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Operations in the United States Pacific Command's theater typically involve movements and communications over vast distances. Exercise Balikatan 02-1 was no exception, and the Soldiers of the 112th Special Operations Signal Battalion, headquartered at Fort Bragg, N.C., were charged with helping to shrink the distances and with allowing U.S. special-operations forces stationed in the Philippines to stay in touch.
When the 1st Special Forces Group took part in Exercise Balikatan 02-1, Company C, 112th Signal Battalion, developed and perfected improved satellite communications procedures that enhanced the effectiveness of operations in the theater.
Company C, created in July 2001 entirely with internal assets, is the newest of the 112th's three companies. The formation of the unit allowed the 112th to institute a three-cycle training model: support to joint and Army special operations forces; intensive mission training; and support and recovery.1
Because it was created "out of hide," Company C obtained some of its equipment by rebuilding older communications systems acquired from a variety of sources. The signal Soldiers put all their ingenuity and skill into the refurbishing and upgrading of the equipment - and their efforts resulted in enhanced capabilities that played a key role in the Philippine operations.
Even though Company C stood ready to deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, a change of mission required that it follow the 1st SF Group to the Philippines, without the benefit of an established communications package. In conjunction with the 1st SF Group, the 112th held a planning conference at Fort Lewis, Wash., in early January 2002 to work out the details of the company's operations.2 Sergeant First Class James Sierra (pseudonym) represented the 112th. The communications-support portion of the joint special-operations task force, or JSOTF, of the Special Operations Command, Pacific, or SOCPAC, would be performed by the Joint Communications Support Element, or JCSE, based at Tampa, Fla. Company C rapidly put together a support package for augmenting the 1st SF Group's signal detachment and for ensuring communications throughout...