A USAR medical Soldier at an Innovative Readiness Training stand-down for homeless veterans. (USAR photo)

LTG Jeffrey W. Talley

The success of America’s Army relies on the depth of a multicomponent force and will require the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) and Army National Guard (ARNG) to maintain their key role as part of Army force structure. My vision and strategy, outlined in “Rally Point 32,” will enable the USAR to sustain its support to the Total Army and the Joint Force.

While the past decade has redefined what it means to be a Reserve Soldier, the Army’s increasing reliance on critical capabilities resident in the USAR has been generations in the making.

In the early 1970s, the Total Force policy, also known as the Abrams Doctrine, was a major change to the strategic reserve. It placed a greater reliance on the Reserve force for warfighting and full-spectrum operations. The Total Force policy aligned major pieces of combat service and combat service support units into the USAR, making it essential to sustaining combat capabilities.

The way ahead will involve varying levels of progressive readiness for the Army. Not all units require the same resources to achieve readiness goals. The revised Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN) model will provide a more balanced approach to training, mobilization, and predictability that Soldiers, Families, and employers deserve.

The alignment created an active partnership between the active component and USAR, placing budgeting, planning, and programming for active component and USAR forces together. The doctrine was implemented in structure and policy in the 1993 Offsite Agreement, which, coupled with the Transformation Campaign Plan of 1999, overhauled the force structure and created modular brigades, laying the foundation for today’s essential operational Army Reserve.

In 1975, former Army Chief of Staff GEN Creighton Abrams famously said, “They’re not taking us to war without the Reserves.” The restructuring of the Army in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and draft system were designed, in part, to ensure public support through the engagement of community-based citizen-Soldiers. At the time, the decision was considered risky in light of the perception that “weekend warriors” were ill-equipped and ill-prepared to mobilize.

Having had the privilege of commanding both USAR and ARNG Soldiers, I take great pride in the demonstrated capabilities and professionalism of reserve component Soldiers. Any question regarding performance and readiness has been dispelled by the historic integration of the reserves, globally engaged in multiple campaigns across a full range of military operations.

CPL Ryan J. Barger, from Orleans MI, 303rd Military Police Company, Jackson, MI and last year’s USAR’s Best Warrior winner evaluates a casualty during 2011 Department of the Army Best Warrior Competition, Oct. 6. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Cliff Coy)

The Army Reserve Now
I believe we have the best Army Reserve in history. We are an essential part of the total force: Every year since 2001, an average of 24,000 USAR Soldiers have seamlessly integrated with the mobilized force. No longer a strategic, supplemental component, the USAR has become a crucial and complementary force to the Army’s overall deployable strength and warfighting team.

The Army Reserve comprises 19 percent of the Total Army for 6 percent of its budget. As a Federal Force under Federal Control, maintaining operational flexibility and strategic depth through critical capabilities resident within the USAR is a top priority for the Nation. The USAR structure is designed to provide complementary capabilities: We provide direct and essential access to the majority of the Army’s medical, engineer, quartermaster, ordinance, civil affairs, and psychological operations capability. More than one-third of our structure is combat support, and more than half is combat service support.

Army Reserve 2020
Developing Army Reserve 2020 as a versatile mix of enabling capabilities to Army 2020 and Joint Force 2020 is a key strategic priority. As we continue to provide ready and direct access to a high-quality, all-volunteer, operational USAR for Army and joint missions at home and abroad, we must also adapt to meet the evolving requirements of the Total Force and the Nation in an environment of reduced fiscal resources.

The way ahead will involve varying levels of progressive readiness for the Army. Not all units require the same resources to achieve readiness goals. The revised Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN) model will provide a more balanced approach to training, mobilization, and predictability that Soldiers, Families, and employers deserve.

Aligning Army Reserve Theater Commands with Army Corps, Army Service Component Commands, and Combatant Commands is crucial to keeping the Army Reserve part of the operating force. This alignment will provide critical staff planning and support and ensure the use of the Army Reserve’s unique capability throughout the ARFORGEN cycle.

Forces that are regionally aligned will maintain an expeditionary mindset, and regional alignment will also broaden the core skills of Army Reserve Soldiers by including cultural and language training. The goal is to enhance the Army’s ability to conduct a full range of military missions worldwide, achieve and sustain security, stability, and peace.

I take great pride in the demonstrated capabilities and professionalism of reserve component Soldiers. Any question regarding performance and readiness has been dispelled by the historic integration of the reserves, globally engaged in multiple campaigns across a full range of military operations.

Resources
The USAR has numerous resources available, with dedicated training infrastructure as well as training divisions under the operational control of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, making them a resource and asset to the Total Army. Maximizing Combat Training Center-like enabling training with the Total Force at our Warrior Exercises and Combat Support Training Exercises, conducted by the 84th Training Command, is key.

Also, simulation technology and home station training will save time and training dollars. The 75th Training Division (Mission Command) is currently spearheading a proof of principle that, if successful, could allow distributive use of games and simulations at platoon, company, and expeditionary sustainment command-size elements.

Legislative Authority
USAR Soldiers are present in 1,200 communities across the across the Nation. They add value through military and civilian acquired skills and capabilities that can now be leveraged at home for critical lifesaving, property preservation, and damage mitigation events.

The new mobilization authority for Defense Support of Civil Authority response contained in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 will serve as the mechanism to rapidly activate Federal Reserve Components in a complex catastrophe. The core competency of the USAR—the projection and sustainment of Army forces—lends itself readily to such missions. In the instance of a complex catastrophe, the USAR maintains 100 percent of the Army’s bio-detection capability, 76 percent of the forward surgical capability, and a predominance of transportation and engineering capability for the Total Army.

Resiliency
I would like to see a stronger emphasis on Soldier and leader readiness programs. In addition to physical fitness training, I expect my leaders to know their Soldiers and Families and work to instill resiliency.

The one thing that keeps me up at night is knowing we are losing too many Soldiers to suicide. Learn to identify and recognize at-risk Soldiers, and let them know that reaching out for help is a sign of strength. There are programs and resources that troubled Soldiers and Family members need to be made aware of, and looking out for your troop or battle buddy is something every Soldier must do.

