Utz said.

This allows USNORTHCOM, along with local and regional authorities, to track the locations of both first responders and critical assets and to quickly respond should the need arise to any encountered situation. While immediate response situations are unique during COVID-19, they can mean life or death during response to other natural disasters.

Riley said the FT-MMC is taking action to assure the safety and well-being of all their personnel during the ongoing pandemic.

“We're following all of the guidance and practices from both the Department of Defense, the Army and the state,” Riley said.

Utz added, “the FT-MMC has reduced the daily staffing rotation by 50 percent, which ensures we have a ready standby of personnel and reduces likelihood of infecting all of the crews should someone show symptoms or test positive for COVID-19.”

The FT-MMC mission continues, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Providing more than 5 million force tracking reports around the globe on a daily basis helping to keep military personnel safe from harm and helping the U.S. respond to a global pandemic at the same time.

• Date Taken: 04.28.2020
• Date Posted: 04.28.2020 15:54
• Story ID: 368678
• Location: AL, US