Grissom Marines supply battlefield communication Published April 23, 2013 By Staff Sgt. Ben Mota 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- From signal flags to satellites, history has proven communication can be the difference between victory and defeat, and this is never truer than on the modern battlefield. To ensure they can provide vital communications capabilities to today's war fighter, 23 Marine Corps reservists assigned to Detachment 1, Communications Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group here participated in a communications exercise April 12-14. "For us as a communications detachment, we have a responsibility to provide command and control systems capability to a battalion level or higher," said Capt. Markus Trouerbach, Detachment 1 inspector instructor. "We can provide approximately 30 users with classified and unclassified voice and data capabilities so they can communicate anywhere in the world." And, providing such capability is vital to the war fighter down range. "For us it's about supporting the war fighter; everything we do is to sustain them," explained Gunnery Sgt. Brian Kenefic, Detachment 1 operations chief. "If we don't provide effective communications capability, they don't get the logistics support they need, including fuel, food, ammo and medical (supplies)." The main focus of this specific communications exercise was validation. "Our primary mission was validating that all equipment was operational to meet our objectives," said Kenefic. "The validation process ensures that we have the proper equipment, the equipment is working and our Marines are following the procedures for setting it up." "We try to find out what our capabilities are with personnel and equipment," echoed Trouerbach. "It's important for us to know we can provide those capabilities ourselves." In the long run, Trouerbach said the goal is for the detachment to have everything down to a complete science on how to deploy equipment and personnel to provide battlefield communication. "Our overall goal in the next 12 months is to have a complete standard operating procedure that would have everything detailed in it including network architecture, every program for every piece of equipment, the numbers of personnel needed to run everything, the packing for the equipment and the lift requirements needed to move it from point A to point B," the inspector instructor explained. He also pointed out that a detachment is not normally responsible for such detailed planning, but because they are geographically separated from their company, they need that level of preparedness. Having that level of readiness also involves making sure each of the Marines are familiar with a host of different communication technology. One of the primary tools used by the communication Marines during this exercise was an MRC-142C, which provides telephone and internet services through line-of-sight with other MRC- 142s. Used properly, the devices can allow for effective communication at a maximum distance of 35 miles between antennas. During the training, Marines pieced together each component of the MRC-142s, including the antennas that relay the information. "When setting up the antennas it's critical that they are facing the direction of the antenna they are receiving information from," said Cpl. Matthew Smythe, Detachment 1 communications specialist, who added they also have to be concerned with safety. "We have to be observant and ensure that the antennas are not near power lines and that weather conditions are appropriate," Smythe added. The next step for Detachment 1 is an upcoming, larger-scale exercise this summer at Camp Lejeune, N.C., where the Marines will push one step closer to their goal. Detachment 1 is a tenant unit located at Grissom. The base is also home to the 434th Air Refueling Wing, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command, as well as three Army Reserve units. Airmen, Soldiers and Marines routinely deploy from Grissom around the world in support of the Department of Defense mission and U.S. strategic objectives. Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.
