To defeat today’s globally dispersed enemies, we must have a pervasive network to pass information unimpeded among soldiers and leaders — in garrison, en route and when deployed. In addition, we must have the right organizations and the right training for Army personnel to deploy the network as a weapons system.

Our signal battalions and companies are currently reorganizing to provide more capability to our fighting men and women. A new type of signal organization, the Integrated Theater Signal Battalion–Joint (ITSB-J), supports headquarter units without embedded signal assets. These new battalions provide more network communications support with fewer personnel by supporting a location rather than a specific unit.

“Defeating a globally dispersed enemy depends more than ever on educating all soldiers.”

Each ITSB-J is modular, with a more efficient tasking organization to satisfy units—which make up 70 percent of the Army—without organic communications. The plug-and-play interoperability of an ITSB-J is possible by using common equipment such as the Base Band Node, Joint Network Node (JNN) and Command Post Node.

The 63rd Signal Battalion at Fort Gordon, Ga., is the first to convert and now has eight ITSB-Js. The remaining signal battalions will convert by 2013. Each ITSB-J can support 30 command posts of various sizes with much greater capability. They will facilitate the transition to the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical.

The Army recently retooled the Signal Center at Fort Gordon and established LandWarNet-University (LWN-U). Although the Army had moved from legacy circuit-based switching to IP switching, the curriculum had not changed fast enough and the school lacked resources for all of the service’s training needs. For example, a lack of space and instructors led the school to remain open around the clock, holding three eight-hour training shifts.

Last February, the school built and equipped 39 modular classrooms to support expanded JNN training. To date, 600 JNN-trained soldiers have graduated and reported to JNN-equipped brigade combat teams (BCTs). Currently, 400 soldiers are in training.

Virtual Reach
LWN-U is on the Army Knowledge Online portal as LWN-eU. It lets soldiers and Marines access training from anywhere, anytime, and train on equipment virtually. In August alone, 3,000 students and instructors used LWN-eU for training and equipment simulations. Thirty foreign language courses from Rosetta Stone of Berkshire, England, are available, with the most popular being Spanish, Arabic and German. LWN-U also has established virtual LWN-eU extension campuses in Baghdad and Kuwait and at numerous U.S. locations.

Senior Army leaders now learn which technologies make the network happen and how to command battles on today’s networked battlefield. They must attend a two-day workshop on how a cyberfight affects a kinetic fight. Participants link into Afghanistan, Iraq and other locations via classified and sensitive networks to see real-world examples of network risks, attacks and responses.

Defeating a globally dispersed enemy depends more than ever on educating all soldiers and reorganizing ITSB-Js and other signal units. The Army will continue to focus on training and reorganizing as we refine IP networks in our business base and tactical units.

Lt. Gen. Steven W. Boutelle is CIO for the Army.

purchase reprint

link to this page