The Army Signal Corps: A History of Innovation and Excellence

Introduction

The United States Army Signal Corps has played a pivotal role in the military's success and efficiency for over a century. Founded in 1860, the Signal Corps has continuously adapted to the evolving demands of modern warfare and technological advancements. This essay aims to explore the success of the Army Signal Corps, highlighting its rich history, key contributions, and ongoing significance in the armed forces.

I. Historical Evolution

The history of the Army Signal Corps is a testament to its adaptability and resilience in the face of changing circumstances and challenges. From its inception during the Civil War to its current role in the digital age, the Signal Corps has evolved in response to the needs of the U.S. Army.

1. Civil War and the Telegraph

The origins of the Signal Corps can be traced back to the American Civil War. During this conflict, the use of telegraphy became an essential means of communication, allowing commanders to transmit orders, intelligence, and strategic information over long distances. The Signal Corps was established in 1860, making it one of the oldest branches in the U.S. Army. Its primary role during the Civil War was to provide vital telegraph and signal communication support to the Army.

2. Expansion and Growth

In the years following the Civil War, the Signal Corps expanded its capabilities to include telegraph, signaling, and aerial observation. It played a significant role in supporting military campaigns in the American West, including communication between forts, outposts, and supply lines. As the United States expanded its territories, the Signal Corps was crucial in maintaining communication in remote and challenging environments.

3. World War I and World War II

The Signal Corps continued to evolve during the 20th century. During World War I, it became an integral part of the U.S. Army's communication network, using new technologies such as the radio to establish wireless communication capabilities. These developments were further enhanced during World War II, where the Signal Corps played a pivotal role in coordinating troop movements, intelligence dissemination, and maintaining communication lines throughout the global conflict.

4. Cold War and the Space Race

The Signal Corps adapted to the demands of the Cold War, with a focus on secure and reliable communication systems. The development of satellite technology and the launch of the first communications satellite, Project SCORE, in 1958 marked a significant milestone for the Signal Corps. This era also saw the development of the Integrated Wideband Communications System (IWCS), which revolutionized long-range communication.

II. Key Contributions

The success of the Army Signal Corps can be attributed to its numerous and significant contributions to military operations, technology, and innovation.

1. Communication and Coordination

One of the primary roles of the Signal Corps has been to provide reliable communication and coordination within the military. Throughout its history, it has continually improved communication technologies, from telegraphy and radios to satellite and digital systems. These advancements have enabled commanders to make informed decisions, coordinate troop movements, and maintain situational awareness, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of military operations.

2. Intelligence Gathering

The Signal Corps has been instrumental in gathering intelligence from the battlefield. Signal intelligence (SIGINT) involves intercepting, analyzing, and interpreting enemy communications. This valuable information has been critical in understanding the intentions and capabilities of adversaries, giving U.S. forces a significant advantage.

3. Innovation and Technology

The Signal Corps has consistently been at the forefront of technological innovation. From pioneering early radio transmission techniques to the development of advanced satellite communication systems, the Signal Corps has adapted to emerging technologies and embraced cutting-edge solutions. Its expertise in communication technologies has not only benefited the military but has also had broader implications for civilian telecommunications.

4. Cybersecurity

In the modern era, the Signal Corps has taken on the challenge of defending military communication and data networks from cyber threats. As the digital landscape has evolved, the Signal Corps has played a vital role in developing and implementing cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive information, maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of military communication.

5. Space Operations

The Signal Corps has also played a crucial role in space operations. It has been responsible for launching and managing military satellites, which serve various functions, including navigation, weather monitoring, and secure communication. These capabilities have enhanced the military's reach and effectiveness, both on the battlefield and in everyday operations.

III. Ongoing Significance

The Army Signal Corps continues to be a vital component of the U.S. Army, providing essential services and capabilities that are central to the success of military operations.

1. Modernization and Adaptation

The Signal Corps remains dedicated to modernization and adaptation to meet the evolving needs of the military. In an era of digital warfare and advanced technology, it is essential that the Corps continues to develop and maintain cutting-edge communication and cyber capabilities.

2. Cybersecurity and Information Assurance

As cyber threats become more sophisticated, the Signal Corps's role in cybersecurity and information assurance is increasingly critical. Safeguarding military networks and information is paramount to national security, and the Corps must continue to invest in and develop robust cyber defense capabilities.

