Sending waves from sea to shore

Photo By Lance Cpl. Ashley Corbo | Lance Cpl. Luis Pitney, a transmission operator with Marine Wing Communications Squadron 48, Marine Wing Communications Squadron 48, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, sets up a Very Small Aperture Terminal system during the Coast Guard Integrated Amphibious Exercise at Coast Guard Sector San Diego on July 25 2021. During this exercise, Marines utilized a variety of equipment to effectively communicate using high frequency, very high frequency, and ultra high frequency radio waves in an unconventional manner.  

SAN DIEGO, UNITED STATES

07.23.2021

Story by Lance Cpl. Ashley Corbo 

Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES)

Thirteen Marines with Marine Wing Communications Squadron 48 (MWCS-48) participated in a four-day exercise alongside the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Haddock, July 22-25, 2021 at Coast Guard Sector San Diego in order to practice ship to shore communication as well as provide members of the Coast Guard with an opportunity to practice amphibious operations.
“We try to maintain partnerships between the services,” said U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Roy Slapkunas, the chief of response and air station operations officer for Coast Guard Sector San Diego. “In December of 2020, the Advantage at Sea was signed by the Chief of Naval Operations, the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Commandant of the Coast Guard; it talks about the three sea-going services utilizing each other's strengths in order to present a more efficient and effective missionary force.”
The Coast Guard Integrated Amphibious Exercise (CGIAX) was created in part by 1st Lt. Kuba Wasowski, operations officer of MWCS-48 Detachment A, in order to better prepare Reserve Marines to fight in austere environments to ensure freedom of the seas.
“The U.S. Coast Guard is a part of the U.S. military, they do not operate any differently just because they fall under the department of homeland security,” said Wasowski. “They were incredibly helpful and extremely open to the idea of this exercise from the very beginning.”
During this exercise Marines utilized a variety of equipment to effectively communicate using high frequency, very high frequency and ultra high frequency radio waves in an unconventional manner.
“I have learned quite a bit during this diverse training opportunity, particularly equipment from sections I don’t normally get to work with,” said Lance Cpl. Vincente Bojorquez, a network administrator with MWCS-48. “I’ve gotten to work with transmissions (radio operators) for the first time and I even got the chance to do radio checks and work with different call signs. It has been very beneficial to me and I feel I have become a more well rounded Marine”
Despite CGIAX being created to meet one of many Squadron-level Mission Essential Tasks, MWCS-48 plans to continue expanding this unique training opportunity and increase the scope of the maritime exercise.
“This exercise was intended to be looked at as the basic architecture to support the Tri-Service Maritime Strategy, Advantage at Sea,” said Wasowski. “This is the basics, you often hear Marines say ‘crawl, walk, run.’ This is the crawl phase, we have shown that it can be done.”

• Date Taken: 07.23.2021
• Date Posted: 08.10.2021 17:11
• Story ID: 402061
• Location: SAN DIEGO, US