USAG-YONGSAN, SOUTH KOREA-- Soldiers from the 1st Signal Brigade, along with more than 17,000 U.S. troops completed a 3-week command post and field training exercise March 18. The recent Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises mark the largest of their kind in nearly 40 years and allowed soldiers in the 1st Signal brigade to hone their skills while keeping network systems running and secure.
Staff Sgt. Eric Brown, a cable systems installer-maintainer with Bravo Company, 304th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade, said his team's mission is to provide tactical and real world communications to the warfighters working alongside the Republic of Korea Army.
"The purpose of two armies working together is to build cohesiveness and show them that we are ready to fight tonight," Brown said.
As a non-commissioned officer in the 304th Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade, Brown said it is the responsibility of leaders to ensure everyone has the proper equipment and the necessary training to complete the mission during the joint training exercise.
"It's my job to instill motivation, purpose and direction," Brown said. "Everything we do is part of a bigger picture."
While Brown and his team supported efforts at Camp Casey, Spc. Andrew Creager, a Phoenix team chief, from the 304th ESB, and his team established communications for the Eighth Army's main command post on Tiger Field at USAG-Yongsan.
"It's our job to provide secure and non-secure voice and data to keep the players in the exercise," Creager said. "Right now without us, they would be running on a strategic network so it wouldn't be anywhere near as close to real world as it is."
During the exercise, the 36th Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade participated in a joint USAG-Daegu base defense exercise. Lt. Col. Erik Koenig, the 36th Signal Battalion commander, said his Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment command team played a key role in the exercise.
"The HHD Command team developed, planned and executed defense for Camp Walker and were evaluated through several Mission Scenario Event Lists, to include Improvised Explosive Devices, opposition forces with persons of interest and vehicle-based opposition attacks," Koenig said.
"I attribute much of our success to the company commanders and senior NCOs cultivating great working relationships with all of our customers throughout the AOR," Koenig said.
The 36th Signal Battalion command team was pleased with the outcome of their team's efforts throughout the duration of the exercise.
"The Dragon Battalion has done a tremendous job exercising our wartime mission during Key Resolve 2016," Koenig said. "Command Sgt. Maj. Benabise and I are very pleased and proud of the effort our team displayed throughout the exercise."
Social Sharing