I have high confidence that together our leadership teams will aggressively exercise proper authority within their commands to ensure adequate manning, training, and equipping to meet mission requirements. Leaders should emphasize technical skills in tactical environments—make use of our WAREXS [warrior exercises] and CSTXs [Combat Support Training Exercise] and participate in Theater exercises; this will maintain the warrior skills honed over a decade of war.

As I stated in Rally Point 32, the future will require an Army Reserve that can enable our Army to “Prevent, Shape and Win” across a full range of missions. Reduced resourcing will require continued effectiveness with gained business efficiencies. The key to success is maintaining the right force mix in our total Army and keeping a balance in our personal and professional lives as we serve together.

The Army Reserve’s mission, under Title 10 U.S. Code, is to provide trained, equipped, and ready Soldiers and cohesive units to meet the global requirements across the full spectrum of operations. The Army Reserve is a key element in the Army multi-component unit force, training with Active and National Guard units to ensure all three components work as a fully integrated team.

To meet the challenges of the 21st century in the war on terrorism, the Army has had to redefine and restructure itself. It is becoming smaller, lighter, and quicker.

• Enabling the Army to do more with fewer resources, by providing a flexible, well-trained, complementary force that can expand and contract to meet the specific needs and challenges of each new mission.
• Training Soldiers at the highest possible level in one of nearly 200 specific skills to support the Army on any air, land, or sea mission.
• Maintaining a force that can mobilize rapidly and skillfully at any moment to respond to a crisis or situation, or to defend America’s interests at home and abroad.
• Building a stronger Army by drawing on the strength, support, and success of all the diverse backgrounds and communities across America represented by the Soldiers in the United States Army Reserve (USAR).
• Anticipating the ever-evolving needs of today’s modern Army and helping it transform into a smaller, faster, stronger force while continuing to protect the Nation’s interests.
• Implementing national objectives.
• Keeping the Army mobile, efficient, and complete by providing specialized technological and troop support when and where it’s needed most.
• Supporting national policies.
• Preserving the peace and security, and providing for the defense of the United States, the Territories, Commonwealths and Possessions, and any areas occupied by the United States.
• Overcoming aggressive acts from nations and terrorist groups that imperil the peace and security of the United States.
• Giving back to the community by providing civil support, i.e. food, shelter, safe drinking water, and medical attention to our citizens during emergencies and natural disasters.

Powering the Army and Defending America’s Interests
The USAR has performed a complementary role to the Active component, providing combat support and combat service support functions to enable the Army to ramp up its capabilities to protect combat forces and sustain mobilization.

The Army Reserve is a key element in the Army multi-component unit force, training with Active and National Guard units to ensure all three components work as a fully integrated team.

To meet the challenges of the 21st century in the war on terrorism, the Army has had to redefine and restructure itself. It is becoming smaller, lighter, and quicker. The USAR is playing a critical role in this transformation. With more than a million Soldiers available at any time USAR provides a highly skilled, flexible force that can support the Army when and where they are needed most: in Combat Support, Combat Service Support, Peacekeeping, Nation Building, and Civil Support.

The world theater is changing daily. In order to protect our interests, our freedoms, and our people, the role of the United States and its military must also evolve. To defend our Nation’s interests, the country needs a force structure that is both flexible and responsive across all its elements, especially the USAR.

U.S. Army Reserve Data

The U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) makes up only 20 percent of the Army’s organized units, but it provides about half of the Army’s combat support and a quarter of the Army’s mobilization base expansion capability. At 5.3 percent of the Army’s budget, the USAR provides a cost-effective solution to the Army’s need for specialized capabilities.

The USAR contributes to the Army’s Total Force by providing 100 percent of the:
Chemical Brigades
Internment Brigades
Judge Advocate General Unit
Medical Groups
Railway Units
Training & Exercise Divisions
Water Supply Battalions

More Than two-thirds of the Army’s:
Civil Affairs Units
Psychological Operations Units
Transportation Groups
Motor Battalions
Chemical Battalions
Hospitals
Medical Brigades
Theater Signal Commands

Nearly half of the Army’s:
Petroleum Battalions
Adjutant General Units
Petroleum Groups
Transportation Command
Terminal Battalions
Public Affairs Units

Education and Training Opportunities

The Army’s Training with Industry (TWI) Program is a one-year work-experience training program designed to take selected officers out of the military environment and expose them to the latest commercial business practices, organizational structures and cultures, technology development processes, and the latest corporate management techniques. The companies that partner with the Army in this training program are developers of innovative, cutting-edge technologies and/or established business leaders in their respective fields. Each TWI has been established for officers to gain program management experience.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as only ten officers a year are selected to participate. For more information on how to apply, visit https://www.hrc.army.mil/Officer/Advanced%20Education%20Programs%20AEP. For information on the Army Acquisition Corps’ policy as well as specific information on each company involved, visit http://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/aac-training-with-industry/.

By reviewing the companies involved, you can see if you may be a fit based on your background and experience. The application deadline for this program is Nov. 9. The convening date is Nov. 12-16 and the program start date will be between June and September 2013.

If you have questions on how to apply or to discuss if this is a good fit for you, please contact your Assignment Officer. For other inquiries, please contact Marti Giella at 703-805-2700, DSN 655-2700, Marti.Giella@us.army.mil or Scott Greene at 703-805-1229, DSN 655-1229, Scott.Greene4@us.army.mil.

The Competitive Development Group–Army Acquisition Fellows announcement is open through Nov. 15 to all eligible personnel in grades GS-12 through GS-13 or broadband/pay equivalent positions who are Level III certified in any career field. The program provides expanded training, leadership, experiential, and other career development opportunities. For more information, visit http://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/competitive-development-group-army-acquisition-fellowship/announcements/.

