FORT BLISS’ ONLY AUTHORIZED NEWSPAPER OC/Ts improved USASMA Fellowship readiness during RS19 ■ 6A offers masters programs ■ 1B Thursday, March 28, 2019 Connect with the Bugle at: Fort Bliss, Texas @FortBlissTexas 1st AD and Fort Bliss fortblissbugle.com • Click on the e-Edition United Launch Alliance A Delta IV rocket carrying the Air Force’s Wideband Global Satcom-10 satellite lifts off from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., March 15. “Bandwidth capacity and demand continue to increase,” said Col. Enrique Costas, proj- ect manager for Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems. “And as we know, WGS is the workhorse of the [Defense Department].” Satellite launch enhances comms for Army missions By Sean Kimmons | Army News Service FORT MEADE, Md. – A high-capaci- ty military communications satellite was launched March 15 in an ongoing effort to provide ground troops with the ability >> BEST WARRIOR to send larger transmissions quicker. The satellite, which costs about $424 David Poe / USAG Fort Bliss PA million, is the tenth one to join the Wide- Lt. Col. Steven Clower, commander of the Fort Bliss-based 204th Military Intelligence Battalion, fastens an Army Commendation Medal to the the lapel band Global Satellite Communication of Sgt. Ryan Nelson near the battalion headquarters on East Fort Bliss March 15. Following four days of rigorous evaluations, Nelson was one of three constellation that connects to the De- Soldiers to be named his unit’s Best Warrior and will go on to represent the unit at the 116th MI Brigade Best Warrior competition at Fort Gordon, Ga. fense Information Systems Network. The 204th MI Bn. is an independent unit that conducts highly-specialized aerial reconnaissance missions across the globe and their Soldiers deploy It was launched from Cape Canaveral on a constant rotation of three-to-six months. Air Force Station in Florida aboard a Delta IV rocket. “Bandwidth capacity and demand continue to increase,” said Col. Enrique Costas, project manager for Defense Communications and Army Transmis- Soldiers head to Europe sion Systems. “And as we know, WGS is the workhorse of the [Defense Depart- Pentagon sends ment].” The colonel’s offi ce – which falls under Program Executive Offi ce Enter- Fort Bliss troops on prise Information Systems, or PEO EIS – manages strategic satellite and terres- snap deployment trial communications programs worth over $3 billion. | Defense Media Activity By John Vandiver The WGS constellation can process STUTTGART, Germany — The Pentagon more than 3.6 gigabits per second of dispatched 1,500 soldiers from Fort Bliss to data for strategic and tactical users – ten Germany March 19 in a snap mobilization de- times more than the previous system. signed to test the military’s ability to respond It operates at both X-band and Ka- in a crisis. band, which can enable networks for Soldiers with 2nd Armored Brigade Com- C4ISR: tactical command, control, com- bat Team, 1st Armored Division arrived in munications, computers, intelligence, Berlin and moved on to training grounds in surveillance, and reconnaissance. Poland for live-fi re drills, U.S. Army Europe “It’s extremely reliable and it has a lot said. of bandwidth capacity,” Costas said. “Our ability to rapidly surge combat-ready For Soldiers on the battlefi eld, that forces into and across the theater is critical in could mean faster, better decision mak- projecting forces at a moment’s notice to sup- ing. port the NATO alliance,” USAREUR said in a A high-value target, for instance, is statement. “However, this deployment is not identifi ed by an unmanned aerial vehi- in response to any real world situation.” Staff Sgt. Kris Bonet / 24th Theater Public Affairs Support Element cle, which transmits video and data to an The purpose is to “exercise the U.S. Army’s Richard Grenell, U. S. ambassador to Germany, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. John Gronski, deputy commanding operations center via reliable bandwidth ability to rapidly alert, recall and deploy under general for the Army National Guard, and German Army Maj. Gen. Carsten Breuer, commander of the from the satellites. emergency conditions.” Bundeswehr Territorial Tasks Command, receive a third wave of Soldiers with 2nd Armored Brigade Com- “I need to transmit that signal from the The sudden deployment is the latest sign of bat Team, 1st Armored Division, arriving at Berlin-Tegel Airport, Germany, as part of an emergency deploy- point of collection all the way back to how the Pentagon’s “Dynamic Force Employ- ment readiness exercise, March 2. Soldiers from 2nd ABCT, 1st AD deployed to Europe at the direction the center, where the decision is going of the Secretary of Defense to exercise the U.S. Army’s ability to rapidly alert, recall and deploy under to be made to whether or not to pull the EUROPE emergency conditions. See Page 2A trigger or deploy a team,” Costas said. An uninterrupted, secured communi- cations link is also needed during critical inside this issue FORT