Signal soldiers sharpen communication skills

Army Communicator, Wntr, 2008 by Selina A. Tolonen

Signal Soldiers Army-wide are receiving up to three months of mission-essential new equipment training relating to the Joint Network Node communications system.

This training, taught by a variety of corporations ranging from DataPath International to Engineering Solutions and Products Incorporated, is specifically designed to train Soldiers on how to sustain the operation and maintenance of a JNN in a tactical environment.

Waylon Sanders works for General Dynamics at Fort Gordon, Ga., and is the training supervisor for Fort Riley's current JNN course rotation. He is also a retired warrant officer.

"The most challenging aspect of my job is setting the training schedule and ensuring Soldiers attend the class that best pertains to his or her military occupational specialty," he says.

There are 11 different classes taught in one JNN course rotation, and are held at military installations in Germany, Texas, Washington, and several other locations all around the world, in addition to Fort Riley, Kan.

Sanders says he thinks one of the main reasons for this training is probably due to the Army's new equipment training requirements.

"The JNN is on its way in, and mobile subscriber equipment is on its way out," he says.

SPC Joey Shinskey and SGT Rachel Cargill, 3BCT 1AD Special Troops Battalion, Bravo company, are students in the JNN operator and maintainer course. They say the course has definitely made them more proficient at their job as 25Fs, network switching systems operators/ maintainers.

"The more training a Soldier can get on different types of communications equipment, the more prepared a Soldier will be for any communications mission" Shinskey says.

"This will change my MOS completely," Cargill says. She has enjoyed the hands-on training and "on-the-spot troubleshooting."

Throughout the course, Soldiers have the opportunity to work inside a JNN shelter, configure a router, set up Cisco Call Manager Express, operate a Ku-band satellite, and other types of one-on-one equipment training.

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JNN instructor and Army National Guard Soldier, Bill Ringler, loves nothing more than helping his fellow troops get needed training.

"Knowing that what I teach Soldiers goes with them downrange or on whatever mission they're tasked with gives me a sense of pride I couldn't get anywhere else," he says. Because Ringler has 19 years of military service behind him, he knows and understands the mindset of a Soldier and what is important to mission accomplishment.

His fellow instructors, mostly all prior-service or retired military, agree.

"I feel like I'm doing my part to fight against terrorism, but I wish I could also see the knowledge that the Soldiers acquire use during their deployment," JNN network management instructor, Darryl McNeil says.

SSG Nicholas Yost, 2nd Brigade Combat Team 4th Infantry Division Special Troops Battalion, Bravo Company is a student in the JNN network management class. The class is designed for Soldiers working in S-6 or any communications section, and JNN platoon leaders.

He says deployments are the "final exam" in seeing whether or not a unit is prepared, and that these courses provide "a wealth of signal knowledge and training designed to give Soldiers the tools necessary to be ready."

By mid-December, Fort Riley's JNN course certified approximately 60 Soldiers, thus giving them the knowledge and skills necessary to plan, manage, and sustain a JNN. For more information on the Signal Corps visit www.gordon.army.mil.

ACRONYM QUICKSCAN

AC--Active Component

AD--Armored Division

APM VIS--Assistant Project Manager, Vehicular Intercom Systems

BCT--Brigade Combat Team

C4--Command, Control, Communications and Computers

C4ISR--Command, Control Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance

and Reconnaissance

CASCOM--Combined Arms Support Command

CE-LCMC--Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management Center

CENTCOM--Central Command COB--Contingency Operating Base

CONUS--Continental United States

CSS VSAT--Combat Service Support Very Small Aperture Terminal

DISA--Defense Information Systems Systems Agency

DISN--Defense Information System Network

EBS--Expeditionary Signal Battalion

FOC--final operational capability

FY--fiscal year

GCS--Global Communications Solutions

ID--Infantry Division

INSCOM--Intelligence and Security Command

ITSB--Integrated Theater Signal Battalion

IOC--initial operational capability

ISEC--Information Systems Engineering Command

JNN--Joint Network Node

MEDCOM--Medical Command

MOS--military occupational specialty

NCO--noncommissioned officer

NETCOM--Network Enterprise Technology Command

OEF--Operation Enduring Freedom

OIF--Operation Iraqi Freedom

OIF-I--Operation Iraqi Freedom-I

PEO EIS--Program Executive Office, Enterprise Information Systems'

PM DCATS--Project Manager, Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems

PM DWTS--Product Manager, Defense Wide Transmission Systems

SOCCENT--Special Operations Command Central

STB--Special Troops Battalion

SWA--Southwest Asia

TRADOC--Training and Doctrine Command

USAIC--U.S. Army Intelligence Center