C4 Marine Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Nally - KMI Media Group

A: Supporting our Marines in Afghanistan and the work force
are my top priorities. We need to install, operate and maintain
IT but we also must have the intellectual capacity to ensure the
latest IT fits seamlessly into our enterprise. Regarding our
Marines in Afghanistan, it is paramount that we provide sufficient
bandwidth for commanders at all levels, from the generals down
to the NCOs, for them to accomplish their missions. Without sufficient
investment in all forms of transport infrastructure, we put
at risk our forward deployed Marines and their mission partners
who currently operate under severe bandwidth constraints. This
is especially true within the tactical environment, to include
afloat access, when reaching back to CONUS-based data/resources
is critical. We must field enough capacity to maximize planned
C2 systems and emerging secure mobile communications capabilities.
This requires significant investment in infrastructure,
and given the emergence and preeminence of cyberspace as a
principal war fighting domain, we must invest to ensure our
forward deployed forces are not limited in their success by
limited bandwidth.
To ensure C4 training is relevant, up to date and available
to all Marines [active duty, reserve and civilian] is the most
important training initiative. To accomplish this goal, C4 must
continue to support the formal learning centers and communications
training centers and merge C4 training as necessary. By
realigning key MOSs and establishing a training continuum, C4
will achieve this end state.
Q: What role are C4 systems playing in Marine Corps
operations in Afghanistan today?
A: C4 systems are greatly enhancing operational interoperability.
The Marine Corps’ growing use of the ISAF Coalition network is
increasing our ability to interoperate with our coalition partners.
Providing terrestrial and celestial communications networks
that are communicating with NATO, coalition, sister services and
our interagency partners is critical to our success. These coalition
networks have changed the way we fight.
Q: Can you give some examples of programs that are making a
difference on the battlefield?
A: While all our programs are designed to enhance battlefield C2,
several have increased our throughput and data accessibility to
lower tactical levels, allowing our smallest units to receive data
that was reserved for higher levels only a few years ago.
The Satellite Wide Area Network is a very small aperture
antenna terminal that has been fielded to our battalions and
squadrons. This has provided celestial connectivity that is tied
into a major subordinate command or Marine expeditionary
force network. Its ease of installation and significant capability
and capacity have proven to be combat multipliers. Wireless
point-to-point links provide 54 mbps line of sight shot with
low latency. This has increased our throughput to the smaller
bases when they are within range and terrain that supports
this type of link. The AN/PRC-117G is a game-changing radio.
It provides high-bandwidth communications, enabling applications
such as streaming video, simultaneous voice and data
feeds, collaborative chat, and connectivity to secure networks.
The AN/PRC-117G’s wideband networking capabilities give war-
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fighters on the move, critical real-time information through a
man-portable radio.
Q: What are some of the key initiatives you are working on to
improve operations in the future?
A: My vision is a knowledge-based force that leverages seamless
enterprise capabilities across the spectrum of conflict in order
to enhance decision-making, achieve knowledge superiority,
and gain tactical, operational and strategic advantage over our
nation’s adversaries. This vision spans across both the tactical and
business domains and includes initiatives such as networking on
the move, tactical equipment modernization, and data center consolidation.
I am keenly aware of the benefits of inserting new and
emerging technologies such as VoIP, thin client, and virtualization
in the Marine Corps Enterprise Network, and we are working
to do so to increase effectiveness while gaining efficiencies.
Q: A strategy report released by the C4 office in 2010 states that
the Corps “currently lacks the ability to effectively model, manage
and control tactical MAGTF networks.” Do you agree, and
how are you addressing that lack?
A: The communications control strategy document from which
that particular quote was taken was meant to provide guidance
to the Marine Corps communications community on where the
Marine Corps will go in regards to the planning, installation,
operation and maintenance of our tactical networks. What the
quote really stresses is the fact that we must have a consolidated
and standardized approach across the tactical environment to
do these things. The desired end-state is to do it better and
align our governance and processes across both the garrison
and tactical networks to the maximum extent possible as our
enterprise includes both garrison and tactical. Additionally, the
strategy document discusses how implementing this strategy
can more efficiently utilize our limited fiscal and manpower
resources.
Q: The same report also states that the open standards based
approach to software design, rather than proprietary systems, is
best suited to the Corps. Why, and is there something about how
the Corps operates that makes this true for it even more than
the other services?
A: Adopting open standards, where sensible, is crucial to achieving
our vision for a knowledge-based force. Open standards are
important because they promote system and data interoperability,
information sharing and collaboration—and thus improve organizational
mobility and flexibility. We will significantly enhance
our warfighters’ ability to achieve tactical, operational and
strategic advantage by fielding improved mobile, seamless and
secure communications and IT services that facilitate collaborative,
coordinated actions, with instant or near real-time access to
mission critical data. We simply cannot do this with stovepiped
proprietary solutions.
Addressing the second part of this question, the Marine Corps
is unique among the services because we operate as a Marine
Air Ground Task Force. We fight as a combined arms air-ground
team with organic logistics and C2 capabilities. This structure,
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