3. Space Operations and Satellite Communication

Space operations and satellite communication are integral to the military's global reach and capabilities. The Signal Corps will continue to manage and expand these assets to ensure secure and reliable communication, navigation, and intelligence gathering.

4. Interoperability

The Signal Corps also focuses on ensuring interoperability with other branches of the military and allied forces. Effective communication with partner nations is vital in multinational operations, and the Signal Corps works to facilitate seamless information sharing.

Conclusion

The Army Signal Corps has a long and storied history of success, evolving to meet the changing demands of warfare and technology. From its origins during the Civil War to its current role in the digital age, the Signal Corps has consistently contributed to the success and effectiveness of the U.S. Army. Its achievements in communication, intelligence gathering, technology innovation, cybersecurity, and space operations have had a profound impact on military operations and national security.

As we look to the future, the Signal Corps will continue to play a crucial role in ensuring the military's ability to adapt, communicate, and coordinate effectively in an ever-changing world. Its commitment to modernization, cybersecurity, and space operations will remain central to its ongoing significance in the defense of the United States. The Army Signal Corps is a testament to the importance of adaptation, innovation, and excellence in achieving success in the armed forces.

History of the US Army Flag

The history of the United States Army flag is a storied one, reflecting the evolution of the nation's military and its values. The official flag of the United States Army is known as the "Army Flag" or the "Army Colors," and it consists of a white field with the official U.S. Army emblem in blue at the center. Surrounding the emblem are 13 white stars in a circle, representing the original 13 colonies of the United States.

The origins of the Army Flag can be traced back to the Revolutionary War when the Continental Army, led by General George Washington, was fighting for independence from British rule. During this time, various regimental colors were used to signify different units and to serve as a rallying point for the soldiers on the battlefield.

On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress established the Continental Army and adopted the "American Continental Colors," which featured thirteen red and white stripes. This design, with the addition of the Union Jack in the canton, represented a unity between the American colonies and Great Britain before the Declaration of Independence.

However, as the Revolutionary War progressed, the need for a distinct flag for the United States Army became evident. On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the first official national flag of the United States, known as the "Stars and Stripes" or the "Grand Union Flag." This flag featured thirteen alternating red and white stripes and a Union Jack in the canton, but it also included thirteen white stars representing the thirteen states.

Over time, the number of stars on the flag increased as new states joined the Union. The flag continued to evolve and change, reflecting the growth and expansion of the United States. During the Civil War, various units of the Union Army carried unique regimental colors and battle flags, but there was no standardized national flag for the U.S. Army.

It was not until World War I that the Army adopted the design of the modern-day Army Flag as its official standard. On October 18, 1921, the War Department (now the Department of Defense) established the design for the Army Flag, which is still used to this day.

The Army Flag serves as a symbol of the United States Army's rich history, traditions, and values, and it is displayed on various occasions and ceremonies to honor the service and sacrifice of the men and women who have served in the U.S. Army throughout its history.

Social Solace

Facebook should be the perfect place for learned peoples to exchange ideas, debate from a position of their perspective, offer ideas for crafting better futures.

Something happened along the way.

The methodology for crafting a better world turned into a method of sport.

We started voting the weakest link off the island. The pretty girl, even if she is sweet and a wonderful cook wasn’t going to get the bachelor, and the extremely talented isn’t going to be a part of next weeks entertainment because they didn’t get enough phone votes.

There is a neighborhood bar not far from my house. There is always football on in the winter and baseball in the summer although you can’t hear the commentary because the juke box and conversation from neighborly strangers is more important than the last play.

It is a blue-collar bar. The people in there fix air conditioners, sell flooring, or they drive a delivery truck, you get the idea. People like me with a polo shirt and dockers are welcome but no one there is going to belittle me and show me the door just because I might harbor some suggestions on how our local governing bodies can make traffic better or improve garbage collection.

Most of the dockers and polo shirt crowd would call this a place a “shit hole”. There is no karaoke, the bar tenders don’t use a cork screw to serve drinks, and it is just across the county line so smokers are welcome. Not exactly the contemporary white-collar hangout.

This particular bar I’m telling you about I hadn’t been in for over a year. Last week I decided to stop by and drown some sorrows I’ve bee suppressing and I noticed there were a number of improvements. There was more lighting, a wall had been taken out and a room added for a pool table and assorted video console games, some new table and chairs that didn’t rock so much.

I’m guessing that someone convinced the owner that her place was thought of as a “shit hole” so her staff made some improvements.

