78th Signal Battalion
The 78th Signal Battalion provides C4 services to USARJ/9TH TAACOM, 17th ASG, and other specified units within the area of operation.The 78th Signal Battalion is a subordinate element of the 516th Signal Brigade located at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. The 516th Signal Brigade is a part of the Army Signal Command, Fort Huachuca, Arizona. The 78th Signal Battalion is under operational control to USARJ and provides responsive command, control, communications and computer (C4) services. They perform all Directorate of Information Management (DOIM) functions. They also plan and manage the C4 architecture that supports USARJ & 9th TSC and the 17th ASG.
The 78th Signal Battalion was activated on 16 October 1992. However, the history and lineage of the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Japan dates back to the end of World War II. In August of 1945, the 232d Signal Operations Company was deployed to Yokohama and the 4035th Signal Support Seaborne Communications Detachment was deployed to Tokyo. Jointly, they comprised the First U.S. Army Communications Center with general headquarters in the Daiichi Building, Tokyo. Shortly afterward, other small signal elements in Japan were absorbed and the unit was redesigned the 71st Signal Service Battalion. The unit was assigned the mission of operating the long lines communicaiton system in the Far East. Post, camp, and station communication responsibilities were given to the Japan Signal Service Battalion, which was formed just prior to the 71st Signal Service Battalion activation.
In 1958, the 71st Signal Service Battalion and the Japan Signal Service Battalion combined to form the U.S. Army Communications Agency, which 2 years later assumed the responsibility for the signal supply elements of the U.S. Army General Depot, Sagami.
In 1963, the depot mission was transferred to the U.S. Army Depot, Japan. At the same time, the Army Communications Agency was redesignated the U.S. Army Signal Command. In 1964, the Signal Command transferred the long haul communications mission, including tape rely, transmitter, receiver, microwave, and troop sites to the U.S. Air Forces.
In November 1966, the U.S. Army Signal Command was redesigned the U.S. Army Strategic Communication Signal Group (USASTRATCOM), Japan.
In 1973, USASTRATCOM became the U.S. Army Communications Command, Japan . Eleven years later, due to a U.S. Army reorganization, the name was changed to U.S. Army Information Systems Command, Japan. Signal activities on the island of Honshu became the Signal Activity North (SAN). At that time, the SAN Commander became dual-hatted with the additional responsibility as the Director of Information Management (DOIM) for the United States Army Japan's subordinate command on Honshu.
The reorganization of the SAN under the Information Mission Area (IMA) concept continued through the 1980's. The Audiovisual IMA was transferred to the SAN on 1 April 1985. During 1986, the U.S. Army Japan (USARJ) Television Studio and the Closed Circuit Television Cable and Public Address System became part of the SAN. The Administrative Services Division, Consolidated Data Processing Center, and Information Center came under the operational control of the SAN in February 1988. With the transfer of the last organizations, all five IMAs became the responsibility of the SAN.
On 30 June 1989, the SAN was reorganized as the 1141st U.S. Army Signal Battalion with two units, a Base Operations Company and Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment. A year later, the 1141st and a sister battalion, the 1140th U.S. Army Signal Battalion, Okinawa, came under the command of the newly organized 1104th U.S . Army Signal Brigade in Japan. The 1104th was inactivated on 30 September 1991 and command of the battalions transferred to the 1106th U.S. Army Signal Brigade in Hawaii. Operational control of the 1141st U.S. Army Signal Battalion remand with the Commander, USARJ/IX Corps.
As part of a continuing reorganization of U.S. Army Information Systems Command, driven by the Army drawdown, the 1141st U.S. Amry Signal Battalion was redesigned as the 78th Signal Battalion on 16 October 1992. At the same time, the Base Operations Company became the 287th Signal Company. Command of the 78th remained with the Hawaii based 516th Signal Brigade (formerly 1106th) and operational control remained with the Commander, USARJ/IX Corps (now USARJ/9th Theater Army Area Command(TAACOM)).