Defense Acquisition University Training

Oct. 1, 2012 marked the beginning of FY13, and new FY13 classes are underway at the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). Acquisition workforce members who have not met their current Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act position requirements should view FY13 certification requirements at http://icatalog.dau.mil/onlinecatalog/CareerLvl.aspx. After completing the requirements, apply for certification through the Certification Management System at https://rda.altess.army.mil/camp/. Certification requirements can change each fiscal year, effective Oct. 1.

Students should continue to apply for available FY13 DAU courses. Planning and applying early will give students a better chance of obtaining a class in the timeframe requested. Encourage your supervisor to approve your training request as soon as you apply. To view the DAU I-catalog, go to http://icatalog.dau.mil and ensure that you meet the prerequisite(s) before applying to a DAU course. A weekly low-fill listing is posted at http://icatalog.dau.mil/onlinecatalog/tabnav.aspx, affording students the opportunity to attend classes coming up in the next 60 days. Low-fill classes are available on a first-come, first-served basis within that 60-day period.

Applications cannot be processed by the Army registrar’s office until your supervisor has approved the training. Apply through the Army Training Requirements and Resources System (ATRRS) Internet Training Application System (AITAS) at https://www.atrrs.army.mil/channels/aitas. For more information on DAU training, including systematic instructions, training priorities, and frequently asked questions, go to http://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/defense-acquisition-university-senior-service-college/. After receiving a confirmed reservation in the requested class, ensure that you attend the class as scheduled. Cancellation requests for a confirmed reservation must be submitted at least 30 calendar days before the class starts or by the reservation cutoff date, whichever is earlier, to avoid a “no show.”

Career Management Questions

Any workforce-related inquires, such as on DAU training, DAU Travel Orders, certification, Individual Development Plans, and Acquisition Career Record Briefs, should be submitted through the Workforce Management Inquiry system within Career Acquisition Management Portal (CAMP)/Career Acquisition Personnel and Position Management Information System, at https://rda.altess.army.mil/camp/. Once logged into CAMP, click on “Help Request” for assistance. Otherwise, you may open a ticket without logging into CAMP, at https://rda.altess.army.mil/camp/index.cfm?fuseaction=support.helpRequest.

DAU provides a listing of equivalencies, at http://icatalog.dau.mil/appg.aspx, for all courses delivered by DAU and/or predecessor courses that are considered acceptable toward meeting current acquisition career field certification requirements. To document equivalencies accepted by DAU that are obtained from non-Army schools, open a help desk ticket at https://rda.altess.army.mil/camp/index.cfm?fuseaction=support.helpRequest and request that your ACRB be updated to reflect completion of DAU equivalent course(s).

On Sept. 4, the university approved the very first DAU equivalent vendor, Trio Consulting LLC, accredited to teach BCF 211, Acquisition Business Management. Students interested in taking the BCF 211 DAU-equivalent course should apply and contact the vendor directly. Trio instructors can bring the course to your organization to teach the course locally on-site. Contact Trio through its website at http://www.trio-consulting.com.

The transition of BCF 211 to BCF 220 and BCF 225 has begun for classes beginning in early January 2013. BCF 211 will be split into two courses: BCF 220 (Web) and BCF 225 (Classroom). Students with reservations in classes starting Jan. 7, 2013 and thereafter will receive notification of the change directly from DAU, along with information on the requirement to complete the prerequisite course, BCF 220, before attending the resident portion, BCF 225. As of Oct. 11, students are no longer able to register for BCF 211; the course will be replaced with BCF 220 and BCF 225. Again, students who need BCF 211 must complete BCF 220 before applying to BCF 225.

Modernization and improvements to the XM 25 and other weapons are based heavily upon Soldiers’ experience in combat and the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures used to maximize their effect. (Program Executive Office Soldier photos)

Kris Osborn

The Army is preparing to conduct a second Forward Operational Assessment of its XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement (CDTE) airburst weapon system. Program managers are seeking to expedite development of the system, refine, and improve the technology, and ultimately begin formal production by the fall of 2014, service officials said Sep. 20 at the Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE), Fort Benning, GA.

The weapon fires a high-explosive airburst round capable of detonating at a specific, pre-determined point in space near an enemy target hidden or otherwise obscured by terrain or other obstacles.

“We defeated any enemy force that we deployed the weapon against. The XM25 is a devastating weapons system that changes the face of battle when we are in direct fire contact with the enemy.”

“The XM25 brings a new capability to the Soldier for the counter-defilade fight, allowing him to be able to engage enemy combatants behind walls, behind trees or in buildings,” said COL Scott Armstrong, project manager, Soldier Weapons. “The weapon fires a programmable airburst 25mm smart round. It consists of the weapons system with a target acquisition control system mounted on top. Development of the system is going well.”

The XM25 represents the state-of-the art in terms of airburst technology, consisting of a programmable 25mm round, a sensor, and a fire-control system, said Dr. Scott Fish, former Army Chief Scientist.

Using laser rangefinder technology, the fire control system on the weapon uses computer technology to calculate the distance the round must travel in order to explode at a particular, pre-determined point in space, he explained.

“The laser rangefinder sends a pulse of light out to the target. This light pulse hits the target and is reflected back, allowing the fire control system to calculate the distance based on the time it takes the light pulse to travel,” Fish said. “Since the speed of light is known, the exact distance to the target can then be determined. Once you determine how far the distance is to the target, a computer then calculates how long it will take the round to get there.”

The sensor and computer in the fire control system calculate the time it will take the round to reach the target by factoring in the distance it needs to travel and the speed at which it travels, Fish added.

The 25mm round is engineered with a small, chip-based sensor able to track distance in flight so that the round detonates at precisely the right distance, Fish said.

Earlier prototypes of the XM25 recently completed 14 months of Forward Operational Assessments in Afghanistan, an effort designed to provide Soldiers in combat with the advantage of having airburst technology and harvest important feedback needed to improve and refine development of the weapon’s final design for production.

The XM 25 fires a programmable airburst 25mm smart round. It consists of the weapons system with a target acquisition control system mounted on top.

“The Army has learned many valuable lessons from these deployments regarding how the weapon can be deployed and how tactics can be changed to better refine the design of the weapon. Based on feedback from Soldiers and contractor testing, we have already incorporated more than 100 improvements to the systems related to ergonomics, performance, and fire control,” said Armstrong.

