Photo By Senior Airman Sterling Sutton | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Patrick J. Cook, 2nd Joint Communications Squadron Element, joint...... read more read more
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MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — From Tampa to Kin, Japan, more than 13,000 miles away, Airmen and Soldiers from the 2nd Joint Communications Squadron proved that distance is no obstacle for high-frequency communication. Behind the signal is the Joint Communications Support Element, one of the Department of Defense’s most agile and capable communications units.
JCSE is composed of active-duty, Guard and Reserve squadrons, two Air National Guard communications squadrons, one Army Reserve communications squadron, and various joint communications units. Together, they enable secure, reliable communications during crises, contingency operations, natural disasters and military campaigns.
JCSE Airmen and Soldiers are trained to overcome harsh environments, equipment failures and human error. Their ability to troubleshoot and restore communications is honed through tactical and technical training focused on rapid response and joint interoperability.
In March 2025, a 12-member JCSE team competed against more than 200 units across the U.S. and Canada in the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command’s open-source, software-defined high frequency radio competition, QRPX. The competition emphasized low-power HF communications in a point-based format, with participants earning points for completing long-distance contacts using voice transmissions.
“Our team was thrilled to reach all the way to Kin, Japan, from MacDill using HF radio,” said Tech. Sgt. Dylan Dupree, 2nd Joint Communications Squadron, joint tactical communications systems technician. “With the right talent, equipment and training, even the farthest distances can be bridged.”
The team’s most notable achievement was establishing a 13,149-mile HF voice link with the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment in Kin, Japan. To accomplish this, they constructed a 2,136-foot antenna using 11 antenna masts, two deployable tents, five radio kits and six laptops.
The multi-day competition highlighted JCSE’s ability to operate across multiple waveforms and provide communications with varying link quality, a capability directly aligned with the 2025 National Defense Strategy.
“Strengthening alliances and sharing the burden with our partners is a top priority,” said Staff Sgt. Patrick Cook, 2nd JCS, joint tactical communications technician. “The 2025 National Defense Strategy focuses on defending the homeland, deterring strategic attacks and building a resilient joint force.”
To maintain that readiness, JCSE members complete a 13-week course focused on tactical and technical communications. Additional training includes Joint Building Blocks—a one-week course teaching deployment of modular communications systems to establish vital networks in austere environments. JCSE members also attend advanced individual training and professional military education courses tailored to their mission.
Operating under several higher headquarters, including U.S. Transportation Command, U.S. Central Command, U.S. Strategic Command and others, JCSE supports both combat operations and humanitarian relief missions worldwide.
Since its establishment in 1961 during President John F. Kennedy’s first year in office, JCSE has supported critical missions around the globe. Early on, the unit provided communications for the Gemini and Apollo space programs and later deployed in response to the Iranian hostage crisis. During the Gulf War, JCSE supported Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and in the 2000s, delivered vital communications during Hurricane Katrina relief and operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2011, the unit supported Operation Tomodachi following Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami.
Today, JCSE remains vital to the Air Force and joint force. When satellite or cellular communications are degraded due to natural causes or adversarial attacks, JCSE can reestablish voice and data connectivity through high-frequency and expeditionary communications capabilities.
In a contested or communications-denied environment, the U.S. military depends on its oldest communications unit, proving once again why JCSE is the voice heard around the world.
| Date Taken: | 07.01.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.02.2025 15:32 |
| Story ID: | 502168 |
| Location: | TAMPA, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 62 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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