BLISS ■ Unit News ...................................3A missions on the national scale. Guard members to see changes Friday Saturday Sunday ■ Community .................................1B Another example, he said, could be an order given by the president to a combat- in GI Bill transfer benefi ts this summer ■ 5A ■ Sports .........................................7B ant commander to conduct a time-sensi- South Korea-based SHORAD ■ Off Duty ......................................8B tive mission. battery integrates into core competencies ■ 10A ■ Army Classifi eds .........................9B “I want to make sure that that signal does not go down at any time during Molinari and Autism awareness: Sunny, warm Mostly sunny Partly sunny ■ Commercial Classifi eds.............10B What a difference two decades make ■ 5B Hi 82, Lo 51 Hi 69, Lo 43 Hi 64, Lo 38 ■ Puzzles .....................................10B that conversation to make a critical deci- See SATELLITE Page 2A 2A • March 28, 2019 • FORT BLISS BUGLE HHH ACROSS THE FORCE HHH creating an easy target for the enemy. It was Latest sensor up- clear to many in the Science and Technology (S&T) community, the CBRNE community grades boost recon and the Army that the NBCRV had opportuni- ties for modernization. vehicle capabilities “This capability is meant to operate outside the threat,” Scott Kimmel, deputy comman- By Shawn Nesaw | U.S. Army dant of the U.S. Army CBRN School said. ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – “NBCRV has to operate with a cavalry squad- A snowy, frigid February morning didn’t stop ron because the days of the NBCRV being left leaders and stakeholders from turning out to in the rear of the fight are over.” view the highly-anticipated Stryker Nuclear, The team developing the sensor suite up- Biological and Chemical Reconnaissance Ve- grade had three main goals to accomplish. hicle Sensor Suite Upgrade program demon- The team had to develop a standalone stration. package allowing the sensors package to be The NBCRV demonstration - held at the placed anywhere. To increase Soldier safety, Combat Capabilities Development Com- the package needed to perform remote detec- mand Chemical Biological Center - provided tion. Additionally, on-the-move detection was a first look for many at the brand new suite of a necessity. chemical sensors deployed on the NBCRV, a With only 150 days to produce a working huge leap forward in terms of capabilities for prototype, teams came together to design, de- Shawn Nesaw / U.S. Army not only the vehicle but for CBRNE Soldiers velop and prototype the sensor suite package. Senior leaders and VIP stakeholders observe the sensor suite upgrade atop the NBCRV at CCDC Chemi- tasked with operating and carrying out mis- The CCDC Chemical Biological Center’s ad- cal Biological Center in Maryland March 20. sions using the NBCRV. ditive manufacturing facility leveraged their “We’re not writing about the future, we’re in-house rapid prototyping capability to en- As the snow continued to fall, visitors and “It’s taken a whole lot of folks to make this not thinking about the future, we’re building sure timely delivery. sensor operators interacted during a static dis- work,” said Douglas Bryce, Executive Officer the future,” Lt. Col. Jeffrey Strauss of the Joint NBCRV demo highlights play of the technology, asking questions and of JPEO-CBRND. “Our requirements genera- Program Executive Office for Chemical, Bio- The morning’s demonstration at the CCDC giving feedback. tor, our S&T folks, our advanced development logical, Radiological and Nuclear Defense, Chemical Biological Center’s additive manu- A collaborative effort and our testers all have to come together and Joint Project Manager for Nuclear, Biological facturing facility and test range site involved The NBCRV marks a major milestone for the success of the NBCRV is a great testament and Chemical Contamination Avoidance said one NBCRV, one unmanned ground vehicle the CBRNE community, not only in terms of to everyone involved. This effort reinforces during his opening remarks. and one Humvee. Sensor packages were the capability developed but in terms of col- the importance of collaboration with our part- ners.” Upgrading with purpose mounted atop both the NBCRV and UGV. The laboration among so many organizations. In May, the team of operators will show- Currently, CBRN Soldiers investigate po- sensor package was also loaded on a trailer “This has really been a tremendous effort to case the NBCRV’s capabilities at the Joint tential CBRN threats at close range from a towed behind a Humvee to illustrate the sen- ensure we’re delivering the best capabilities to Warfighter Assessment 2019 in Washington slow-moving or completely stopped vehicle, sor package’s ability to be forward deployed the warfighter,” Strauss said. “It’s been a team state. sometimes directly exposing the vehicle to the in a variety of ways and on a variety of plat- of teams, not a singular effort, to make this all threat in order to conduct sampling and often forms.