During its initial Forward Operational Assessment, the XM 25 provided a decisive advantage to Soldiers in combat in Afghanistan. While on patrol in Southern Afghanistan, Soldiers with the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division used the XM 25 to engage and successfully defeat enemy forces hiding behind three-to-four foot walls used by Afghans to grow grapes, said CSM James Carabello, MCoE, a combat veteran who recently led infantry units in Afghanistan with the Army’s 10th Mountain Division.

“The laser rangefinder sends a pulse of light out to the target. This light pulse hits the target and is reflected back, allowing the fire control system to calculate the distance based on the time it takes the light pulse to travel.”

“We defeated any enemy force that we deployed the weapon against. The XM25 is a devastating weapons system that changes the face of battle when we are in direct fire contact with the enemy,” he said.

In fact, the latest version of the XM25 slated to deploy with Soldiers in Afghanistan in January of next year includes a range of key design improvements based on lessons learned from combat. Units using several prototype XM25s in theater were accompanied by teams of weapons experts focused on analyzing the system’s performance with a mind to making needed improvements, Armstrong said.

Modernization and improvements to the XM 25 and other weapons are also based heavily upon Soldiers’ experience in combat and the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures used to maximize their effect.

Therefore, the Army initiated a pilot program aimed at helping Soldiers train and prepare for the many contingencies of combat. The Advanced Situational Awareness Training program at MCoE consists of either a five or 22-day “train the trainer” course with intense classroom teaching and field exercises, said CSM Shawn Cook, 197th Infantry Brigade.

The training, designed to provide predictive tools and tactical problem solving mechanisms, is aimed at helping Soldiers make effective decisions in highly complex, fast-moving combat environments, he added.

“We are required to put our Soldiers in harm’s way, and greater situational awareness provides them with more mission success and a safer environment. This training allows Soldiers to better recognize human behaviors in their surroundings, enabling them to make better decisions. Soldiers who have deployed after this training say that it makes a big difference in the outcomes on the battlefield, increases effectiveness, and saves lives,” Cook said.

CERDEC enabled a mounted/hand-held computing environment that allowed for the dissemination of mission command data, imagery, streaming video, and voice between dismounted Soldiers and fixed command posts.

Edric Thompson

The Army employed a 4G cellular network this summer at its integrated capabilities testbed at Fort Dix, NJ to address integration with current network designs and to allow actionable intelligence for dismounted squads.

The U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command’s (RDECOM) Communications-Electronics RD&E center (CERDEC) enabled a mounted/hand-held computing environment that allowed for the dissemination of mission command data, imagery, streaming video,and voice between dismounted Soldiers and fixed command posts.

“We’ve had a long-standing collaboration with CERDEC PD C4ISR & Network Modernization; they handle the network pieces and infrastructure while our focus is developing the user interface to portray the information in the most optimal way for the dismounted Soldier.”

This was achieved by integrating a fourth-generation Long Term Evolution (4G LTE) network with a multi-tiered transport architecture that leveraged components of the Capability Set 13 design,including the Soldier Radio Waveform, the Adaptive Networking Wideband Waveform, terrestrial communications, and WIN-T Increment 1 and Increment 2 satellite communications.

“Based on personal experiences or commercials they see, many people recognize that 4G networks introduce greater capacity, which allows you to push more data, larger images, video, etcetera,” said R.J. Regars, software development lead for CERDEC Product Director (PD) command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) & Network Modernization. “But it’s an isolated cloud, which doesn’t translate well to the tactical environment without significant investments in infrastructure to provide reach back from the tactical edge to a brigade or battalion. So you need to look at what can be integrated across the terrestrial communications network, where there’s less bandwidth.”

PD C4ISR & Network Modernization is a Reaserach and Development program within RDECOM CERDEC that focuses on the future network near-term and several years out, providing the Army with a relevant venue to assess next-generation technologies and to facilitate technology maturation.

Part of its mission is to provide technology and system maturity evaluation/assessment services to RDECOM centers, labs, and programs of record,” Regars explained. “As such, the exploration of 4G LTE cellular networks was conducted in support of the Soldier Domain initiatives of RDECOM’s Natick Soldier RD&E Center.”

“We’ve had a long-standing collaboration with CERDEC PD C4ISR & Network Modernization; they handle the network pieces and infrastructure while our focus is developing the user interface to portray the information in the most optimal way for the dismounted Soldier,” said David Darkow, Natick Soldier RD&E Center, or NSRDEC, lead for Soldier Systems integration and experimentation.

“The configuration and performance of the network will determine what we can push to the Soldier and what we can do in terms of information portrayal,” Darkow said. “We’ll adapt our work to fit the different network types so we can give the Soldier the maximum capability that will come with that network.”

CERDEC employed a 4G cellular network at its field lab environment to address integration challenges with current network designs.

“Based on personal experiences or commercials they see, many people recognize that 4G networks introduce greater capacity, which allows you to push more data, larger images, video, etcetera.”

The PD first explored the use of commercial cellular in 2010 as a proof of concept, combining 3G networks and handhelds with tactical communications systems to transmit biometrics and mission command data, share imagery, send alerts, call for fires, and to run Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below Joint Capabilities Release functionality. Data was sent back and forth between dismounts and the tactical operations center.

In 2011, CERDEC demonstrated the Multi-Access Cellular Extension (MACE) foundational architecture to help pave the way for integrating commercial cellular technologies into current and future force networks, allowing use beyond a fixed infrastructure, such as WiFi access points or cellular base stations. Technologies under MACE seek to enable the secure use of smart devices and the ability to provide direct device-to-device Mobile Ad-Hoc Network-like features, enabling the Army to use multiple commercial wireless solutions, which could save the Army billions of dollars.

Science and technology efforts addressing the tactical aspects of employing commercial cellular, such as information assurance and policy-based security, will factor into shaping future PD C4ISR & Network Modernization events, said Jason Sypniewski, chief for PD C4ISR & Network Modernization’s Integrated Event Design and Analysis branch.

