A Concise History of Fort Monmouth, New Jersey and the U.S
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A CONCISE HISTORY OF FORT MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY AND THE U.S. ARMY CECOM LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT COMMAND Prepared by the Staff of the CECOM LCMC Historical Office U.S. Army CECOM Life Cycle Management Command Fort Monmouth, New Jersey Fall 2009 Design and Layout by CTSC Visual Information Services, Myer Center Fort Monmouth, New Jersey Visit our Website: www.monmouth.army.mil/historian/ When asked to explain a loyalty that time had not been able to dim, one of the Camp Vail veterans said shyly, "The place sort of gets into your blood, especially when you have seen it grow from nothing into all this. It keeps growing and growing, and you want to be part of its growing pains." Many of the local communities have become very attached to Fort Monmouth because of the friendship instilled...not for just a war period but for as long as...Fort Monmouth...will inhabit Monmouth County. - From “A Brief History of the Beginnings of the Fort Monmouth Radio Laboratories,” Rebecca Klang, 1942 FOREWORD The name “Monmouth” has been synonymous with the defense of freedom since our country’s inception. Scientists, engineers, program managers, and logisticians here have delivered technological breakthroughs and advancements to our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen for almost a century. These innovations have included the development of FM radio and radar, bouncing signals off the moon to prove the feasibility of extraterrestrial radio communication, the use of homing pigeons through the late-1950s, frequency hopping tactical radios, and today’s networking capabilities supporting our troops in Overseas Contingency Operations. This concise history represents only a cursory highlight of our communications and electronics achievements since 1917. Each and every day, we work not only to maintain the current readiness of our Armed Forces, but also to seek new ideas and technologies designed to improve their capabilities. While the tools used to accomplish our mission today are radically different from those used in years past, the nature of our mission has changed very little from the days of wig- wag flags and homing pigeons. I encourage each of you not only to read this brief history, but also to take the opportunity to make your own history. If there is but one central, underlying lesson to be gained from this book, it is that each member of this organization plays a critical role in equipping our forces and defending the ideals of our nation. To those of you who have spent a great deal of time and effort in pursuit of these noble goals, I commend you; and to those who are just beginning their journey, I extend my best wishes for your future success. Army Strong! Sincerely, Randolph P. Strong Major General, USA Commanding TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. THE BEGINNING AND WORLD WAR I . 1 CAMP LITTLE SILVER . 3 CAMP ALFRED VAIL . 4 THE RADIO LABORATORY AND AERIAL TESTING . 5 INITIAL USE OF HOMING PIGEONS . 6 ARMISTICE AND DEMOBILIZATION . 7 THE SIGNAL CORPS SCHOOL . 7 2. POST WAR AND THE 1920S . 9 SIGNAL SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT . 9 THE CAMP BECOMES A FORT . 10 THE LABORATORY--LEAN YEARS TO CONSOLIDATION . 10 ENHANCED USE OF HOMING PIGEONS . 11 SIGNAL CORPS BOARD . 13 POST ORGANIZATIONS . 13 PERMANENT CONSTRUCTION BEGINS . 15 3. PEACETIME TRAINING--1930S . 16 POST UNITS--MANEUVERS AND MARCHES . 16 SIGNAL CORPS SCHOOL . 17 CORPS LABORATORIES AND RADAR . 17 COMPLETION OF PRE-WORLD WAR II CONSTRUCTION . 19 SIGNAL CORPS PUBLICATIONS AGENCY . 20 389TH ARMY BAND . 20 4. BUILD UP AND TRAINING . 21 LIMITED EMERGENCY . 21 SIGNAL CORPS REPLACEMENT CENTER . 21 OFFICER CANDIDATES . 23 WARTIME LABORATORIES . 23 INVENTIONS OF THE LATE 1940S . 26 END OF THE WAR . 26 PROJECT DIANA . 27 5. KOREA AND THE 1950S . 28 SIGNAL CORPS CENTER . 28 CONTINUED CONSTRUCTION . 30 UNIT MOVEMENTS . 31 SIGNAL CORPS ENGINEERING LABORATORIES . 32 SATELLITES . 33 6. AMC/ECOM AND VIETNAM . 35 REORGANIZATION . 35 VIETNAM . 37 THE SIGNAL SCHOOL TRANSFER . 43 7. ECOM TO CERCOM/CORADCOM TO CECOM . 44 8. FORT MONMOUTH IN THE 1980S . 47 CECOM . 47 POST IMPROVEMENTS . 49 TENANT ORGANIZATIONS . 50 MODERNIZING THE FORCE . 52 CECOM COMMANDERS DURING THE 1980S . 52 9. CECOM AND THE GULF WAR . 54 10. A DECADE OF REALIGNMENT AND DIGITIZATION--1990S . 57 BASE REALIGNMENT AND CLOSURE (BRAC) . 58 TEAM C4IEWS . 59 CECOM’S RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT AND SUPPORT BROADENS . 60 TASK FORCE XXI, ADVANCED WARFIGHTING EXPERIMENT . 62 CIPO: A FOCUS ON INTEROPERABILITY . 62 REVOLUTIONIZING MILITARY LOGISTICS . 63 STREAMLINING THE ACQUISITION PROCESS . 64 COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES (CA) STUDIES . 65 BALKANS DIGITIZATION INITIATIVE . 65 Y2K . 66 CECOM COMMANDERS DURING THE 1990S . 66 11 . THE 21ST CENTURY AND THE CECOM LCMC . 68 JOINT CONTINGENCY FORCE ADVANCED WARFIGHTING EXPERIMENT . 68 SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 . 68 HOMELAND SECURITY . 70 CECOM AND OPERATION NOBLE EAGLE . 70 CECOM AND OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM . 70 TRANSFORMATIONS AND REALIGNMENTS IN 2002 . 72 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT . 73 ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS ENGINEERING . 74 C4ISR ON-THE-MOVE . 74 CECOM AND OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM IN 2003 . 74 BATTERY MISSION . 78 C-E LCMC . 79 BRAC 2005 . 80 LEAN SIX SIGMA . 81 ON-GOING SUPPORT TO THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR . 82 HURRICANE KATRINA . 86 TENANT ACTIVITIES . 87 12. LOOKING AHEAD . ..