Question: How do you get a teenage boy to recognize his room is truly a mess, unfit for humans to reside? Get a teenage girl to say ‘yuck’. All the preaching by his mother isn’t going to work, not until he recognizes that there is a problem will he address it.

The principle always works.

Not until an acholic recognizes he or she has a problem, when a drug-user hits ‘rock bottom’, not until the car breaks down on the interstate will someone admit the problem they have been ignoring needs to be addressed.

Not to be the simple stick-in-your-eye partisan on Facebook like everyone else I wrote a joke about a potential Saturday Night Live skit where leaders of different countries around the world were sitting in a circle of folding chairs admitting to one another that they had let their countries turn into something that was just ugly in the eyes of the rest of the civilized world.

I thought it was a somewhat funny joke that would help people who only want to point out the bad in today’s world that some things could manifest themselves as a positive.

You know, like a teenage girl telling a teenage boy his room stinks. Maybe he’ll recognize it as a problem and do something about it, and in a way that sticks; as opposed to when his mom complains the room gets cleaned, but two weeks later…

It was an intellectual joke, or at least I thought it was.

Facebook gave me the venue to float my joke; and open exchange of ideas between learned adults might see through the rhetoric behind the presidential comments being smeared in every direction.

Trying to bring focus back to the real issue.

The post got a few likes, perhaps less than ten. A couple of ‘that was funny’ comments but not much more.

Then early morning two days later someone employed the ‘vote him off the island’ tactics with an all-out personal attack.

Because of my attempt at humor everything was called into question.

All of a sudden, I’m a racist, my parents were racists, my grandparents were racists.  My personal status in our society was only based on the privileges bestowed upon me because of the color of my skin and not the fact that I put myself through college by spending twenty-years in the army. My attitude towards my fellow man were brought into strict question. Because of my attempt at humor a solid ‘off the island’ vote was cast by a friend-of-a-friend-of-an-acquaintance.

The saddest part of this is the gentlemen who posted the retort is a brilliant guy. He could have attempted to articulate where or why my joke was inappropriate and expound on his understanding of the world as he has experienced it.

January 1968, thirty-two years ago (from this posting) I was advancing my way through French Command School during one of the coldest European winters on record; the same month the Space Shuttle Challenger. I’ve stood for those in third-world “shit-hole” countries defending them from those who would push them down further into oblivion. I’ve followed the orders of men and women, color or not, who were my leaders guiding me to defend freedom. I’ve suffered the business end of a knife keeping women from being forced into situations of sexual assault or worse.

I kowtow to no man, to no woman, to no religion or political ideology. 

I’m not upset either; my attempt at these thousand-or-so words is to point out that having an opinion is everyone’s reaction according to their own world opinion; but if your opinion is based on real-world experiences then please provide a retort that isn’t an attack.

Don’t attack, engage. Don’t belittle, uplift. Don’t preach, embrace.

Consider the content of another’s character or at the very least the courtesy of their perspective before casting your vote.

I’m still on the island. I still have an opportunity for the really cool bachelorette. If it weren’t for my arthritic hands and failing voice I might get enough votes to appear next week.

Becoming a Journalist - Defense Information School - DINFOS

The Watergate hearings took place the summer of 1973, I was ten going on eleven-years-old.

While the whole fiasco was pay-back for something called "The Pentagon Papers" the actual break-in was initially reported in October '72 by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward of the Washington Post.

Sometimes art imitates life, at least that is the way television writers get ideas about integrating the newsroom as a workplace and beginning with where Mary Tyler More worked which morphed into Lou Grant (1977) which was my favorite show all through high school.

I loved the idea that journalists could hold powerful people to account for their actions.

So in my sophomore year of high school I took the journalism class and worked on The Norse Notes, our school newspaper, until I graduated in '81.

 

Half way through my senior year (Nov '80) is when I decided I would join the army. I only did so because they promised me I could go to Journalism School.   It was hard to get the school, you had to qualify by submitting writing samples, taking a couple of additional tests and pass an interview.   But when all was said and done I knew what I was going to be doing after I graduated, I was going to be an Army Journalist.

Basic training was an 'excellent adventure'; I would do it again today if I could.  

I got my first taste of being a leader as I was made squad leader right out of the gate and held the position all through the course.

