DCM Gazette Issue 1

DEPLOYABLE COMMUNICATIONS MODULE ALPHA

FIRST QUARTER 2005

DCM GAZETTE THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER FOR USDCM-A TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES

Noble Javelin 05

NATO TRAINING MISSION IRAQ (NTM-I)

FUERTEVENTURA & HMS INVINCIBLE

US Army, US Navy and US Airforce personnel pose in-"ont of their Transpor#able Sate$ite Ground Terminal (TSGT) equipment in Naples, Italy.

USDCM-A is about to embark on another adventure that will take them out of Naples, Italy. Some of them will serve on land while others will be aboard on the British aircraft carrier, HMS Invincible. The land base troops will be deployed

to the island of Fuerteventura which is located in the northwest region of Africa off the coast of Morocco. Troops from this five-day notice to move deployable communications information system (CIS) unit will be the first to (cont. page 5)

Welcome back SFC Hendricks, ETC Ovalle, SSG Acosta, SSgt. Andrews, SSgt. Preble, SGT Gladden, and SPC Crispin. Thank you for the job well done.

Your contributions greatly enhanced the NATO communications capabilities.

The unit also bid good-bye to SFC Olson, SSG Chafin, SPC Bridgewater, ET3 Peterson, and ET3 Dilone as they rotated into Baghdad for the continuation of the NTM-I mission. Good Luck and Be Safe!

HAIL & FAREWELL

This quarter, we said farewell to our departing troops who had contributed a great deal to this unit. ET1 McCain, IT2 Disla, CTO3 Zuna, SGT Marbury, and SGT Payne. Good luck with your future endeavor.

During this period, we welcome PN2

Bashaw and his family, SSG Tate and her family, SPC Hernandez and his family, ITSN Smith, IT3 Hiller and his family, ET3 Kramer and his family, CTM2 Robertson, SPC Cluff, SPC Howard and his family and SGT Moulton and his family to our USDCM-A team.

DEPLOYABLE COMMUNICATIONS MODULE ALPHA

FIRST QUARTER 2005

INFORMATION SYSTEM MODULE (ISM) FIELDING

a Line-of-Sight Radio Relay (LOS RR), an HF Radio, a User Interface Equipment (UIE), and an Information Systems Mod-

by CPT Lan Dalat What is in the future for NATO deployable communications? Up until this point in NATO history, deployable communications concept remained to be a concept. However, that may change this spring when US DCM-A will receive its first Information System Module (ISM) shelter. This shelter is one of the NATO CIS Service Agency's (NCSA) initiatives that allows a NATO element such as the NATO Response Force (NRF) or DeployTop right: Expanded view of ISM. able Joint Above: Inside racks (in lab) Task Force (DJTF) headquarters with up to 1200 personnel to have access with all communications services

ule (ISM).

In conjunction with the UIE, the ISM will be able to provide data services that include data storage and retrieve, email message handling, web services and other specialized functional area services (FAS). The ISM can provide three separate data services in three independent local area networks (LAN). Under the default configuration, the first ISM supports up to 1200 accounts network is de• 300 NS LAN accounts signed and des• 800 MS LAN accounts ignated for as • 100 NU LAN accounts many as 300 NATO Secret (NS) users to access and exchange information. The second net-

Air-conditioning Unit (ACU)

NU Servers

Power unit Expanded shelter allows more workspace

NS Servers

when they deploy anywhere in the world. This ISM is one of many components in the DCM organization. A DCM element comprises of the following equipment when fully equipped. A Transportable Satellite Ground Terminal (TSGT),

MS Servers

work allows up to 600 users to have access in the Mission Secret (MS) LAN. This network is designed to meet the security requirement when working with allied, non-NATO users, and NATO users who do not need to access the NS

DEPLOYABLE COMMUNICATIONS MODULE ALPHA network. Lastly, the ISM shelter can provide 100 NATO users and its allied to links to the public Internet over the NATO Unclassified (NU) network.

