Preparing the battalion for the future

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – In order to inform officers of the company’s tactical communication systems and their capabilities, Company C, “Cobras”, 603rd Aviation Support Battalion, Task Force Workhorse, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, TF Falcon, conducted an officer professional development brief here, June 22.

“The event allowed all officers throughout the battalion to know and understand what is currently available to them on the battlefield and how C Company provides communications services to remote locations throughout Afghanistan,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Jonathan Rowe, command post node section sergeant, C Co., TF Workhorse, from Ravenna, Ky.

Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from the company taught classes on the joint network node, retransmission, and the command post node, all three of which provide communication capabilities to deployed Soldiers.

The event started with a brief description of the basic signal flow from the user to the receiver given by U.S. Army 1st Lt. Shonda Porter, executive officer, in C Co., TF Workhorse, from Beaufort, S.C. Then all officers were broken down into smaller teams and rotated through five stations, which lasted approximately 10 minutes each.

“The goal of the classes was to have the officers leave with a basic understanding of the capabilities, components, and functions of each system,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Jose Quintero, CPN team chief, C Co., TF Workhorse, from San Diego.  

At the first station, Quintero and U.S. Army Sgt. Paul Jean, C Co., TF Workhorse, from Clearwater, Fla., gave a class on the setup and operation of a RETRANS, a means of expanding radio communication abilities. Upon completion of the class the officers left with a better understanding of how radios and antennas retransmit signals.

U.S. Army Spc. Dwight Henry, a subject matter expert on the JNN, C Co., TF Workhorse, from Baton Rouge, La., was the instructor of the next station. He explained the capabilities of the JNN, how it ties into the Army’s Joint Network Transport Capability and its ability to provide voice and data to a brigade sized element.

The CPN class, taught by U.S. Army Sgt. Brandon Goggins, from Birmingham Ala., and U.S. Army Spc. Joseph Hicks, from Indianapolis, both with C Co., TF Workhorse, was the last station taught by C Co., Soldiers. This portion covered the signal flow through satellites detailing how the company provides services to the end users.

By the end of the hour the officers said they were grateful for the training they received because of the possibility of using it in the future.

“I was glad that I learned something about radios and RETRANS capabilities that may save my life some day on one of my downed aircraft recovery team missions,” stated U.S. Army 1st Lt. Alex Grant, DART team platoon leader for A Company, TF Workhorse, from Indianapolis.

“Soldiers showed with great pride the abilities of C Company,” said U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Robert Diggs, of C Co., TF Workhorse, from Sumter, S.C. “They showed the officers of TF Workhorse that even though they provide the ability to strike hard at the enemy, the ‘Cobras’ give them the ability to strike first.”