“This summer’s exploration of 4G LTE can be viewed as a data point to be correlated across a larger sample size of efforts looking at the tactical cellular arena,” Sypniewski said. “It’s just one example of how extending the development environment to the field can be applied toward building a body of evidence to accelerate informed decisions on the right capabilities and where they should be employed within the network.”
 

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• Edric Thompson is a RDECOM CERDEC Public Affairs Specialist. He holds a B.A. in public relations and English and an M.A in English all from Western Kentucky University.

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Medics send electronic Tactical Casualty Care Cards over a tactical network so surgeons can see injuries and what treatment have been performed prior to the patient's arrival. The combination of secure tactical communications and knowledge management helps brigade surgeons prioritize treatment and evacuation assets. (Photos by Edric Thompson, CERDEC Public Affairs)

Edric Thompson

The Army explored whether real-time, electronic point-of-treatment care was possible or practical this summer at its integrated capabilities test bed at Fort Dix, NJ.

Key medical and technical personnel from the U.S. Army Medical Research & Materiel Command (MRMC) and the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) combined prototype medical military software with commercial hand-held technologies and tactical 4G networks to send medical information from the point of injury on the battlefield back to the doctor for real-time communication and decision making.

“As decision makers look at network modernization, this is the type of information they will want in order to help them make informed decisions regarding telemedicine capabilities and the networks on which they’re going to ride. Our mission is to provide this.”

“It’s going to build confidence in the medic on the field that’s isolated with a severely wounded Soldier,” said Carl Manemeit, Physiological Monitoring project lead for the MRMC’s Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC).

“If you’ve ever seen the movie, ‘Black Hawk Down,’ the medic is trying to treat the guy with the artery issue in his leg; the medic goes through all his resources, and once he exhausted all his knowledge, he was stuck,” Manemeit said. If he had been connected to the surgeons back at the treatment facility, they could have given him more guidance on how to save that Soldier’s life. By injecting this expertise, we might be able to do that one thing that could save some guy’s life; that’s what we’re looking to do.”

Medics used man-portable physiological monitoring devices with streaming video, voice, and photo capability, and sent electronic Tactical Casualty Care Cards (TC3) over a tactical network to the surgical facility so surgeons could see injuries and what treatment had been performed prior to the patient’s arrival.

Medics utilize man-portable physiological monitoring devices with streaming video, voice, and photo capability to send medical information to doctors for real-time communication and decision making.

“There’s an information gap that lies between the point of injury on the field and point of treatment back at a medical facility,” said Dr. Gary R. Gilbert, TATRC Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation program manager for Secure Telemedicine. “We need to do a better job of being able to record what the medic saw and did prior to the patient being evacuated to the treatment facility, and we want this record to be transmitted to the Soldier’s permanent health records.”

“Now when the patient goes to a combat support hospital, or gets back to Walter Reed for further care, the doctors can see what happened in the field; and five years from now when the patient goes into a VA [Veterans Affairs] hospital seeking treatment, the care providers can see everything that’s been done,” Gilbert said.

Currently, medics fill out a paper TC3 that’s attached to the injured Soldier before evacuation to the battalion aid station or the combat support hospital. In some cases, the TC3 never makes it back to the treatment facility, and the information never makes it to the patient records.

“One of the issues I had with the card is that it’s a piece of paper held on with a metal wire,” said SPC Daniel Vita, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD. “Pretty much, you would have attached it to the patient through his zipper or around his wrist, but you potentially had the problem of ripping the paper from the metal loop.”

Vita, who was a medic with the 130th Engineer Brigade Headquarters in Iraq, preferred using tape and a sharpie because “it stayed.”

“I like the idea of an electronic TC3 because it’s simpler,” Vita said. “It’s a lot easier for the information to get to where it needs to go and it makes it legible. When you filled out a TC3 card and put it on the patient, they didn’t know what was happening until that patient and card got to them. Now doing it electronically, you can send it ahead to the level two or three so they have an idea of what kinds of patients and casualties are coming in.”

The combination of secure tactical communications and knowledge management may also help brigade surgeons prioritize treatment and evacuation assets so the most critically injured can be treated first.

“The Army uses medevac, but the bad news is that it costs about $20,000 per patient flight,” said Dave Williams, Project Manager for Theater Tele-Health Initiatives, TATRC. “And if you have six assets and 12 patients, who should they get first? If we can determine which patients can be held and which can be treated and stabilized on site, it might be a less expensive way to save a patient’s life.”

The work was performed at the integrated capabilities test bed operated by Product Director (PD) Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (C4ISR) and Network Modernization, an R&D program within U.S. Army RDECOM’s communications-electronics RD&E center (CERDEC).

“We need to do a better job of being able to record what the medic saw and did prior to the patient being evacuated to the treatment facility, and we want this record to be transmitted to the Soldier’s permanent health records.”

“This is a forgiving environment because it’s designed for testing and solution proving,” Gilbert said. “If things don’t work, that’s OK; you find out what doesn’t work and you fix it here. There are a lot of technologies required to make this work, and we don’t have all of these. CERDEC is helping to fill in those gaps by providing a variety of radio capabilities that you wouldn’t get at a real brigade: SRW, Wideband Networking Waveform, Adaptive Networking Wideband Waveform, deployable 4G, Airborne relay, connection to Army Warfighter Information Network-Tactical. They provide the infrastructure and we just bring the application.”

PD C4ISR & Network Modernization focuses on the future network, near-term, and several years out, providing the Army with a relevant venue to assess next-generation technologies and to facilitate technology maturation. The program is also a key component in CERDEC’s support of the agile acquisition process, using its field lab environment to perform risk mitigation and candidate assessment/selection for future Network Integration Rehearsal/Exercise events.

“These guys are not only preparing the current force to be successful, they’re closing the gaps for the future force with each iteration of these integrated capabilities events,” Williams said. “You don’t solve all the problems in one 12-month cycle. This venue is providing the medics an opportunity to get inside the Program Objective Memorandum cycle to come up with those solutions and iteratively solve them as technologies emerge and grow with us. This has been a complete team effort to develop a solution that did not exist six years ago.”

