Fort Bliss Monitor

208th Signal Company supports 3rd ID at JRTC

Spc. Jason Stadel
108th ADA Bde. Public Affairs

Soldiers from 208th Signal Company, explain line-of-sight antennas to Command Sgt. Maj. Phillip Rowland, 108th ADA Bde.

Battle ready training has been a focus for all Army units getting ready to deploy to Southwest Asia. With rotations getting ready to take place for Operation Iraqi Freedom III, active duty, National Guard, and Reserve units are doing all they can to prepare themselves for the unfamiliar environment that will be experienced in Iraq.

For stateside units there’s no better place to prepare than at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, La.

JRTC provides a real life aspect to combat training. Troops spend about a week in the box during the exercise; they experience everything from attacks by opposition to demonstrations and protests by citizens. The atmosphere in the box is intense and hectic, just as it would be in a combat situation.

The 3rd Infantry Division will soon be making a return trip to Southwest Asia. , and to prepare for the deployment they spent most of September at JRTC. Supporting the 3rd ID was the 208th Signal Company. The 208th will not be deploying with the division, but they were essential to the 3rd ID’s mission at JRTC.

“These folks that you’re supporting are about to go into harm’s way,” said Col. David Mann, 108th ADA Bde. commander. “The signal support you’re providing is very important to what they’re about to do.”

The 208th was attached to the 2-3 Bde. Troops Battalion for the exercise. Soldiers in the company were happy with their efforts and understood the importance of their job. “We provided them with quality signal support. They were able to communicate; they can’t fight if they can’t talk,” Spc. Adam Fontanez said.

The 208th also left a good impression with the leadership of the battalion they were supporting. There were nothing but positive comments about the job the signal company did. One 3rd ID sergeant major jokingly asked Mann if he could “borrow” 208th for the upcoming deployment.

Troops from the company, though they won’t be deploying, got valuable training experience from JRTC. They were able to use new technologies in the Army’s signal branch. Most of the communication in the field is done with line -of-sight antennas. But while at JRTC the company used a “Smart T” satellite for communications.

The Smart T is an advantage because a direct line-of-sight isn’t needed for communications. Messages can be sent around trees and mountains.

Fontanez liked being able to try out the new satellite system, but he added the “old way” with line-of- sight is sometimes easier. “The Smart T has its high points, but it had its low points, too. When it rained we couldn’t use it at all.”

JRTC also provides a convoy live-fire exercise for the deploying troops. Most of the CLFX lanes were given to the 3rd ID Soldiers, but a few slots were available for the 208th Soldiers as well.

“The CLFX was great,” Spc. Andrew Gerke said, “We went with a military intelligence unit on the lanes. I’ve never been in a live-fire exercise like that before.”

The 208th Signal Company returned to Fort Bliss last week after nearly a month at Fort Polk. The 3rd Infantry Div. will be deploying to Southwest Asia in late 2004 or early 2005.



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	October 7, 2004

	208th Signal Company supports 3rd ID at JRTC Spc. Jason Stadel 108th ADA Bde. Public Affairs Soldiers from 208th Signal Company, explain line-of-sight antennas to Command Sgt. Maj. Phillip Rowland, 108th ADA Bde. Battle ready training has been a focus for all Army units getting ready to deploy to Southwest Asia. With rotations getting ready to take place for Operation Iraqi Freedom III, active duty, National Guard, and Reserve units are doing all they can to prepare themselves for the unfamiliar environment that will be experienced in Iraq. For stateside units there’s no better place to prepare than at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, La. JRTC provides a real life aspect to combat training. Troops spend about a week in the box during the exercise; they experience everything from attacks by opposition to demonstrations and protests by citizens. The atmosphere in the box is intense and hectic, just as it would be in a combat situation. The 3rd Infantry Division will soon be making a return trip to Southwest Asia. , and to prepare for the deployment they spent most of September at JRTC. Supporting the 3rd ID was the 208th Signal Company. The 208th will not be deploying with the division, but they were essential to the 3rd ID’s mission at JRTC. “These folks that you’re supporting are about to go into harm’s way,” said Col. David Mann, 108th ADA Bde. commander. “The signal support you’re providing is very important to what they’re about to do.” The 208th was attached to the 2-3 Bde. Troops Battalion for the exercise. Soldiers in the company were happy with their efforts and understood the importance of their job. “We provided them with quality signal support. They were able to communicate; they can’t fight if they can’t talk,” Spc. Adam Fontanez said. The 208th also left a good impression with the leadership of the battalion they were supporting. There were nothing but positive comments about the job the signal company did. One 3rd ID sergeant major jokingly asked Mann if he could “borrow” 208th for the upcoming deployment. Troops from the company, though they won’t be deploying, got valuable training experience from JRTC. They were able to use new technologies in the Army’s signal branch. Most of the communication in the field is done with line -of-sight antennas. But while at JRTC the company used a “Smart T” satellite for communications. The Smart T is an advantage because a direct line-of-sight isn’t needed for communications. Messages can be sent around trees and mountains. Fontanez liked being able to try out the new satellite system, but he added the “old way” with line-of- sight is sometimes easier. “The Smart T has its high points, but it had its low points, too. When it rained we couldn’t use it at all.” JRTC also provides a convoy live-fire exercise for the deploying troops. Most of the CLFX lanes were given to the 3rd ID Soldiers, but a few slots were available for the 208th Soldiers as well. “The CLFX was great,” Spc. Andrew Gerke said, “We went with a military intelligence unit on the lanes. I’ve never been in a live-fire exercise like that before.” The 208th Signal Company returned to Fort Bliss last week after nearly a month at Fort Polk. The 3rd Infantry Div. will be deploying to Southwest Asia in late 2004 or early 2005.