Equiprnent challenges exist almost everywhere in a war zone, but the issues reach a different level for the handful of personnel on small, forward installations in desolate areas. In such cases, help is far away, and even power sources and nature can seem like enemies. For U.S. Marines at Forward Operating Base Dwyer in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, enabling information sharing with limited resources is all in a day's work. And while personal comfort may be low, spirits remain high as they take advantage of the technology they have.
The installation is six hours away from Camp Leatherneck, the major U.S. Marine Corps location in the region, and even the next closest forward operating base (FOB), Delhi, is hours away. "We're in the middle of nothing in the middle of the desert," Gunnery Sgt. Kristoffer McCullough, USMC, operations chief of S-6 operations for Regimental Combat Team-1, says. "But we love it out here."
His mission, and that of his colleagues, is to ensure necessary communications for Marines who roll off the base so the groups can continue counterin s urgency operations in the province. From FOB Dwyer, Marines support four battalions within their own regiment, but they also support communications for another two stationed at other locations.
Gunnery Sgt. McCullough explains that FOB Dwyer is a spoke off a central hub that provides computer services. Because the personnel count out there is small, they operate differently than larger bases. Some of the technologies are the same, such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), satellite communications and Cisco and Microsoft products, but the gunnery sergeant says everything is focused to provide expeditionary services and support in the field. Bigger installations use different variants of gear. Some of the most difficult challenges for communicators at FOB Dwyer are providing access to enough bandwidth for everyone and overcoming natural obstacles such as those that inhibit line-of-sight communications. "It's just one of those things you have to live with " he says.
Another challenge is dirt and sand affecting equipment. The gunnery sergeant explains that, "It tends to get into everything." Marines have identified a solution - ruggedized laptops - that help keep technology up and running. Other issues on the base are more fundamental, and they illustrate the hardships warfighters sometimes undergo in service to their country. Gunnery Sgt. McCullough says they lack access to tap water at FOB Dwyer. Troops transport in bottled water for personal hydration.
An unexpected frustration faced by members of Regimental Combat Team-1 during the early part of their deployment was the continual breakdown of the generators. The problem was resolved by personnel trained to handle that type of equipment.
Even with all the obstacles to overcome, the Marines find plenty of reasons to feel happy. "VoIP in particular is something we enjoy," Gunnery Sgt. McCullough says, adding that with it, wartighters can communicate as they do back home. During his time in Iraq, his unit lacked access to the technology, which he describes a force multiplier.
FOB Dwyer personnel also are pleased with the fielding of the PRC117G radios, which have been pushed out to small units in the field. The tools give Marines the ability to perform data communications over radio links. "It's been a huge win for us and a huge win for the individuals that we support," he explains, later stating, "It's a great piece of gear."
Also aiding Marines when they go outside the wire is the Mobile Modular Command and Control, or M2C2, vehicle. The technology enables users to access mobile communications when traveling to other FOBs, command posts and similar places. Essentially a mine resistant ambush protected vehicle, or MRAP, it enables communications such as radio and VoIP while on the move.
Such capabilities do more than enhance missions; they make them possible. 'The reality is, if communications do not work, operations do not happen," Gunnery Sgt. McCullough explains. "It's not just this war - it's any war." The particular battle fought in Helmand Province requires all the support that troops can muster, as forces engage in fierce fighting with TaIiban strongholds in the area. More than 150 Marines have died in the region since the beginning of combat operations in Afghanistan. The gunnery sergeant says that he prefers not to discuss operational specifics but shares that he and his fellow communications Marines trained very hard before arriving in Afghanistan, and now they successfully are implementing the expeditionary tasks to meet requirements.
Despite ever-present dangers, a complex job and the lack of basic comforts, Gunnery Sgt. McCullough and his colleagues believe that they receive all the support they need from industry and government. And he himself is happy performing his duties. "I am grateful to be a Marine and have the capability to do this job," he states. True to character, his satisfaction is not for himself, but for the Marines that he is able to support with his knowledge.
He even declines to take credit for Marines at FOB Dwyer facing more unexpected challenges than their counterparts at other locations. "I think for any deployment, even if it's simple, if you're going to visit Japan for six months, it's never what you expect," Sgt. McCullough says. He states that Marines everywhere have to adapt and that they are ready to adjust to any place at any time. "No matter where we go, we prepare," he explains. "We could have ended up in Greenland and Iceland and we'd be ready to go." - RB
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