Photo By Sgt. Tresa L. Allemang | Louisiana Guardsman Spc. Blaine M. Marusak, of St. Martinville, La., pulls phone line...... read more read more
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CAMP VICTORY, Iraq – As the U.S. sets the conditions to meet the president's plan to reduce troops in Iraq to 50,000 by September of this year, a Louisiana National Guard unit is making its mark as they work to enhance tower communication around the perimeter of the Victory Base Complex.
As part of the Base Defense Operations Center, C Company, of the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team's Special Troops Battalion, began running a land line that will increase communication time and reduce the man-power needed to operate, update and maintain radios at towers on VBC in Iraq to assist the installation in the absence of U.S. Troops.
BSTB Executive Officer Maj. Henry T. Capello explained there are many benefits to installing the land lines.
"The towers are equipped with TA-312's, better known as 'crank phones,' and SINCGAR radios," he said. "The phones literally had to be wound to make a phone call, which can be time-consuming during an emergency. The problem with the radios was that they were sometimes affected by 'jammers' around entry control points."
Capello said that the jammers are set up to scramble radio signals outside the installation so that adversaries are unable to remotely detonate explosive devices, but have also been known to affect the radio signal on towers near the outer perimeter of VBC.
"With the land lines that we are installing, as soon as they pick up the phone it will automatically call the BDOC's 'battle-bridge' or operations center, where they can take the appropriate action immediately," said the officer in charge of the project, 1st Lt. Obie E. Ward of Pineville, La.
He continued by explaining that some of the towers are on the main routes in Baghdad, and that they needed a way to report incidents quickly.
With a mission of ensuring the security within the base, Capello said this was a priority for the BDOC.
"This is a project that has been discussed for several years now, but just hasn't been done yet," said the Baton Rouge, La., resident. "When we got here, we knew we had to do something, and found a way to do it. We gave our Signal Company the mission and they jumped on it."
"We are setting the installation up for our absence," Capello said. "We are making communication more practical for the Iraqi's as we hand their country back to them."
Ward said though the project is a big one, the Lafayette, La., Signal Company's goal is to be done with their part of mission by July, and noted that thanks to the hard work of the Soldiers in the company, they are ahead of their own schedule.
"We didn't think it would go as quickly as it has. It is hot and there is a lot of manual work involved, but these guys are on it," Ward added.
"I am very proud of my Soldiers," said the signal company's commander, Capt. Harold D. Roberson, Jr. "They have a 'can do' attitude and really understand the significant impact we have on Iraq's future stability."
"As the drawdown gets closer, we are doing everything we can to ensure that the Iraqi's are successful in maintaining their security force," said Roberson, also of Baton Rouge, La.
The Plaquemine, La., headquartered unit, commanded by Lt. Col. Stuart N. Burruss, of Carville, La., and Command Sgt. Maj. Patrick L. Sandel, of Deridder, La., arrived at the Baghdad installation in March, and assumed the responsibility as the BDOC in April. The Tiger Brigade unit is expected to return home around the end of the year.
| Date Taken: | 06.03.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 06.03.2010 12:55 |
| Story ID: | 50797 |
| Location: | CAMP VICTORY, IQ |
| Web Views: | 338 |
| Downloads: | 255 |
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