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Commo up!

USMC News

Submitted by: Marine Forces Europe
Story Identification Number: 20037245529
Story by Capt. Teresa Ovalle

KRTSANISI, Georgia(July 2, 2003) -- KRTSANISI, Georgia - Communications are the eyes and the ears for the unit in the field. Helicopters won't fly, convoys won't roll, troops won't move and commanders will be at a loss without communications at every level of command and control, from the squad leader to the battalion commander.

A priority and necessity to any unit, receiving basic communication skills is an intricate aspect of the 113th Light Infantry Battalion's 100-day training cycle through the Georgia Train and Equip Program.

"Without communications in the field, it is impossible to pass pertinent information," said Charlie Company Commander, Senior Lt. Giorgi Zaridze, 113th Light Infantry Battalion.

Of the 558 soldiers that receive basic communications training, only 85 move on to the advanced communications program. Many of the 85 Georgian soldiers volunteer to be attached to the communications platoon, others are appointed by a supervisor who saw an interest, curiosity or an aptitude for communications skills in the individual.

"I asked to be in the communications platoon to learn as much as I could about field communications," said Junior Sgt. Guram Gutniashvili, Communications platoon, Headquarters and Support Company, 113th Light Infantry battalion. "I simply love it," he added.

The one-day basic communications class begins the third week of the 14-week training cycle. Georgian soldiers begin with hands-on instruction to the Harris radio system, how to send and receive radio messages and what a call sign is and how they are used. Classes on frequencies and transmitters and receivers are also introduced.

An additional five-day advanced communications training program is offered to the communications platoon, the scouts and reconnaissance section and many of the squad team and fire team leaders.

Advanced communication skills include antenna propagation and field antennas, radio waves and terrain analysis and masking. Also included is the coordinating, setting up and running of a sub-station - utilized at the squad, company and battalion levels, and a net control station - utilized at the company and battalion levels.

The final step in the advanced communications training program is bringing the entire skill-set together to run a company radio room and combat operations center radio room. The different echelons of field communications come together at this point and require the newly skilled soldier to use all he has learned over the past week with little supervision.

"Our radio telephone operators were familiar with old Russian radios, but the radios were heavy and not very functional," said the Charlie Company Commander. "Our soldiers are now trained on the Harris radio system, which is light weight and has far reaching capabilities in the field," he added.