The digital battery "TOC".

At 0300, the radio crackled to life. The battalion assistant S3 came over the net and announced a pending warning order (WARNO). Rather than calling in battery commanders (BCs), sending runners to the batteries or taking the time to read the data over the net, the battalion commander switched on the radio and executed a digital file transfer of the order. Each BC then opened, reviewed, edited and printed multiple copies of the order for his battery leadership.

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The BC then called in key leaders and issued the WARNO. Only 20 minutes had passed, and the platoons' leaders all had the critical information they needed to begin troop-leading procedures.

This scenario is reality and the result of Force XXI technology: the single-channel ground and airborne radio system (SINCGARS) file transfer. Thanks to an application of existing research and products, any unit can acquire and implement SINCGARS file transfer.

The 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery (1-10 FA), located at Fort Benning, Georgia, as part of the 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized), completed its rotation at the National Training Center (NTC), Fort Irwin, California, in 2004 and came away with some valuable lessons learned. 1-10 FA's tactical operations center (TOC) employed a means to transmit documents via SINGARS. During the rotation, on the average, 1-10 FA BCs were able to hand out full printed WARNOs to their leaders within 20 minutes of receiving the battalion's digital traffic.

The equipment needed for this exchange provides multiple capabilities to BCs. Computer files of any type can pass through SINCGARS connected to a laptop. The laptop can be mounted in the BC's high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV), creating the digitized battery "TOC." Commanders throughout the battalion can receive and transmit files at will. Battery commanders can produce orders, employ digitized battery systems and provide the tools normally associated with a TOC.

Equipment for File Transfers. SINCGARS transmits documents via the RS-232 data feature of the 1523E Advanced System Improvement Program (ASIP) model. RS-232 is a data protocol commonly used by terminal emulation programs, such as Hyper Terminal, to communicate over a computer's serial port. The RS-232 data feature of the ASIP allows a user to connect two computers via radio and communicate back and forth using Hyper Terminal (which is included with the Windows family of operating systems) or other such terminal emulation programs. Hyper Terminal allows for simple text messaging from end to end or for file transfer.

Each end of the transmission link can setup for file transfer by simply connecting a cable from the serial port of a computer to the AUD/DATA jack of the ASIP radio. Figure 1 shows a laptop computer mated to an ASIP SINCGARS through a modified data cable. Unfortunately, a cable equipped with the proper connectors and the correct wiring pin-out currently is not available in the Army supply inventory; therefore, the cable must be fabricated.

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Chief Warrant Officer Two Kenton Groombridge of the 442d Signal Battalion, Fort Gordon, Geogia, has provided a document with national stock numbers (NSNs) and step-by-step instructions for modifying the cables to transfer the documents as well as setup and directions for RS-232 file transfers. CW2 Groombridge's instructions are available at www.team-signal.net.

Advantages. Such transfers offer many advantages for the TOC and BCs.

* Digitizing information flow allows the battalion to minimize the use of couriers or the frequency of the battery leaderships' trips to the TOC and reduces lengthy radio transmissions to distribute vital data from higher headquarters to subordinates rapidly. There is a significant time savings in information dissemination, and the digitization reduces the chances of errors.

* The reduction of travel gives BCs more time to plan and execute their missions (e.g., fewer late-night, low-visibility drives to and from the TOC).

* By reducing the need to dispatch couriers (generally gunnery sergeants for a firing battery), there are fewer operational tempo (OPTEMPO) miles, reducing Soldiers' exposure to the environment and the enemy, thereby, helping to protect the force. The battalion observed that this single digital document technique netted substantial gains in force protection for the battalion during the rotation.

With the fewer OPTEMPO miles, there also is less vehicle fatigue.

* File transfers reduce the number of critical documents distributed in hardcopy to batteries, decreasing the wear and tear on the battalion's field photocopier. This produces a secondary savings in terms of printing and copier costs.

* Message traffic passed in this manner offers other enhancements to battery resource management. By using either an advanced FA tactical data system's (AFATDS') printer or a standard office printer, a BC quickly can edit and print a detailed WARNO for the battery. This use of laptop computers and printer/scanner/copier devices abolishes the need for hand-written orders and carbon copies.

Using these technical assets, BCs can manufacture multiple issues of full battery orders, complete with synchronization matrices and support plans. This contributes to improvements in mission comprehension and execution at the platoon and section levels while saving preparation and dissemination time.

