GRAFENWOEHR, Germany – Phoenix Endeavor is one of the many important pieces that put together Combined Endeavor a multinational exercise, Sept. 9-22, 2011.
The goal of the exercise is to improve North American and European military communications, and computer network inter-connectivity to help nations partner together in responding to regional crisis or disaster.
Master Sgt. Malachi Outen, a joint spectrum manager for the Defense Spectrum Organization said Phoenix Endeavor is more directed for just testing the spectrum management portion of Combined Endeavor. It was created to teach spectrum managers or coalition members who focus on spectrum management itself.
Spectrum management is the process of regulating the use of radio frequencies. Spectrum Management ensures that radio frequencies do not conflict with each other. For example, baby monitors from the United States conflict with German networks causing issues with cellular usage. Proper spectrum management avoids this conflict.
Phoenix Endeavor helps nations learn more about spectrum management and gives them the chance to exchange information on how to do things differently. Which follows in one of the key goals of Combined Endeavor, human interoperability.
“We bring in a lot of organizations like the defense spectrum organization, we bring in host nation countries with spectrum dependent software and platforms which helps because you get a different feel from other spectrum outlooks.” said Outen.
Teaching spectrum management in a multinational environment presents new challenges for the instructor.
“It's different you have to cater your instruction to your audience, and some audiences are a lot more knowledgeable then others in spectrum management. Here at Phoenix Endeavor the challenge is when we don't have repetition of the representatives each year we kind of have to start over from scratch,” said Outen.
Each lesson taught to the students by the instructors is aimed at a particular goal in mind.
“The goals for the students is to give them as much spectrum management knowledge outside of whats just on the syllabus, but also give them extra information that will make them more useful to their countries as spectrum managers,” said Outen.
Phoenix Endeavor gives other nations a chance to create better spectrum managers.
“I've received a lot of information about spectrum management during Phoenix Endeavor, and so far everything is very interesting,” said Capt Regimantas Genutis, Lithuanian army.
“This will be very good for my career, every course is good, and it will be good if I can take a job as a spectrum manager in the future,” said Genutis.