TECHINT is intelligence derived from the collection and analysis of threat and foreign military equipment and associated materiel for the purposes of preventing technological surprise, assessing foreign Scientific and Technical (S&T) capabilities and developing countermeasures designed to neutralize an adversary's technological advantages.
Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Jeffery Risner said the goal of TECHINT Day is to open the doors of the only TECHINT battalion in the world to the intelligence community.
"We want people to understand the value of the contributions this unit makes for intelligence to the Warfighter."
Guests included Maj. Gen. James Young, Office of the Chief of Army Reserve and a former battalion commander.
The day consisted of visitors moving in groups round-robin style through stations where 203rd Soldiers explained weapons, vehicles, forensic and Chem-bio gathering equipment and other technologies currently in use in Afghanistan.
In the afternoon, Family members of the Soldiers joined the groups for a trip to the firing range where visitors fired various weapons and rode on military vehicles.
"This is a big deal for them," said 203rd Sgt. Maj. James Davis.
The day's events counted heavily on the knowledge of the unit's noncommissioned officers, according to Capt. Ulisses Taymes, 203rd Assistant Operations Officer.
"These NCOs are knowledgeable because they have to be," he said. "They have to know the unit history and everything about their subject because they will have to answer questions."
Taymes said planning and logistics for the event started months ago. He thanked the Maryland National Guard's Chief Warrant Officer 5 Daniel Chapman for landing a team of Soldiers during an insurgent apprehension demonstration.
Guests said they learned a lot during the informative day.
"It was all very informative," said Art Episcoto, the civilian aid to the Secretary of the Army, a retired major general and former Delaware adjutant general. Episcoto said he is just one of many who serve as the secretary's eyes and ears.
"It's our job to enhance the secretary's objectives regarding Soldiers and their Families," he said.
Pentagon Army staff member Bob Nicholson said he thought the demonstrations were "great."
"It was nice seeing the [Soldiers] so well versed in their subjects," he said, "and it's good to know they're out there doing well.
Ken Berger from Army contractor MCR, LLC's Federal Intelligence Program Division, said he thought "everything was very well done."
"I have 28 years in military intelligence and I've never seen this stuff," he said. "They did an excellent job."
Participating organizations included personnel from the Department of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff G-2; the Defense Intelligence Agency; Navy Foreign Material; MCR Federal Intelligence Program Division; CSASC MIRC DCO; 20th Support Command (CBRNE); 175th Logistics Readiness Squadron; George Mason University ROTC; National Operations Center Homeland Security; the Lauderick Creek Training Center and the Baltimore Police Department.
About 203rd MI (TECHINT)
The 203rd MI (TECHINT) is a reserve component unit with more than 45 different military occupational skills that provides intelligence derived from reconnaissance, collection and tactical exploitation of weapons, equipment and other materiel found, captured or acquired worldwide. The battalion conducts training on foreign weapons, vehicles and other equipment and emergency technical intelligence missions in support of contingency operations.
On order, the 203rd MI (TECHINT), or when designated as the Captured Materiel Exploitation Center, or CEMC, deploys and conducts operations in support of combatant commanders or other government agencies in order to collect and exploit captured enemy weapons, equipment and other materiel.
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