Within each of the network, the following services are provided: User Services, Administration Services, Infrastructure Services, Backup and Recovery Services and Security Services.

For User Services, an operator can send and receive email messages, can browse the web, can save and print files, and can manage documents. On the management side, a system administration can take advantage of the following Administration Services: Domain Control, Enterprise Management, Software Distribution, Infrastructure (Root) Services, Backup and Recovery Services. Finally, the system administrator can safeguard all information by applying these Security Services: Anti-Virus, Intrusion Detection, Firewall, and Proxy. When data must flow from NS to MS networks, this ISM is equipped with controlling devices to ensure information security (INFOSEC) requirements are conformed to standards. These devices are Firewall and MailGuard. The Firewall is used to control access of the users on the NS LAN when attempting to reach a drive in the MS LAN. This firewall will direct the user(s) to specific drive(s) of a server within the MS LAN. The MailGuard, on the other hand is served as the controller for the mail exchange between a dedicated server in the NS LAN and a dedicated server in the MS LAN. To deploy the ISM, logistic and movement officer must know its physical configuration. The ISM comprises of three systems.

FIRST QUARTER 2005

These are shelter, trailer and power. The shelter is a 20 feet expandable ISO container, which housed 49 servers inside five 19 inches racks.

The two racks are mounted with 15 servers for the NS LAN. 15 MS LAN servers are mounted in the other two racks at the far end of the shelter.

On the opposite side, at the middle of the shelter, there are 17 NU LAN servers and two gateway servers mounted in the three racks. The two-axle ISO type trailer is designed to carry the shelter. An additional trailer with mounted dual Diesel Generator (DG) is included with the ISM to provide power. The ISM is designed to be easily deployable and transportable by road and by air. For road movement, two 5-ton trucks must be added to the ISM configuration above. Both trailers have all the interfaces with the truck in accordance with the STANAG 4101 standard. For air movement, the ISM shelter and its power source must be loaded with special tool and the installed winch at the aircraft bulk-head of a C-130 military transport aircraft. Once arrive in theater of operations, the ISM can operate with the trailer attached or detached and place on the ground.

UPCOMING MISSION: USDCM-A has always been the centric in deployable communications.

Toward the end of this fall, troops from this unit will link up with CIS troops from Spain, France, Italy, Britain, Germany and Netherlands to conduct one of the largest CIS communications exercise in northern part of Spain.

DEPLOYABLE COMMUNICATIONS MODULE ALPHA COMMANDER’S CORNER CPT LAN DALAT (OF-2)

I have been with this unit for over one year and did not realized how fast the DCM train was moving.

Since that time, the has train continued to move even faster and further. Last year, we built the largest CIS infrastructure that supported over 1000 users. The line team ran over 12 miles of cables to include fibre optic and copper. The computer support team imaged and networked over 580 computers in three separate networks, NS, NU and MS. Meanwhile, the TSGT team kept that signal connected 24 hours a day for three months before the operations began. Troops from DCM-A earned high marks for their efforts during Allied Action 04 (AA04).

and test a small deployable CIS point of presence (PoP). We deployed a small team and this CIS PoP with an INMARSAT to support NTIM-I. SGT Gladden and SPC Crispin were the first two soldiers from US DCM-A to take on this challenge.

FIRST QUARTER 2005

USDCM-A HEAD’S CORNER CPO ROBERT DORSEY (OR-7)

Ahoy Shipmates! (That includes airmen, soldiers and sailors alike, and Today, we are being challenged their families). I have only been with DCM for about eight months. However, I would like to share one thing I learned very quickly. Now, all of the old timers know this: and the new personnel learn it, but iťs worth saying and remembering. In order to survive DCM you MUST be flexible and have a good sense of humor; that includes the families. Family SGT Gladden works with engineers support is a must. I cannot count in developing the Deployable point of the times I have told people on presenc' short notice that they were again to build a communications deploying... just to turn around the infrastructure on a remote island next day... or hour and tell them off the coast of Africa to support “No you’re not” or vice versa. This NRF headquarters and its uncertainty is frustrating for subordinate commands. everyone. Please be assured that After AA04, I am confident that DCM your senior leadership has and will without much troops will prevail once again with continue to prevent this. Fair rest, we were off the support of their families. winds and following sea until next to support several time! missions in Bulgaria, Athens Navy Element and the HMS USEFUL NUMBERS Commander 081-721-2254 Invincible.

