LandWarNet eUniversity builds on partnership with Battle Command Knowledge System

Army Communicator, Fall, 2007

The Signal Center is expanding its knowledge management efforts by using LandWarNet-University to leverage the use of Battle Command Knowledge System professional forums as professional development tools for Army leaders. While the addition of BCKS professional forums to LWNe-U supports the Army's goal to provide an avenue for Soldiers to collaborate and exchange ideas in a "real time" environment; LWNe-U continues to offer expanded training capabilities to units at any point in the Army Force Generation Cycle through Extension Campuses and a variety of new equipment based simulations. Distributed learning opportunities offered via LWNe-U include training on some of the latest equipment being fielded. However, the Signal Center is going beyond just "offering" training opportunities, by working to ensure that Active and Reserve Component Soldiers as well as Department of the Army civilians and contractors within the Signal Corps have access to state-of-the-art digital training facilities equipped with the latest technology.

For more information on LandWarNet-eUniversity Forums; contact Michael Setzke, Knowledge Management Advisor, (contractorBCKS), at michael.m.setzke@us.army.mil, DSN 780-8670 or commercial (706) 791-8670 or LTC Reginald Cray, chief LandWarNet-eUniversity at reginald.cray@us.army.mil, DSN 780-4800 or commercial 706-791-4800.

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Unit universities now offer custom pre-deployment training for rotating units

The LWN-eU Extension Campus has greatly expanded its outreach program for deploying units. The extension campus coordinator will work with gaining units and commanders to create custom unit universities to support site specific training requirements. Currently, there are more than forty unit universities on the extension campus that provide sustainment training on Signal military occupational specialties, information technology, and communications equipment to active, Guard, Reserve, and joint services.

Recent unit university additions to the LWN-eU Extension Campus include: 35th Signal Brigade, 112th Signal Battalion, 36th Signal Battalion, 529th Signal Company, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 310th and 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Commands. Unit universities can deliver training that cannot be obtained locally to forces in ARFORGEN reset, sustainment, or deployed in theaters of operation. Individual Soldiers can access their unit university anywhere they can connect to the Internet.

Unit universities are created and hosted on the Blackboard Learning Content Management System. This system has built-in features that provide commanders and training managers the tools and ability to monitor, track, and assess training at the unit or individual Soldier level using the checks for learning developed by the unit. Unit universities give commanders and Soldiers a single location for accessing training that was developed by the Signal Center.

Examples of training content that can be immediately loaded onto a Unit University range from installing, operating and maintaining a Joint Network Node to navigate using the Defense Advanced Global Positioning System Receiver. All of the training content comes from the same program-of-instruction used for resident courses at Fort Gordon.

Also readily available on unit universities is quick access to professional forums and more than 500 downloadable products, interactive multimedia instruction, and computer-based trainings. Recent and popular downloads include: AN/TSC-156A Phoenix Simulator, local area network/wide area network simulator, Force XXI Battle Command, brigade-and-below simulation, and single-channel ground-to-air radio system multimedia instruction.

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For more information on, or to request a unit university, contact Floyd Orial, LWN-eU Signal Extension Campus Coordinator, (contractor: General Dynamics Information Technology), floyd.orial@us.army.mil, DSN 780-2571 or commercial (706) 791-2571.

State-of-the-art support for Army Force Generation

Interactive multi-media instruction greatly enhances and standardizes instruction for AC and RC units throughout the force when self development, sustainment, refresher, and remedial training are conducted.

The following virtual/PC based simulators are available or will be made available via LandWarNet eU (https:// lwn.army.mil) and LandWarnet eU Signal (https:// lwneusignal.army.mil) web portals to facilitate communications equipment operations training:

FIELDED SIMS

1. LAN/WAN

Fielded: APR 07

Target Audience: 25B, C, F, L, P, Q, S, U, W, 250N, 251A, 53A, 25A

LT/ CPT

2. Phoenix (Version A)

Fielded: APR 07

Target Audience: 25S

3. SATCOM Hub (Spiral 5-7)

Fielded: MARCH 07

Target Audience: 25S

4. Baseband Hub (Spiral 2-4)

Fielded: FEB 06

Target Audience: 25N

5. JNN (Spiral 1)

Fielded: OCT 05

Target Audience: 25N

6. BN-CPN (Spiral 1)

Fielded: OCT 05

Target Audience: 25B

7. KU (Spiral 1)

Fielded: OCT 05

Target Audience: 25Q

8. DTOC

Fielded: OCT 05

Target Audience: 25B

9. TIMS (ISYSCON)

Fielded: OCT 05

Target Audience: 25B