This is the third year that PD C4ISR & Network Modernization has examined network capabilities that could support the medic/first responder’s mission.

During 2011, PD C4ISR & Network Modernization combined fielded tactical radios such as the Enhanced Position Location Reporting System with the Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW) to see if it was possible and feasible to provide enhanced bandwidth and over-the-horizon communications for hand-held medical data. This year, a 4G cellular mesh network was implemented, using SRW to bridge back to the tactical network.

“We’re examining how best to combine the future and current so we can enable the medical community to perform their mission more efficiently,” said Jason Sypniewski, chief for PD C4ISR & Network Modernization’s Integrated Event Design & Analysis branch. “We’re looking at the Soldier Radio Waveform because it’s a self-healing waveform that allows non-line-of-sight communication; that’s the vision for where the Army wants to go. We’ve looked at EPLRS [Enhanced Position Location Reporting System] because it’s an existing asset on which the medical community could recapitalize.”

“Cellular technology could be the future of tele-health on the modern battlefield, but we need to know if it can be done, and if so, would it actually enhance the delivery of information?” Sypniewski said. “As decision makers look at network modernization, this is the type of information they will want in order to help them make informed decisions regarding telemedicine capabilities and the networks on which they’re going to ride. Our mission is to provide this.”
 

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• Edric Thompson is a RDECOM CERDEC Public Affairs Specialist. He holds a B.A. in public relations and English and an M.A in English all from Western Kentucky University.

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Mike Cook of ATC discusses the Roadway Simulator with Dr. Fish. (Photo by Dana Fritts, Protocol Specialist, ATC)

Dr. Scott Fish

This is the final column by Dr. Scott Fish, Army Chief Scientist, on activities in the Army science and technology (S&T) community and their potential impact on Army acquisition programs.

As part of our efforts to expand the Army’s awareness of S&T Initiatives outside the Army, Ms. Heidi Shyu, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, and I visited Sandia National Laboratories on Aug. 23. We were met by Dr. Jeff Isaacson, Vice President for Defense Systems and Assessments, and Dr. Jerry L. McDowell, Deputy Laboratories Director and Executive Vice President for National Security Programs.

They provided an overview of Sandia’s current research and development (R&D) initiatives and transitioning technologies, while showing us some of their unique laboratories with projects of relevance to the Army mission. In return, we discussed ways to enhance the strategic relationship between Sandia and the Army. This was a very fruitful visit.

The following week, I traveled to the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH, to attend a meeting of the Air Force Research Council, a gathering of the Air Force’s Chief Scientists, at the invitation of the AFRL Chief Technologist, Dr. Jennifer Ricklin. We had an excellent discussion on sensors, munitions, materials and manufacturing, and information. I talked about the Army’s work in these areas and gave them an overview of our S&T portfolio.

We must continue to be diligent in this area, as budgets and trends in the complexity of our equipment continue to reduce our ability to verify everything by direct physical measurement.

I also met with Maj Gen William N. McCasland, the AFRL Commander, to discuss increased cross-service S&T collaboration. I was able to tour several AFRL labs and facilities, discussing their programs. I was particularly impressed with how the various Air Force directorates think through and articulate their efforts within the Air Force Strategic Plan. They were terrific hosts.

On Aug. 30, Air Force Chief Scientist Dr. Mark Maybury presented to Secretary Shyu, and a host of Army cyber-related organizations, work on an Air Force study he’s leading to provide a strategic focus in the cyberspace domain. Cyber Vision 2025 connects current National Strategy with future trends and challenges; it focuses on cyber as a domain, with air and space command and control functions within that cyber domain. The product clearly had parallel implications for the Army and engendered a lively discussion with the presentation participants.

The next week I accompanied Ms. Shyu on a long-planned visit to the U.S. Army Cyber Command and received an overview of Army efforts in the cyberspace domain. Cyberspace will continue to be of national, military, and economic concern with no shortage of future work in that area.

The week of Sept. 10 was a busy one. The Army Science Board briefed both the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, LTG Dennis L. Via, and Secretary of the Army John McHugh, on the results of the board’s latest study, “Strategic Direction for Army Science and Technology.” The study contains recommendations derived from looking at the current S&T environment and familiar trends, such as the growing global and industrial investment in technology. It also looks hard at how to enhance the transition of S&T while providing more focus for our S&T Enterprise.

I started the next week in Warren, MI, with a visit to the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC), where Dr. Paul Rogers has just taken over as Director. I spent time with him and his leadership team getting an update on TARDEC’s work in protection, energy, and robotics. Dr. Rogers and I talked about how to enable his team to continue innovating and providing mechanisms for transitioning advancements to industry faster and more easily.

Steve Knott (left), Associate Director of Ground System Survivability at TARDEC, discusses recent advances with Dr. Fish. (Photo by Bruce J. Huffman, Public Affairs Officer, TARDEC)

I also received an update on underbody blast simulation work, and we discussed what TARDEC and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory are learning with these tools, where experimental validation is strong, and where improvements are needed. It was time well spent.

I was particularly impressed with how the various Air Force directorates think through and articulate their efforts within the Air Force Strategic Plan.

At the end of the week, I accepted an invitation to tour the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center (ATC), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, from the new ATC Commander, COL Gordon Graham. Though I have interacted with many individual ATC personnel and participated in several tests there, I was surprised by the breadth and depth of ATC’s work. The increased use of modeling and simulation to help guide test planning, and the focus on the most productive tests to perform, are encouraging.

We must continue to be diligent in this area, as budgets and trends in the complexity of our equipment continue to reduce our ability to verify everything by direct physical measurement.

I was also impressed with the attitude of the project managers, who are finding ways to streamline validation and verification processes earlier in the acquisition cycle and link up with testing being conducted at contractor sites to shrink overall program timelines and cost. This is not easy; it requires continued engagement and clever strategy to maximize opportunities for confident development and certification of equipment for our warfighters. ATC has a great team and is doing critical work for our Army.

