LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Operating in a country encompassing rugged, mountainous terrain and recovering from years of conflict can present many communications challenges, but at least one soldier is successfully keeping his units connected.
U.S. Army Spc. Joseph Sirovy, a multichannel transmissions systems operator from Knox, Ind., assigned to Company C, 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, ensures his units throughout Wardak and Logar provinces in eastern Afghanistan are able to connect.
“I am trying to make a difference at the company and platoon levels for Soldiers to be able to communicate to their command,” said Sirovy.
As the technical expert for a team that assesses and repairs communications equipment, Sirovy provides communication analysis throughout the brigade’s area of operations. This support allows Task Force Patriot to communicate in a clear and timely manner, even at the lowest levels, so they can conduct effective military operations and, more importantly, keep ahead of insurgents and the Taliban, said U.S. Army Capt. Craig Starn, Co. C commander from Grafton, W. Va.
Afghanistan has limited fixed-line telephone service, ranking 139th in the world according to the CIA's World Fact book website. Terrain is the biggest obstacle for establishing communications within TF Patriot’s operating area of Afghanistan, said Sirovy; and communications leaders are using commercial equipment to push network services to companies and platoons not located on larger forward operating bases.
Signal site assessments play a significant role in maintaining reliable tactical communications down to the lowest levels, said U.S. Army Maj. Keith Dawson, TF Patriot brigade communications and automations officer in charge from Hammond, La.
Sirovy said he enjoys conducting assessments throughout Logar and Wardak provinces because he leaves the FOB and gets to fix and prevent communication problems.
Dawson said Sirovy and the assessment team are vital to maintaining communications within the task force because the host nation has very limited landlines, forcing the brigade to rely mainly on its own signal equipment - such as satellite communication.
An active assessment team is also important due to the size of TF Patriot’s communication network, which is four times the size of an average BCT’s, said Dawson.
Sirovy said he has learned to assess and maintain satellite communications equipment and computer networking systems. He knows the training and experience he received from his job would help in the civilian sector due to the latest technology the U.S. Army is using.
However, Sirovy is not necessarily thinking of leaving the Army anytime soon. While he joined the Signal Corps to learn the signal and communications field, he said he enlisted the Army for three reasons - to serve his country, to make something of himself and to make sure his child was taken care of.
Tasked in November 2010 to conduct signal site assessments for all FOBs and combat outposts within the Patriot Brigade’s AO, Sirovy and Starn travel to different locations weekly to complete surveys. Sirovy inspects all of the signal equipment for each unit to make sure they are functioning properly. He fixes issues on the spot and determines if any equipment parts need to be ordered or repaired.
It is very critical that the units have uninterrupted communications to their higher authority during combat operations, said Starn.
U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Adrian Borel of Lafayette, La., Co. C. 4th BSTB’s first sergeant, explained why Sirovy was chosen for his position on the assessment team and why he is so successful.
“Specialist Sirovy is dedicated to mission accomplishment and will not accept failure,” said Borel. “He continuously seeks to expand his knowledge base of signal equipment and its capability pertaining to each unit’s primary mission focus.”