An exercise to promote systems interoperability kicked off this week across the Defense Department.

The Defense Interoperability Communication Exercise 2006 (DICE06) started earlier this week to test communications equipment and systems for use among DOD services and agencies and with the Homeland Security Department and first responders, according to a release sent out by the Defense Information Systems Agency.

DISA's Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) has been designated to test the technologies for interoperability and to certify them for DOD-wide usage.

DICE06 testing will continue through April 14 at JITC Fort Huachuca, Ariz., and other locations, including Fort Monmouth, N.J., Fort Monroe, Va., Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Okinawa, Japan. DICE is the largest communications exercise that tests Defense and non-DOD communication systems, according to the release. Its goal is to create interoperability among systems that support the war on terrorism and natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.

Exercise participants include communications personnel from each of the services, the Northern Command, the Coast Guard, DHS' Federal Emergency Management Agency and state, county and municipal first responders.

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