This month ends my two-year tenure as the Army Chief Scientist. The experience has been great fun, and I’ve had the chance to shape some very interesting technical investigations across the realm of Army R&D. During this time, I’ve also had the chance to initiate activities both internal to the Army as well as external, and work through some of the typical growing pains of starting a new office in the Pentagon.

Stay tuned for the selection of my successor by Secretary Shyu, whom I wish the very best, and who I expect will be able to take the Army Chief Scientist Office to an even higher level of utility. I now look forward to returning to Austin and initiating new activity with the University of Texas.

The IAMD Project Office of PEO MS conducts quarterly Warfighter Participation Events. Participating Soldiers are exposed to various prototype designs of the icons and navigation ribbons to which they could be exposed in the CWMI, and are tested to gauge their ability to interface with the CWMI. (Photo courtesy of IAMD Project Office)

MAJ Scott Gill

Warfighter Participation Events (WPEs) are taking place to collect Soldier feedback to develop a user-friendly Common Warfighter Machine Interface (CWMI) to the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) of the Army Integrated Air and Missile Defense. A user-friendly CWMI will optimize tasks and decision-making capability, minimize training requirements and manpower, and ultimately maximize operational effectiveness.

Technological effectiveness is contingent on the user’s ability to interact with and influence the machine. This is especially true when it comes to the warfighter’s interaction with the CWMI of the Army Integrated Air and Missile Defense (AIAMD) architecture. AIAMD integrates Air Defense Artillery (ADA) sensors, weapons, and a common mission command across a single Integrated Fire Control Network (IFCN), providing a “plug and fight” capability that supplies distributed battle management functionality to enable net-centric operations of the IBCS.

The AIAMD project currently under development by the Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Project Office of Program Executive Office Missiles and Space (PEO MS) is critical to the ADA warfighter as well as the PEO MS portfolio. In order for the IBCS to be effective when it is fielded in 2016, it is imperative that the warfighter be able to interface ergonomically with the IBCS-CWMI.

Because the ADA warfighter must make decisive combat decisions under severe time constraints and environmental conditions, it is critical that the CWMI be extremely user-friendly.

Functional Capabilities
The IBCS is the common mission command element of the AIAMD that provides the functional capabilities to control and manage the AIAMD sensors and weapons via an IFCN operated from the Engagement Operations Centers. The IBCS enables the ADA warfighter to achieve mission objectives in a Modular Open System Architecture environment by providing the capability to control the fight across all sensors and shooters on the IFCN, eliminating “single points of failure.”

It also provides the potential for greater integration of offensive and defensive fires, and the ability to fully leverage joint platforms. This integration of sensors and shooters under a common mission command enables the ADA warfighter to defend the airspace metaphorically with a unified closed fist, versus the open-fingered stovepipe of the legacy ADA systems whereby the sensors and shooters were not integrated across a common network.

This graphic describes the seven-step process used to improve the CWMI. Under this process, Soldiers present feedback on the software, which is then incorporated into the design of the next version. (Graphic courtesy of IAMD Project Office)

Despite the increased capability that AIAMD brings to the warfighter, IBCS effectiveness is contingent upon the warfighter’s ability to interact with the system, making the ergonomics of the CWMI critical to the effectiveness of the IBCS and, ultimately, the AIAMD concept.

The CWMI is the point where the warfighter integrates with the IBCS and is the warfighter’s sole interface into all functions and data of the IBCS. The CWMI is the handle to the IBCS hammer.

Because the ADA warfighter must make decisive combat decisions under severe time constraints and environmental conditions, it is critical that the CWMI be extremely user-friendly. For this reason, the CWMI is the only standardized user interface being developed by the IAMD Project Office. This eliminates disparate approaches to user interfaces, simplifies training, and increases survivability, tactical effectiveness, and force efficiency through a common, user-tailorable interface.

Gathering User Feedback
One of the IAMD Project Office’s greatest tools to acquire data to improve the CWMI’s ergonomics is through the conduct of quarterly WPEs. Having the system operators involved in development of the CWMI from the outset, to ensure that the end product is designed to meet Soldiers’ needs, is an innovative approach to spiral software development in user integration for PEO MS.

Soldiers’ feedback is critical in the development of a user-friendly system, because users define their own ergonomic preferences based on their professional lessons learned. The WPEs are designed to capture these preferences, making them critical to the spiral development of the CWMI software.

The CWMI is the point where the warfighter integrates with the IBCS and is the warfighter’s sole interface into all functions and data of the IBCS. The CWMI is the handle to the IBCS hammer.

To ensure continuous user feedback and product improvement, the spiral development of the software employs the CWMI User-Centered Design seven-step process. Under this process, a software version is presented to the warfighter at the WPE to collect feedback, which is then incorporated into the CWMI design of the next version to be presented at the following WPE. This cycle is repeated until the final version is developed.

The IAMD Project Office has conducted six WPEs over the past year and a half. Soldiers of relevant grade and Military Occupational Specialty participate in the WPEs, providing strong feedback consistent with their experience and level of responsibility. Participants are exposed to various prototype designs of the icons and navigation ribbons to which they could be exposed in the CWMI, and are tested to gauge their ability to interface with the CWMI based on the various designs.

Several methods are used to test the ability to interface, such as interviews, focus groups, exercise observations, qualitative studies using interactive prototype alternatives, quantitative measures such as mouse clicks or error rates, and timed accuracy.

When the IBCS is fielded in 2016, the warfighter will receive an ergonomically sound, user-friendly system designed by the warfighter for the warfighter, achieving the desired goal of maximum effectiveness and efficiency in AIAMD mission command.
 

CPL Ian Stauffer, who suffered a leg injury from a bomb in Afghanistan, and PFC Kerry Cain, who suffered a brain injury, talk at Brooke Army Medical Center’s Warrior and Family Support Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX, Nov. 10, 2011. (DOD photo by Linda Hosek)

In support of Presidential Executive Order 13625, Improving Access to Mental Health Services for Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families, signed Aug. 31, DOD and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are combining more than $100 million to fund two new consortia aimed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Once in place, the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD (CAP) and the Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (CENC) will be jointly managed by the VA and by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) on behalf of DOD.

