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Warriors in Peace Operations - Strategic Studies Institute - U.S. Army

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time led to a significantly down-scaled exercise, executed<br />

with<strong>in</strong> the greater Mannheim area with<strong>in</strong> our kasernes. 1st<br />

PERSCOM was exercis<strong>in</strong>g their ability to put out support<br />

teams at the same time; they used our exercise to provide<br />

their transmission paths. Additionally, it was the first time<br />

we got to <strong>in</strong>tegrate the 414th Signal Company (NATO) <strong>in</strong>to<br />

the picture, which was especially significant for the 72nd;<br />

we received two complete platoons for attachment <strong>in</strong> Zagreb<br />

and Sarajevo. F<strong>in</strong>ally, 5th Signal Command used our<br />

exercise as a vehicle for provid<strong>in</strong>g their certification of our<br />

capabilities to perform the assigned mission.<br />

Dur<strong>in</strong>g the previous summer, there had been a<br />

significant military occupational specialty (MOS) change<br />

for the Signal Corps: all satellite operators were put <strong>in</strong>to one<br />

MOS—31S. Dur<strong>in</strong>g the same period, we had a tremendous<br />

turnover of our tactical satellite operators. As a result, we<br />

did not have nearly enough 31Ss to man all our tactical<br />

satellites, nor many experienced operators. We put together<br />

a plan to <strong>in</strong>tegrate a school-tra<strong>in</strong>ed 31S with an experienced<br />

senior operator or team chief, who <strong>in</strong>tensely tra<strong>in</strong>ed them<br />

for approximately 1 month. We were unable to fence the<br />

whole month because of the amaz<strong>in</strong>gly high operations<br />

tempo (OPTEMPO): every other day Pre-Deployment<br />

Preparations (PDPs) (does the cl<strong>in</strong>ic have DNA kits now or<br />

not?), every day a new tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g requirement, etc. Hence,<br />

dur<strong>in</strong>g the certification, 5th DCSOPS expressed some<br />

doubts whether we would be able to do the mission.<br />

Needless to say, we were stung by their evaluation, which<br />

did not consider our plan or where we were on the timel<strong>in</strong>e.<br />

But performance over time is the true test. So our plan was<br />

eventually justified by the great performance of the tactical<br />

satellite operators and network throughout the<br />

deployment. On the f<strong>in</strong>al day of the exercise, Commander<strong>in</strong>-Chief<br />

USAREUR General William W. Crouch came to<br />

visit and check on us. He seemed to be impressed with our<br />

state of read<strong>in</strong>ess.<br />

The next couple weeks of November were absolute<br />

craz<strong>in</strong>ess. Any new requirement that could be thought up by<br />

9

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