3rd Platoon

Charlie Company, 4th Battalion, 3rd Training Brigade

Fort Leonard Wood, MO

I turned 18 in basic training, had my first 'legal' beers, got to shoot the M16 (a lot), acted like the gas chamber was nothing, and when Drill Sergeant Barber said "smoke 'em if you got 'em" I did just that. For the record, I fired the M203 Grenade Launcher two years before Al Pacino introduced it as his 'little friend', I still don't know how that shot I the movie didn't blow him on his ass too.

Fort Leonard Wood is where the army trains engineers. Some are big machinery operators, some engineers blow stuff up, some are carpenters, plumbers, you get the idea; they are either building something up or knocking it down.

About half-way through basic training my drill sergeant found out I was going to be a Journalist and he was taken a little aback. Ninety-nine percent of the soldiers in his platoon had enlisted with blue-collar type jobs but here I was a lonely standout going to be a writer and photographer. When he heard that he called all the other drill sergeants over who took turns laughing and kidding about this anomaly they found in their ranks. Even the all-female first platoon was made up of mostly those who were going to be backhoe operators, mechanics and alike.

While they kidded and teased me I got a sense that they actually respected it as they knew I had to jump through more-than-normal hoops to enlist. Army Journalists are rare, most who server never meets one.

When I graduated basic training my travel orders to where my journalism training would take place hadn't been issued yet because the next class wasn't going to start for six weeks. So, I was held-over at Fort Leonard Wood and temporarily promoted to the position of "Drill Corporal". It wasn't a big deal, I lead P.T., marched troops to the chow hall, cleared weapons on the firing line, etc. While the job as something to give me something to do while I waited for my school date to start it did give me my first Letter of Commendation for doing the job so well.

 

Anyway, time passed and soon I was off, on my way to Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN. Home of the Army Support Center and the second largest building the US Government owned, the Army Pay Center.

There was a new-found freedom attending the Defense Information School. While we still have the military rituals of morning P.T. and making sure the barracks were clean the atmosphere was more academic than militant. We were issued books, we didn't march to school and as long as we kept up with our school work we were on our own.

When I hear Stevie Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen", the number one song on the radio while I was there, a lot of memories rush back.

We didn't wear the OD Green uniform the rest of the army wore. We were expected to be in what was called "Class B" which was the dress uniform without the coat. We were also issued special name tags to wear which I thought was awesome.

 

OK - I'm eighteen years old, I had gone from a necessarily strict household with eight kids, directly into basic training only to find myself now a comparatively loosely structured environment with money in my pocket and girls everywhere.

Being a "Department of Defense" there were individuals from all branches. My instructor was a Navy Master Chief and my two roommates were Air Force.

The schools is what you think, we learned the proper structure for a newspaper article, how to write radio and television scripts that would fill specific time slots, the basics of photography and running a television camera, all that stuff. But those were just the basics, most of the course was "Public Affairs". 

We learned how to write press releases and how to put a positive spin on information intended for public consumption, to always find the silver lining.

I also learned the job wasn't really that of a journalist. Most of the people who write for Stars and Strips or work at the Pentagon Public Affairs Office were civilian. As a low-ranking army soldier my job would most likely be taking Girl Scouts on a tour of whatever base I would be stationed at or writing press releases to be sent to civilian newspapers.

The idea of being a "crack journalist" reporting on government waste or writing about solving crime is not what a military journalist was going to be doing.

As we were in the middle of the 'television' portion of our training I was called into the school commander's office and nicely told that I would not make a good Public Affairs Specialists. In all honestly, I was still eighteen years old and still had a lot of growing-up to do. They handed me orders to report to Fort Gordon, GA and being training to be a Multi-Channel Communications Equipment Operator.

I had failed the course.
 

In hind sight it was a good thing for me, I went into a field that I found challenging and exciting and learned some skills that I would use later in life.

It was early December 1981. Lou Grant was just a TV show.

 

 

 

Drill Corporate Promotion:

 

 

 

Drill Corporal Letter of Commendation:

 

Witness in a Murder Trial

Back in "my day" it was called P.L.D.C. - Primary Leadership Development Course.  Now they call the training "Basic Leader Course".

The six-week long school is meant to take the lowest level army Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) like a corporal or buck sergeant and instruct them on the skills of leading a team or squad in battle.

If you see a soldier with this ribbon on his or her chest they have been through the school.

 

If it comes with a number then they have also been to the higher levels of leadership training reflective of the number.