* Laptop computers at the battery level empower commanders with tools previously only afforded to battalion staffs, such as Falconview and Mr. SID Viewer. With these programs, BCs, platoon leaders and gunnery sergeants can do detailed map recons of routes and position areas without requesting additional support or resources from battalion.

During the rotation, this proved to be a highly successful means of preparing for movement through constricted terrain. Commanders exported data from these two programs and incorporated the data into their WARNOs and operations orders (OPORDs).

Disadvantages. Transferring files digitally via the ASIP SINCGARS does have some disadvantages.

* The fastest data rate that can be used for file transfers is 9600 baud. At such speeds, document transfer times are on the order of minutes, not seconds. Most terminal emulation programs, including Hyper Terminal, were written for point-to-point communications, and thus, files cannot be transmitted to more than one receiving station at a time. During transfer, the ASIP radio must be keyed continuously; a separate net is required to ensure that no traffic collisions occur during file transfer.

* The longer the required transfer time, the more likely a file is to become corrupted. Large files (about one megabyte or larger) tend to transfer poorly and must be broken into smaller segments, if possible. Range restrictions depend on the data rate used, but a good planning range is 20 kilometers when using OE-254 antennae and power amps at each end.

* This valuable equipment comes at a price, too. A typical equipment list required for a battery to maximize its digital file transfer include a SINGARS-to-PC data cable, a printer/scanner/copier, an AC inverter and a thumbnail drive. Data cables and inverters can be purchased through the Army supply system, but the remaining items cost more than $500 and have to be purchased locally. Figure 2 lists the equipment used during 1-10 FA's NTC rotation, their descriptions and the costs associated with each item.

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Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) for Ammo Tracking. 1-10 FA batteries also employed PDAs to facilitate ammunition tracking. The spreadsheet function within the PDA proved to be an extremely useful battle-tracking tool. The PDA's compactness and simplicity allows a commander to track the battery's ammunition and make updates easily and quickly.

Figure 3 shows a PDA running a Microsoft's Excel spreadsheet configured for tracking a battery's ammunition status. The PDA's portability provides commanders a current, accurate count without their having to tap battery resources constantly for information.

Commanders used different software on their PDAs, resulting in a lack of uniformity from battery to battery. Despite the differences, the success of tracking ammunition remained without the hassle and complications associated with other manual tracking systems. If commanders are to continue using PDAs for tracking ammunition, thought should be given to standardizing software and tracking procedures.

Cost of Digital Equipment. For this NTC rotation, some commanders used personal funds to acquire a few of these items (PDAs) to augment the modification tables of organization and equipment (MTOE) shortcomings.

The costs, however, dwindle in comparison to the capabilities and potential that these systems offer. Cables, printers, PDAs and other digital devices should be more accessible for units. The MTOE and the Army's supply system should include these items in view of their significant contributions to the battalion's mission.

These new digital tools provide a more effective means to execute command and control. The hardware is simple to install and relatively inexpensive and results in equipment that is easy to use. The added benefits to resource management plus the improvements in force protection and mission performance more than warrant the addition of the SINCGARS ASIP's associated equipment and PDAs to the battalion's MTOE.

PDA                           $350.00
Modified Data Cable:
NSN 5995-01-454-3543           $73.09
or
NSN 5810-01-348-4675           $43.55
Printer/Scanner/Copier        $150.00
Inverter                       $70.00
Additional Mounting Hardware  $100.00

Figure 2: Cost of 1-10 FA's digital equipment used at the National
Training Center (minus the laptop computer). This equipment cost more
than $700.

By Captain Ryan A. Howell and Craig B. Abler

Captain Ryan A. Howell commands A Battery, 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery (A/1-10 FA), located at Fort Benning, Georgia, as part of the 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized). He was 1-10 FA's Fire Direction Officer during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Desert Spring, also in Iraq. Among other assignments, he was the Task Force Fire Support Officer (FSO) for 1-12 IN at Fort Carson, Colorado, while assigned to 3-29 FA as part of the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized). He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Missouri.

Until recently, Craig B. Abler was a Captain in the Signal Corps assigned to 1-10 FA at Fort Benning. Currently, he is a civilian Fellow in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Leaders for Manufacturing Program. He previously served in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he was the Assistant Operations Officer for the 501st Signal Battalion and Battalion Signal Officer for 2-327 IN. He holds a MS in Electrical Engineering from MIT.