“Traumatic brain injury has been identified as the signature injury of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, and ensuring the best possible care for those affected service members is a high priority.”

“PTSD and mTBI are two of the most devastating injuries suffered by our warfighters in Iraq and Afghanistan, and identifying better treatments for those impacted is critical,” said Dr. Terry Rauch, Program Director for Defense Medical Research and Development within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. “These consortia will bring together leading scientists and researchers devoted to the health and welfare of our Nation’s service members and veterans.”

More than 15 percent of service members and veterans suffer impaired functioning as a result of PTSD. CAP will study potential indicators of the trauma, as well as prevention strategies, possible interventions, and improved treatments. Biomarker-based researched will be a key factor in CAP’s studies.

“The long-term consequences of traumatic brain injury and the relationship to post-traumatic stress are poorly understood. This consortium will lead the way in improving the understanding and developing treatment strategies,” said COL Dallas Hack, Director of the Combat Casualty Care Research Program within the Medical Research and Materiel Command.

A primary goal of CENC is to understand the aftereffects of an mTBI. The consortium also will study potential co-morbidities, conditions that are associated with a neurotrauma and worsen because of it.

“Traumatic brain injury has been identified as the signature injury of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, and ensuring the best possible care for those affected service members is a high priority,” said Dr. Joel Kupersmith, VA’s Chief Research and Development Officer. “Likewise, PTSD is an ongoing concern for our veterans, whether they experience it while serving in the military or many years later. Defining and developing potential treatments is critical to the health of our veterans.”

For more information on the consortia, including the full description of each award, eligibility, submission deadlines, and General Application Instructions, go to http://www.grants.gov and http://cdmrp.army.mil.
 

Students and instructors from the U.S. Army Geospatial Intelligence Analyst Course at the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence get a close look at the ground terminal station of the DCGS-A Aug. 30 during EC 12 at Fort Huachuca. (Photo by Ray K. Ragan)

Ray K. Ragan

The primary U.S. Army intelligence system demonstrated some of its capabilities for program managers and military intelligence students alike during Exercise Enterprise Challenge 2012 (EC12), which concluded Sept. 7 at Fort Huachuca, AZ.

EC12 allowed agencies within DOD, including coalition partners, to test new and existing technologies in an operationally realistic environment. The exercise was executed by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency under the authority of the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Programs, Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (USD(I)). Several locations hosted this year’s exercise, including the Fort Huachuca test site of the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC).

One of this year’s featured systems was the Army’s Distributed Common Ground System – Army (DCGS-A). This system allows Soldiers and intelligence analysts to share information across a broader intelligence network that integrates with other services for real-time information and intelligence sharing.

Intelligence on the move enables commanders to make combat decisions as DCGS-A provides information and intelligence from multiple sources, along with full-motion video and maps of the battlespace.

For MAJ Shermoan Daiyaan, participation in EC12 was a welcome opportunity. Daiyaan is the Assistant Product Manager for the DCGS-A Tactical Intelligence Ground Station within the Program Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, and Sensors. He is the Army’s Lead for EC12.

“There’s basically a DCGS for each of the services, including SOF [Special Operations Forces],” said Daiyaan. Enterprise Challenge “is an opportunity and venue for all of us [in the DCGS family] to start sharing data, to work together toward being more interoperable.”

During this year’s exercise, Daiyaan said, DCGS-A had four major objectives to accomplish: to document feedback from Soldiers on the ease of use of the system; mitigate risk on a test cloud network; work with JITC for information exchange and interoperability capabilities; and develop tactics, techniques, and procedures on how to perform intelligence on the move.

Gary C. Wang (left), Director, ISR Programs within the USD(I), receives a briefing Aug. 28 from SPC Marquis D. Lane, Tactical Intelligence Ground Station Operator with the Development, Test, and Training Detachment, HHC, USAIC and Fort Huachuca, before a nighttime demonstration of DCGS-A’s intelligence-on-the-move capability. (Photo courtesy of Michael Gaun, 2nd Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment)

Intelligence on the Move
During the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army adopted a counterinsurgency strategy to combat the realities of those battlespaces. At the core of this strategy is the ability to share information and to use that information to develop intelligence that directs operations.

While the strategy was developed and refined along with the information-sharing capabilities, some were less-practiced capabilities, such as intelligence on the move, said LTC Derrick C. Smits, Commander, Development, Test, and Training Detachment, Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), U.S. Army Intelligence Center (USAIC) and Fort Huachuca.

Intelligence on the move enables a combat unit commander to understand what both enemy and friendly units are doing in the battlespace as the combat units advance. As seen in these recent conflicts, friendly units now include other services, as well as ally and coalition units. Intelligence on the move enables commanders to make combat decisions as DCGS-A provides information and intelligence from multiple sources, along with full-motion video and maps of the battlespace.

“For the last 10 years, this has been a lost skill, because we just haven’t practiced it,” Smits said. “You have a whole generation of lieutenants and captains who haven’t done this type of fight.”

Testing DCGS-A
During EC12, DCGS-A was able to collect electronic intelligence, report Moving Tracking Indicator, and integrate full-motion video, all while on the move. The test also included a demonstration of nighttime intelligence-on-the-move capability, to create a challenging environment. “We were able to meet our time standards for being able to set up antennas in 10 minutes,” said Smits.

In the last days of EC12, approximately 40 students and instructors from the U.S. Army Geospatial Intelligence Analyst Course at the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence saw a demonstration of this newest version of DCGS-A as well as the terminal station, which provides data connectivity.

This was the first time that SFC Anthony E. Beck, Phase 1 Lead for the two-phase course, saw DCGS-A in action.

“The updated tracking capability it has, the tracking mechanism for Moving Target Indicator, the user interface for that has changed so much now [that] when they showed it to me today, it just about blew my mind,” said Beck, a 16-year veteran of Army Intelligence.

This was also the first time to see DCGS-A for student PFC Zachary T. Ossman. “A lot of the new programs make it [intelligence analysis] a lot easier,” Ossman said.