I attended in a very unique place, a converted WWII prisoner of war camp in the desert outside of El Paso, Texas. A part of Fort Bliss it is also the home of the army's Sergeant Major Academy.

You have to pass the PLDC course if you want your career to continue past the lowest level of NCO; so you keep your head down, pay attention, study, do what your told, and apply yourself.

I was about two-thirds of the way through this course when in an after lunch formation the head instructor called my name out and instructed me to stay behind for a meeting after the rest of the students went onto their afternoon activities.

I had no idea what was going on and if you are thinking that I was expected to be informed of a death in the family or other such notice your right; I mean this is the way these notices are generally given.

The head instructor, a sergeant major in his own right, approached me, gave me the once over as I stood at attention and with a puzzled look on his face instructed me that I was wanted in the Academy Sergeant Major's office right away.

From the way he looked me over I thought maybe I was in trouble.

I arrived at the Sergeant Major's office and knocked on the door jam as the office door was already open. I'm sure my twenty-year-old face looked somewhat like a lost puppy because not only was the Sergeant Major there, but the full-bird colonel who was the commandant of the PLDC and Sergeant Major's academy along with two civilians in suites.

I was standing at attention on the outside but on the inside my mind was running at a hundred miles an hour.

"Sergeant Harris", began the Sergeant Major, "these two men are from the Texas Rangers".

Now this was late 1983, Chuck Norris' show wouldn't be on TV for another ten years so all I knew about Texas Rangers was from stories and of course the masked-man on horseback from radio and TV shows.

"Stand at-ease", the Sergeant Major allowed.

I relaxed a bit; the thought then went through my brain that this is a leadership school, can't let my military superiors know I'm a bit rattled… time for a bit of a 'take charge' attitude.

"Mr. Harris?", asked one of the suited men as he pulled back his jacket enough to show the silver-dollar sized badge pinned to his shirt.

"I am Sergeant Harris", was my retort.

"Sergeant, I'm told you are roommates with Staff Sergeant Lucas Garrett," the Ranger stated.

"It is a temporary arrangement, sir, he is restricted to base as he and his family work some things out," I said.  Garrett was a loud-mouth, quick tempered red head which, because of his course personality, had no real friends. He worked a solitary job in the crypto vault which was manned by a single individual. The vault is typically a job for a lower ranked person, but it was the only place the First Sergeant could put him and keep his personality in check.

"Are you or are you not roommates with Sergeant Garrett?", the Sergeant Major questioned with his command voice.

"Yes Sergeant Major", was my retort.  I faced the senior sergeant and it dawned on me he wanted me to provide simple answers and not volunteer any additional information.

My attention then returned to the Ranger.

"Sergeant this is a summons to appear in Supreme Court for the State of Texas in the case of Texas vs. Lucas Garrett for the crime of murder, attempted murder and a number of other charges."

He started to hand the paperwork to the Colonel, but the Sergeant Major cut him off and took the blue-covered folded packet.

At the time I was assigned to the Headquarters Battery of the 2nd Battalion, 43rd ADA (Air Defense Artillery), a Patriot Missile unit forming-up in Fort Bliss and preparing to deploy to Germany. It was one of the very first Patriot Missile Battalions and I was one of the three allotted communications NCOs.

This blue packet might as well have been a baseball bat upside the head. For all the Sergeant Major and Colonel knew I was involved somehow with a suspected murderer and knowing how slow civilian courts move my unit would have to replace me so they could deploy on time.

After the Sergeant Major gave the paperwork the once over he handed the small stack to me. My initial glance took my eyes from my name, to Garrett's name and then the dates I was to report not to the court but to the District Attorney's office in El Paso. The date was two months away.

The Colonel finally spoke-up, "Can we help you with anything else gentlemen?"

"Nope," said the Ranger who passed the papers. He didn't say 'no sir', I think it was his way of reinforcing the separation between civilian and military authority.

They put on their hats and walked out.

"Dismissed Sergeant," said the Sergeant Major.

I snapped to attention, rendered the Colonel a salute which he returned, executed an about-face and as smartly as I could left the office without it looking I was running.

Walking up the hall I unfolded the papers again. The date was after graduation so I could decided to focus on finishing the course and worry about everything else when the time came.

The rest of the leadership course went without incident. In fact, I graduated in the top ten which helped set me apart from my peers and served me well in the years to come.

