FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- The Department of the Army's Product Manager for Installation Information Infrastructure Modernization Program, referred to as PdM-I3MP, completed a network modernization (NETMOD) project during the third quarter of 2018 at Joint Interagency Task Force South, based at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida.

"NETMOD has been great for the Command and my team," said Kevin Johnson, the JIATF South network engineer who served as their project lead. "It's given us a big technology refresh with top notch equipment and lifecycle support at no extra cost to the Command. The network layout has provided a fast, redundant, and more fault tolerant Local Area Network (LAN). My team and I are more confident in our efforts to provide our Command the network necessary to perform our mission 24/7."

Joint Interagency Task Force South, referred to as JIATF South, is a United States multiservice, multiagency task force. JIATF South executes detection and monitoring of illicit trafficking in the air and maritime domains, and facilitates international and interagency interdiction to enable the disruption and dismantlement of illicit and converging threat networks in support of national and hemispheric security.

"JIATF South runs 24-hour operations, detects and monitors illicit trafficking in the air and maritime domains which created a particularly challenging environment to perform the routine upgrade of the network switches," said Marshal Larkey, a system engineering and technical assistance contractor. "By working within the availability of the different sections in JIATF South, the network modernization project completed without interfering with operations."

PdM-I3MP successfully increased network throughput at JIATF South to meet the ever-increasing information requirements for efficient and effective operations at all echelons. By enabling assured warfighting and business operations, the Army is providing the conduit for reliable access to mission-critical data when and where needed.

"Readiness remains priority one for the Army and this network modernization project at JIATF South, a multiservice task force, supports the readiness of our Warfighters," said Kevin Chinn, the acting deputy product manager to PdM-I3MP. "This project flattens and protects the network to reduce risk and increase operational effectiveness."

"We are modernizing the Army network to enable the current fight and to prepare for the next fight," said Colonel Enrique Costas the Project Manager for Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems (PM DCATS). Colonel Costas' project portfolio includes approximately $1 billion of Army investments in enterprise network infrastructure and strategic satellite communications programs that support the Army, Joint Services, National Command Authority, and combatant commanders.

"At Joint Interagency Task Force South, this network infrastructure upgrade improves network security, ensuring our Warfighters have secure networks and trusted information in their pursuit of illicit traffic," said Colonel Costas.