FORT BELVOIR -- Twenty-five members of the Army Reserve 410th Brigade Signal Corps are modernizing a Logistics Operations Center at Fort Belvoir that’s helping monitor COVID-19 activities and can serve as a continuity of operations site.
The Army’s official Logistics Operations Center, run by the Army G-4, is in the Pentagon; but when COVID-19 appeared, the G-4 sought an alternative site to back-up the Pentagon location. The G-4 chose a building that is used by the G-4’s Logistics Enterprise Support Agency at Fort Belvoir, but it needed an up-date so logisticians in both locations can be on the same secure networks.
“Having the 410th modernize our communications is a great solution,” says Col. Joe Ricker, G-4’s Deputy Director for Enterprise Systems. “It gives our Reserve Soldiers an opportunity to improve their skill sets, with results we will use every day. It also keeps our modernization costs low.”
The G-4 is saving about $100,000 in construction costs. There are also longer-term savings that include the ability to move to digital voice providers at lower rates.
Cpt. John Fellows, the 410th Commander, said that usually when the unit does an annual training exercise it is to support a 2,000 or 3,000 Soldier-brigade in the field. They set up communications for them to ensure they have internet and voice capabilities in the field.
“This is very different,” he said, “and very rewarding. We will be able to point to the building and say we modernized it to help in the fight against COVID-19.”
Soldiers are spending two weeks doing the work, which will include installing 2.2 miles of Category 6 cable in the facility. The 410th is comprised of Soldiers whose civilian jobs range from information technology to food managers.
COVID-19 has impacted the unit’s monthly training, as Soldiers could not conduct hands-on maintenance and up-date equipment. This training assignment brings the unit together.
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