After graduation I returned to my unit to find my orders to deploy with my unit were frozen. Instead of getting my soldiers and equipment ready to deploy I was instead working with a new sergeant handing over my responsibilities to him.

I was the odd-man out. The only people who weren’t going to deploy was the women who were pregnant and me, regardless of the reason it was truly a riff between myself and everyone else in the battalion.

Staff Sergeant Garrett wasn't in my room, but his messy stuff was still there. I had been instructed not to move any of his items even though I knew the police and MPs had already gone through everything in the room (including my stuff).

As the date of my mandatory appointment arrived my First Sergeant sent me to the JAG office to look over the paperwork and make sure everything was on the up-and-up. That same day my unit started loading everything on trains and trucks for shipping over the Atlantic. My fellow soldiers started to sign-out on leave so they could spend time with their families before their flights to Germany.

I put on a "Class B" uniform for my appointment with the District Attorney. Back in those days you couldn't go off post in the green work uniform unless you were in route to or from your home.

Aside from the barrack rumors I still didn't know exactly what Staff Sergeant Garrett had done. So with shinny shoes and flashy brass I headed to the city. I took a taxi from the post because I didn't know the streets of El Paso proper and didn't want to be late.

I didn't have to wait once I arrived. I was ushered into a conference room where I was quickly joined by six or seven guys wearing ties and all carrying a legal sized yellow note pad along with various papers in folders. One of them had a copy of my official military record, called a two-oh-one file (201) which surprised me a little and immediately put me into a defensive mode.

As the meeting progressed I found out why they were so happy I showed-up, I was being called as a witness for the defense, not the prosecution; and now, here I was in a room with the prosecutors.

Because my unit was deploying and because I was his barracks roommate it was I who was chosen to be a part of the defense dog-n-pony show. I was going to be expected to tell the people in the jury and the judge how stressful it was to be the guy responsible for all the top-secret crypto keys the Signal Corps used.

The group of lawyers also brought me up to speed on exactly what Staff Sergeant Garrett had done.

One night in a drunken state at home he had used a shotgun to kill his wife, then tried to use a three-wheeled ATV to make his get way only to crash and start shooting it out with the cops.

I knew he was a mean drunk. The reason he was confined to the barracks was he had gotten drunk and broke not one, but both of his wife's arms. I then understood why a Staff Sergeant would be assigned to the crypto room; he was awaiting trial for assaulting his wife and the army was waiting that out as they processed his 'other than honorable' discharge.

Now I was being drug into the fray.  I had been embarrassed in front of a Sergeant Major and Colonel, had to relinquish my squad and equipment, and wasn't going to Germany so I could help a less-than-honorable son-of-a-bitch.

The man was guilty, I was there to help the defense mitigate the punishment, to help mitigate a death penalty.

Before the court date arrived I had to move from my room in my unit's barracks to a temporary housing building. My deployment orders had moved from frozen to canceled and was bored out of my head.

I arrived at the court house in my full "Class A" uniform. The few ribbons I had back then, my expert marksmanship medal, brass and shoes shined. I was ushered to a long hallway and asked to have a seat and not to talk to anyone else. This experience isn't what it is like on TV; if you are a witness you can't be in the courtroom so you can hear what others are saying, and there was an officer in the hallway to make sure you didn't talk about the case with any other witnesses.

After an hour of so I was called in and walked to the witness stand.

I stood at attention while swearing to tell the truth. I sat at attention (yes, that's a thing) as the questions started.

I answered the questions the defense attorney asked about Staff Sergeant Garrett's job in the crypto locker. The answers lead to other questions about the meaning of "Confidential", "Secret" and "Top Secret".

When it was the prosecutor's turn his questions turned to what it was to be a sergeant in the army as opposed to being an officer.

Bear in mind I had just graduated from the Primary Leadership Development Course where the role of officers and non-commissioned officers (sergeants) was very much a part of the circular. Not only was this information still fresh in my head I was an expert.

My whole purpose of being there suddenly changed.

The judge had one of those large pads brought to the front, today I guess they would use a whiteboard. The court officer who brought it up handed me one black and one red marker and I was instructed by the judge to explain to the jury the roles of officers and sergeants and what was expected of them.

For the next thirty minutes or so I held class, schooling the members of the jury about military chain of command, what officers did and how sergeants executed their orders while taking care of the troops, making sure they are informed and properly trained, to function as a team and keep their motivation up so they can accomplish the goals set by the officers.