Emergencies Additionally, we

DSN 606-625-2254 Off-base 081-568-4911 were on five days Medical NSA Qtrdeck 081-568-5547 notice to move for NRF Emergency Room 081-811-6150 NSA CDO Capo 335-640-6597 3 deployment. With the newly

DSN 629-6150 inherited Communications JFC CDO (Navy) 335-474-984 Appointment 629-6000 Gateway Shelter (CGS-5), we Dental Appt.

629-6008/6007 embarked on a new challenge; Army Element Capo Dental 081-568-4644/5987 technical know how. Then, we Staff duty 081-721-2214 were alerted to be prepared for the

DSN 626-4644/5987

DSN 606-640-2214 deployment of troops and CGS-5 International Police to Iraq in support of NTIM-I. Airforce Element In the end, we were directed

by COL Robert Mayr to create

Commander

081-721-2828

606-640-2828

DSN

JFC Naples

081-721-2551

DEPLOYABLE COMMUNICATIONS MODULE ALPHA

FIRST QUARTER 2005

(LCC) Maritime Component Calendar (Cont. "om Page 1) Command (MCC) and Air Component Command 14-18 March (ACC), NonISM fielding in Latina, Italy governmental Organi21 March zation (NGO), the Weapon Range host nation, and peace 25-22 April time headquarters.

Noble Javelin, Fuerteventura, Spain Upon completion of the mission, 2-6 May USDCM-A troops Cathode Emission, Final Planning Conference will recover all CIS equipment and rede1-30 September Cathode Emission, Figures, Spain ployed back to its SSG Earnest Smith briefs drivers before a convoy peacetime location. operation to Port Salerno for shipping of equipThis 58 troops unit ment to the Canary Islands with a composition of one-third US Army, NEXT ISSUE hit the island. They will setup their tactical CIS equipment, lay one-third US Navy, and one-third US Airforce is commanded by a cables, image computers and Out Come of NJ05 US Army Captain. The parent network all systems NOBEL JAVELIN 05

together. They will have 15 days to go from zero to full operational capability (FOC) with televideo conferencing (VTC), NATO Secret email messaging, and secure telecommunicating capabilities for the US DCM-A trucks pass by building D as they ar' entire NATO Reon their way to support Noble Javelin 2005. sponse Force headheadquarters is the 2nd NATO quarters and subordinate comSignal Battalion which is commands within the area of operamanded by a Spanish Navy tion. These capabilities will allowed the NRF commander and Commander. USDCM-A has his staff to command, control and two sister units. They are Italian communicate with other forward DCM A and B that are located in Verona, Italy. deployed headquarters such as the Land Component Command

We will report our involvement in this mission.

User Interface Equipment (UIE)

We will discuss in detail of our new UIE. Just like the ISM article, our readers will know its capability and limitations.

NTM-I Stories

A story of the USDCM-A troops in Iraq.

CONGRATULATIONS! to: Sr. A. Renfro who delivered a baby boy named Shawn Gabriel Donatto Jr. on Nov 19, 2004.

SPC and Mrs Hernandes who delivered a baby girl named Milisandra Hernandes on Dec 18, 2004

DEPLOYABLE COMMUNICATIONS MODULE ALPHA

US DCM-A, 2NSB, JFC NAPLES PSC 813 BOX 181 FPO AE 09620

Addressee Name 4321 First Street Anytown, State 54321

FIRST QUARTER 2005