BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – A transfer of authority ceremony between the 359th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade and the 228th TTSB was held in a clamshell tent at Bagram Air Field, March 27.
The ceremony officially marked the end of Task Force Thunder (the 359th TTSB’s tour) and recognized the beginning of Task Force Spartan (the 228th TTSB tour). Although the name of the task force changed, the overall mission for the new TTSB remains to maintain and commercialize the communications assets throughout the Combined Joint Operations Area – Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Army Col. Chris Kemp and Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Wilkerson, the outgoing 359th TTSB’s commander and command sergeant major, cased the 359th colors after which, Army Brig. Gen. Gregory W. Batts and Command Sgt. Maj. Charles R. Campbell, the commander and command sergeant major of the 228th TTSB unfurled the guidon of the incoming command.
Guest speaker, Army Maj. Gen. Timothy P. McHale, deputy commanding general-support, U.S. Forces Afghanistan, bid farewell to the Reserve soldiers of the 359th TTSB and welcomed the South Carolina National Guard soldiers of the 228th TTSB. “Your contributions towards supporting our troopers and building communication infrastructure have been a vital component to the success of the coalition and the morale of our fighting men and women.” This commitment to the mission enabled those troops to perform their mission at a higher standard, but our job here is not complete,” said McHale. The battlefield is constantly changing and that will require you, Task Force Spartan, to adapt. To the incoming soldiers, McHale said, “What works today, may be obsolete a few months from now.”
The Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the359th TTSB, located at Fort Gordon, Ga., deployed to Afghanistan in April 2010 with over 100 soldiers and one Department of the Army of Civilian, relieved the active-duty 7th TTSB, and stood up forward operations at Bagram Air Field, which is northeast of Kabul.
The HHC of the 359th formed the core of the Joint Network Operations Control Center-Afghanistan and assumed responsibility for management of three networks, consisting of over 1,700 servers and 200 satellite links, two subordinate expeditionary signal battalions and a USAF Engineering and Installation Squadron. To enhance the commercial expertise of the JNCC-A, over 90 information technology contractors augmented the mission.
One of the JNCC-A’s critical accomplishments during Task Force Thunder, was distributing over 500 Iridium telephones to key units throughout Afghanistan. The Command, Control, Communications and Computer Infrastructure Support Element section of the JNCC-A, in coordination with Central Command and the Defense Information Service Agency, distributed and provided service for more than 5,115 Netted Iridium Radios to combat and combat-support units in forward deployed locations in every region across the country. These tactical communication tools, along with essential training, provided the warfighters in Taliban-active areas the ability to call for fire or medical aid, in addition to having direct communications with their unit, said Army Capt. Hampton Culp, officer in charge of the C4I Support section, 359th TTSB. “This program has given remote isolated units access to emergency communication wherever they are.” Another vital feature of the Iridium devices is their ability to act as a beacon by providing postion location information. “This allows commanders to have an unprecedented look at dismounted movement as well,” said Culp. This kind of technology combined with Blue Force Tracker dramatically reduces the potential for “friendly fire” incidents, said Army Lt. Col. John H. Phillips, Task Force Thunder plans and operations officer in charge/JNCC-A director, 359th TTSB.
In addition to the Iridium telephones and radios, the JNCC-A team also provided warfighters with 1500 “Go Book” laptops, created by the L3 Company. These hand-held computers coupled with a multi-ban satellite capable radio allows the combat fighters email, web browser and chat functions like a regular laptop. This capability gives the servicemembers on patrol visibility on threats and intel on the battlefield, said Air Force Col. Jeff Maxwell, senior joint communicator for USFOR-A. “It greatly increases the reach-back capacity for Soldiers on patrol.”
Another effort to support the warfighters in rugged remote bases was to provide them with the ability to communicate home. The Joint Communications leaders at USFOR-A purchased more than 110 “Cheetah Systems,” which consisted of a small satellite dish, laptops and phones; thus allowing servicemembers to send and receive emails, Skype or make calls for morale purposes. The JNCC-A supply team pushed these systems out to small operating bases with less than 100 warfighters in the middle of literally nowhere, said Army Sgt. Maj. John Schiffli, plans and operations sergeant major for the 359th TTSB. “’The Cheetah Systems’ provided the much needed morale by allowing Soldiers on the farthest edge of the battlefield to make contact with loved ones during the holiday season and from that point forward.”
The 86th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, an active-duty Army unit from Arizona, controlled forward operations for Regional Command-South and West with their main hub positioned in Kandahar. This team of over 800 soldiers and 20 plus IT contractors established the first regionally focused Combined Network Operation and Cyber Security Center, which managed the digital battlefield space for two separate coalition divisions within Afghanistan. The 86th ESB, Task Force Tiger, also assumed the mission of providing regional communication security for two regional commands and increased the total capacity of secure lines by 324 percent.
To ensure the sustainment of signal capabilities within an ever-changing technical field, the 86th established a regional signal training center, Tiger University. Classes ranged from information management to an assortment of combat net radio courses. The classes also included technically advanced communications that provided college credits and professional certifications. Overall, the 86th trained more than 3,400 personnel, some of which were sailors, Marines, airmen and coalition partners.
The 307th ESB, an active-duty Army unit from Hawaii, controlled the forward operations for Regional Command-North with their hub located at Camp Marmal, which is near Maza Serif. The 307th, Task Force Dragon, truly executed the expeditionary part of the signal mission by establishing a Regional Network Control Center from the ground up in an austere environment.
Their robust communications efforts provided tactical and strategic capabilities to combat, aviation, medical, reconstruction, and a myriad of International Security Assistance Forces teams. As RC-N transformed from a one-star headquarters to a two-star joint coalition headquarters, the Task Force Dragon team’s customer base grew in excess of 10,000 personnel who were spread over 61,000 miles, and included more than 50 different tactical communication nodes. Meanwhile, they were able to procure and distribute over 10 million dollars of networking, end user, cable and transmission equipment, and increase network service to their combat customers by 50 percent.
Over 140 Airmen augmented Task Force Thunder as well, filling a number of vital roles throughout the country. These active-duty and National Guard Air Force signaleers represented a number of states and positions. The largest Air Force presence served on the Engineering and Installation teams, which were responsible for installing over 500,000 feet of copper and fiber optic cabling; creating eight critical communication locations that served over 40,000 users; and researching, procuring and storing over 10 million dollars in communications infrastructure materiel. This included the shipping and handling of over 500 short tons of critical equipment.
Collectively, all the elements of Task Force Thunder provided an efficient and secure communications network for the entire CJOA-A, which supported over 90,000 U.S. forces, with a reliability rate of 99.9 percent. And with numerous development projects throughout the country, the signaleers increased the network capacity by over 400 percent and pushed out an excess of one billion dollars worth of equipment and contract support in an 11-month period, said Army Lt. Col. George Brady, 359th TTSB supply and logistics officer in charge for Task Force Thunder.
Kemp thanked the members of Task Force Thunder and his Soldiers of the 359th TTSB for their tireless efforts in supporting the warfighters. “The success we have had here has been a team effort…and you can tell your family that you had the opportunity to serve with the best signal brigade in the Army’s inventory.”
The accomplishments of the 359th have definitely set a high bar, said Batts. “As we, the members of the 228th take on this mission, we can’t help but stand in awe and admiration of the work you’ve done and the example you have set.” The mission here is not done though, and my team is prepared, thanks to the efforts and training by the 359th. “Our time has come, and we are ready.”