The judge didn't allow for any follow-up questions by either the prosecutor or defense. I have no doubt the people who made up the jury along with anyone else in the court room had a better understanding on how the military chain of command works.

When the trial was over and "Mr. Garrett" had been sentenced to life in prison I received my orders to Germany. Not to join my previous unit but to the 97th Signal Battalion. I was being assigned to the group who put in the communications for NATO Headquarters, a very prestigious assignment.

To this day I'm proud that I was able to walk a group of civilians through how the military chain-of-command works. It would be cool if this is was the only time it had happened in a court of law. I search the Internet every once in a while for any mention of the Garrett case, but I've yet to find out what happened to him or transcripts of the trial itself.

DoD Issues Cybersecurity Discipline Guidance

Source: Army Times http://www.armytimes.com/

The Defense Department recently issued a military-wide cybersecurity discipline implementation plan, a document that aims to hold leaders accountable for cybersecurity up and down the chain of command and report progress and setbacks.

The plan was originally issued in October but updated in February and made public on the DoD CIO site in early March. It shares some similarities with the Pentagon’s other large-scale cyber assessment tool, the department’s strategic cybersecurity scorecard that reports service-level compliance directly to the Defense secretary. The difference between the two is that the discipline implementation plan targets tactical-level compliance, and each has different reporting mechanisms – the discipline plan routes users to the Defense Readiness Reporting System to report their status with the requirements.

The new plan centers on four lines of effort, which actually correspond with the cybersecurity scorecard. They include:

• Strong authentication to degrade the adversaries' ability to maneuver on DoD information networks;
• Device hardening to reduce internal and external attack vectors into DoD information networks;
• Reduce attack surface to reduce external attack vectors into DoD information networks; and
• Alignment to cybersecurity/computer network defense service providers to improve detection of and response to adversary activity

"The requirements within each line of effort represent a prioritization of all existing DoD cybersecurity requirements. Each line of effort focuses on a different aspect of cybersecurity defense-in-depth that is being exploited by our adversaries to gain access to DoD information networks,” the document states. “Securing DoD information networks to provide mission assurance requires leadership at all levels to implement cybersecurity discipline, enforce accountability, and manage the shared risk to all DoD missions … this campaign forces awareness and accountability for these key tasks into the command chains and up to senior leadership, where resourcing decisions can be made to address compliance shortfalls."

Each of the four lines of effort includes a thorough explanation of the goal, followed by multiple tasks and questions designed to assess compliance, vulnerability and progress. An appendix further details prioritizes tasks from the discipline implementation and from previously issued DoD cybersecurity campaign guidance, and weights DoD’s cybersecurity objectives.

"Work on these tasks can proceed in parallel; these lists guide the application of limited resources to the most critical tasks for securing and defending segments of the network across the Department,” the document notes. “Of primary importance is implementing a healthy cybersecurity culture across all ranks, one that ingrains a self-correcting discipline similar to the nuclear enterprise or other critical, highly reliable organizations. If we fail to change the culture, we will fail to secure the enterprise regardless of any defenses installed otherwise."

Despite the use of the term ‘discipline’ in its title though, one thing the new plan seems to lack, at least in the unclassified version: consequences for failing to meet goals or maintain security. It’s not immediately clear what might happen to people who fall short of requirements or fall to cyberattacks.

Least We Forget

Two individuals and one spouse were soldiers serving with me in the 97th Signal Bn., NATO Headquarters, Germany.

Murdered, PanAm Flight 103.



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Military Crosswalk Search

Military Crosswalk Search

Very well done…  Plug-in your US MOS (now called MOC???) and it will spill-out all the skills you can include in a resume.  Skills that cross into civilian life.

This is a part of http://JobCenter.USA.gov.

Highly recommended; link: Military Crosswalk Search – give it a try.

Device may inject a variety of drugs without using needles

This news out of MIT is not news.

The military has been using air injectors since I went to basic training back in 1981. We would roll up both of our sleeves and stand in a line. As we moved forward there were individuals standing on both sides of us with these air injectors.

Some guys flinched, when they did the air gun would shoot their load and cut open the guy’s arm.

To this day I have pits on both sides of my shoulders where I got those shots.

These guys from MIT haven’t come up with anything new. In fact they have invented a way to better transmit bacteria from one person to another.

Health Warning: CLICK HERE

The full story from the MIT website is linked below.

Time For Shots

Device may inject a variety of drugs without using needles - MIT News Office