Range Training Team teaches communication systems

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class David Bruce | Pvt. Jacob Anderson uses an RT-1523E ASIP radio to establish communications with a simulated tactical operations center during a field exercise at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Ind., Wednesday, Dec. 2. Anderson and 34 other Patriot Academy students received training from Camp Atterbury's Installation Support Unit-Range Training Team on communication equipment used by the Army.  

CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, UNITED STATES

12.04.2009

Story by Sgt. David Bruce 

Camp Atterbury Indiana

CAMP ATTERBURY JOINT MANEUVER TRAINING CENTER, Ind.— Soldiers from the Camp Atterbury Installation Support Unit—Range Training Team conducted communications training here Monday through Wednesday for students attending the Patriot Academy, a National Guard program for qualified high-school dropouts to earn their high school

The RTT, formerly known as the Small Arms Readiness Group, is responsible for training mobilizing units that come through Camp Atterbury.

"The RTT's primary mission is to conduct range operations for mobilizing troops," said Staff Sgt. James Wood, an instructor with the RTT. "We teach primary marksman instruction to all mobilizing units on all weapons from the 9 mm to the Mark 19 automatic grenade launcher once they arrive. We are also responsible for running the ranges and assisting with further marksmanship training."

Students from the Patriot Academy, located at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in Butlerville, Ind., received training on communication systems currently used by the Army. Three groups of students came to Camp Atterbury to receive the day-long training.

"The first half of the day was in a classroom setting on the RT-1523E ASIP radio," said Wood. "In this environment we taught them how to operate the radio and input information."

The students were also taught how to use the Automated Net Control Device.

"The ANCD is used for secure communications," said Wood. "It is loaded with a communications security encryption key to encrypt the data," he said. "It also has a hopset which allows the radio to alternate through a series of frequencies." Wood said even if someone managed to identify the frequencies, they would still need to break the encryption.

Students then had to implement what they learned in a field environment, and, as the Army saying goes, "If it ain't rainin,' we ain't trainin'."

In the rain students negotiated a land navigation course while using the radios to establish a secure connection to a simulated tactical operations center.

"This gives the students the opportunity to put into practice the skills they learned in the classroom," said Wood. "We incorporated the communications training into a land navigation course to introduce them to techniques and technology used for navigation."

Prior to embarking on the land navigation course, Wood instructed the students on the Defense Advanced GPS Receiver, or DAGR, a GPS system used by the Army for navigation.

"The DAGR plots its current location by communicating with satellites," said Wood. "It can give a 10-digit grid coordinate, which is accurate within one meter." Wood cautioned that the DAGR should be used in addition to a compass.

Pvt. Jacob Anderson, a student at the Patriot Academy, said he thought the training was helpful.

"The training was relevant to what we would experience while deployed," Anderson said. "We did a lot with the radios before we even came out here."

Wood and other RTT members trained a total of 35 students over the course of three days.

• Date Taken: 12.04.2009
• Date Posted: 12.04.2009 17:30
• Story ID: 42345
• Location: CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, US