Multinational communicators network at seminars

  • Published
  • By Army Sgt. 1st Class Brenda Benner
  • Exercise Combined Endeavor Public Affairs
LAGER AULENBACH, Germany (AFNEWS) --  Phoenix Endeavor, a part of Combined Endeavor 2007, offered three weeks of spectrum-management seminars to military communication specialists from 12 nations.

The seminars, April 27 through May 10, introduced the finer points of managing and requesting frequencies from host nations. Combined Endeavor 2007, a U.S. European Command-sponsored exercise, brings the U.S. and other nations together, especially those in NATO or Partnership for Peace, to plan and execute interoperability testing of command, control, communications and computer systems in preparation for future combined humanitarian, peacekeeping and disaster relief operations.

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Harris, of Headquarters USEUCOM, is a battlefield spectrum manager and one of this year's facilitators. He has 16 years of military communications experience, the last six concentrating on frequency management.

Spectrum managers coordinate the various radio frequency needs of their own organizations, whether it encompasses simple radio communications or frequencies used for air traffic or weapons systems. The managers then request specific frequencies of use from the government in the actual area where the operations are conducted.

Sergeant Harris said the idea to create Phoenix Endeavor came from an international conference in 2004 in which participants realized a need for training in a coalition environment of partnership.

To broaden their knowledge base, Phoenix Endeavor participants toured the Combined Endeavor test site and received briefings and demonstrations on the communication equipment used by communicators in different countries.

"We're instructing them to be proactive, to keep up with their spectrum-management education through conferences and briefings when they return home," said Sergeant Harris. "I encourage them to keep in touch with their counterparts so they can assist one another in the future."

Too often, spectrum management fails to receive the consideration it deserves when it comes to pre-deployment planning, and basic communication ability is generally taken for granted until it's not established, Sergeant Harris said.

Retired Air Force Master Sgt. Quintin Quinn, the director of the Phoenix Endeavor spectrum seminars, said the repeated gatherings are important for face-to-face networking because the new spectrum managers could find themselves working together in the future.

Norwegian Army Capt. Jon-Ludwig Larsen said the seminars give him a head start for his new job that will involve spectrum use.

"I want to take advantage of the important information here," Captain Larsen said. "We're learning procedures that are global, that can be done with any kind of system. Now I'll know the correct terms to communicate with frequency managers from other nations as well."

Every few years communications specialists from different countries either are selected or volunteer to manage the spectrum for the overall Combined Endeavor exercise. Canada has been the lead nation for the past three years.

Canadian Army Warrant Officer Eric Cote, of Headquarters and Signals Valcartier, the overall frequency manager for Combined Endeavor 2008, said in the past he's determined frequencies for his forces without assistance from software.

"I'm mostly here to learn more about Spectrum 21," he said. "It's the software program used by frequency managers. It's also great meeting so many fellow communication experts from all over the world."

Seminar participants will demonstrate their skills during Phoenix Endeavor's tactical exercise scenario which presents a disaster relief operation following a flood in a particular country.

Mr. Quinn said he and the facilitators will "take them mentally out of the building" and put them into the scenario country to test the procedures and formats they use to request spectrum use from that specific affected country.

"If they don't remember to clear their pre-exiting frequencies before arriving, they could interfere with the 'host' nation's internal emergency response frequencies," Mr. Quinn said.

Mr. Quinn emphasized the vast comprehensive realm of responsibility that belongs to spectrum managers.

"If it's a type of communication that's not 'cabled,' then it falls within their area of responsibility," said Quinn. "Remember, there are airplanes, ships and even submarines that use frequencies too. Also, many of today's weapons systems and reconnaissance craft are radio controlled."

Mr. Quinn said it's imperative that these new spectrum managers understand the abstractness of the entire spectrum from very low frequency radio to high-powered radars.

"Within our community, we call that range 'direct current to daylight,'" he said.

"Their proper understanding and management can mean the difference between someone living or dying," Mr. Quinn said. "What if Special Forces (troops) needed an immediate extraction and someone else was jabbering on their frequency? They could lose an entire team."

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