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

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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- 22 | MIT 15.1 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, www.MIT-kmi.com
our continuous global presence, and our diverse mission set unique requirements for mobility, flexibility and interoperability that make us a middleweight fighting force. Q: What are you doing to provide commanders with better situational awareness, both of overall operations and of network performance? A: The Marine Corps requires robust, efficient and secure connectivity in the tactical environment. Recognizing the physical constraints present in the limited bandwidth tactical environment, we plan to leverage future joint networking waveforms currently in development, and we are pursuing fielding Internet Protocolbased mobile ad hoc network capabilities. This added capability and enhanced connectivity will help improve battlefield effectiveness by reducing the amount of equipment Marines must carry while at the same time allowing for adaptability and enabling Marines to operate at the tactical edge, ensuring that Marines are able to accomplish the mission with solutions based on mission specific requirements. Battlefield effectiveness through optimized connectivity must also exploit improved software applications that facilitate the exchange of data in low bandwidth environments. Marine Corps efforts have been and will continue to be coordinated with the joint community to ensure interoperability and optimized response to commander, joint task force requirements. Q: What are some of your most important training initiatives? A: One key initiative is to realign MOSs to ensure we have network-capable Marines who have a basic understanding of communication systems vice a single piece of equipment. This allows unit flexibility due to an overall understanding of communications and enhances the use of on-the-job training and distance-learning in support of MOS producing schools. As for the training continuum, we are establishing a road map for career progression that guides our communications Marines to become subject matter experts across multiple disciplines. Q: Please outline your information assurance (IA) and cybersecurity strategy. How does your office relate to the new Marine Cyber Command? A: Information is a decisive strategic asset, and IA provides a key component within cyberspace operations for leveraging this asset to achieve tactical, operational and strategic advantage. As the Marine Corps evolves its cyberspace capabilities, we are emphasizing the need to improve and institutionalize our IA capabilities and practices. Institutionalizing IA across the Marine Corps requires a total force approach to ensure that IA skill sets and proficiencies are codified and ingrained through doctrine, policy, education and training. By continuing to professionalize the IA work force, the Marine Corps can better leverage enterprise information to help negotiate and succeed in a dynamic security environment. Additionally, the Marine Corps will continue to use existing developmental processes and continue to refine certification and accreditation processes to ensure IA requirements are identified and included early in a systems design project. Continual refinement and incorporation of emerging policies and guidance from the IA and acquisitions communities will better ensure IA controls are inherent to the system, thus providing superior and transparent threat protection across a wide range of missions. C4 is one of many Marine Corps cyberspace stakeholder organizations. As the director C4, I am designated as the deputy commanding general for MARFORCYBER. This establishes a unique and close relationship between C4 and this new USMC organization. We work very closely with MARFORCYBER to assist in the development of cyberspace goals and objectives, as well as identify specific capability needs for our cyber-work force. Q: How would you describe your strategy for achieving the goal, as outlined by Corps leaders, to migrate to a net-centric interoperable network by 2025? A: I view a net-centric interoperable network at the root of achieving my vision for a knowledge-based force. Achieving the vision requires the development of improved mobile, seamless, and secure communications and IT services across the information enterprise. Communications Save up to 70% of capex 80% of energy 90% of space Tellabs Optical LAN (GPON) offers big savings compared with conventional .active Ethernet LANs. Free white paper at Tellabs.com/olan www.MIT-kmi.com MIT 15.1 | 23
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C4 Marine Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Nally - KMI Media Group

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