MCA C4 Awards Dinner 2011

MCA invites you to celebrate the work of the LtCol Kevin M. Shea Memorial Unit Award winner, the General Alfred M. Gray Trophy winner, the three PFC Herbert Littleton Trophy winners and the winner of the James Hamilton Information Technology Management Civilian Marine Award. MCA is the host of the event in coordination with HQMC.

2010 C4 Awards Recipients Biographies

CAPTAIN DAVID A. VALENTINO
Recipient of the 2010 General Alfred M. Gray Trophy for Outstanding
Communications Leadership

Captain Valentino received his commission after graduating from Fairfield University, in Connecticut in 2000.  He completed Communications Information Systems Officer Course in 2001.  Serving as the Communications Platoon Commander and the Operations and Executive Officer for Support Company within Marine Special Operations Support Group (MSOSG), his leadership and dedication significantly improved communications capabilities within Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC).

During 2010, Captain Valentino stood up the MSOSG S-6 office providing support to training exercises and the Regiment’s operational deployments. He developed a series of courses designed to take any communications Marine and train them on all the various communications and networking equipment resident in MARSOC. These courses are now being formalized with Training and Education Command. He also developed a procedure to design, build, and equip Enterprise Support Teams and Communications Support Teams.

Captain Valentino’s personal awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (3), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2) with Combat Distinguishing Device, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Iraqi Campaign Medal (2), the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Medal, and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (2).

MR. WILLIAM E. LUTZ
Recipient of the 2010 James Hamilton Information Technology Management
Civilian Marine of the Year Award

Mr. William E. Lutz began his Marine Corps career under the delayed entry program in 1983, at age 17. Following completion of Recruit Training at MCRD Parris Island, he was assigned to the Communications Center Operators course in Twenty-nine Palms, California where he was promoted to Private First Class. After attaining his 2542 Primary Specialty he was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines where he was promoted to Lance Corporal and completed a tour in Okinawa. Reassigned to the 5th Marine Regiment, he served as the Classified Material Control Center (CMCC) Clerk and was meritoriously promoted to Cpl.
           
From 1988 through 1991, Corporal Lutz was assigned to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, where he was promoted to Sergeant. He was then assigned to 12th Marines, Okinawa, Japan. After 3 months, he was transferred to 3rd Marine Division, Camp Courtney, Japan. In February 1992, he was assigned to MCRD San Diego as the Message Center Chief.

From 1994 through 1996, he served as a Drill Instructor (DI) assigned to 2nd Bn, Echo Co and participated in the training and graduation of 7 recruit platoons and was promoted to Staff Sergeant. In September 1996, SSgt Lutz was assigned to Marine Wing Communication Squadron-38, 3rd Marine Air Wing, El Toro, California. He was promoted to Gunnery Sergeant in 1998 after being transferred to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS), Miramar, California.

While assigned to MCAS, Miramar, GySgt Lutz became an Official Plank Owner for participating in the transition of Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS), Miramar. After completing Communication Operations Chief course, he served as an Assistant Operations Control Center Chief/ Top Secret Control Chief at Bravo Company, MWCS-38, 3rd MAW. He was responsible for maintaining a 24-hour operation center and transitioned the Automatic Digital Network (AUTODIN) to the Defense Message System (DMS) during the Base Realignment and Closure move.

In 2001, GySgt Lutz was assigned to Camp Fuji, Japan, working as a Communications Officer and Information Systems Coordinator responsible for the overall base communications, including all ADP equipment and network connectivity up to the commercial off base switch. He also managed all radio assets and radio frequencies utilized. During this period, he provided support to the Marine Corps Community Service (MCCS) and the Army and Air Force Exchange (AAFES) Service with connectivity and assets to the command.

In 2002, he was assigned as the Communication Chief for 1st Combat Element Battalion where he was responsible for the inventory of over $10 million dollars in assets and supervised a section of over 30 Marines. He deployed to the Persian Gulf in January 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Upon returning he was assigned to the 1st Marine Division G6 where he served as the NMCI Transition Team Chief. During this period, he worked to transition the government network to Navy/Marine Corps Intranet handling items such as legacy applications, Preliminary Site Questionnaires, deployable support, C2 Systems, and MARS.

GySgt Lutz’s Marine Corps retirement occurred on 16 April 2004 at Camp Pendleton, California. His personal decorations include (1) Navy Commendation Medal,(3) Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, (6) Good Conduct Medals, (2) National Defense Medals, the Korean Defense Service Medal, and the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

Mr. Lutz continued to positively impact the Marine Corps as he began his career as a Systems Engineer assisting the Marine Corps transition to NMCI in support of I Marine Expeditionary Force, Force Service Support Group, and Marine Corps Air Station and also assisted in the integration of the Marine Corps Enterprise Network (MCEN) and NMCI-ISF in the transition of legacy servers; LADRA testing and approval process; network architecture to include diagrams and NMCI build outs.

In October 2004, Mr. Lutz began working as the Command Information Officer (CIO) for Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton, California. While there, he completed the C4I Planners Course (ADV COMMO) and completed the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer training course. He currently holds certifications in Certified information System security (CISSP), Security +, ITIL level III, Telecommunication Program Management. In addition to the CIO billet, he is simultaneously filling 8 key billets, Knowledge Management Officer (Information Officer), Contract technical representative (CTR), Telephone Control Officer (TCO), Automated Data Processing Security Manager, Website Master (Webmaster), Wireless Device Coordinator, Service Request Manager and Information Assurance Manager (IAM) for Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton, California.

GUNNERY SERGEANT AARON L. MOORE
Recipient of the 2010 PFC Herbert A. Littleton Staff Noncommissioned Officer
Trophy for the Operational Communications Excellence

Gunnery Sergeant Aaron L. Moore enlisted in the Marine Corps December of 1994 and attended recruit training at MCRD San Diego.  Upon graduation from Marine Combat Training he attended the Communication Center Operators Course at Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School, MCAGCC 29 Palms, CA and was then assigned to HQSVCBN, Camp Butler, Okinawa, as a Communication Center Operator.  In July 1996 he was reassigned to Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, Bridgeport, CA where he also served as a Communication Center Operator.   

In March 1999, he was transferred to Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, MCAS Iwakuni and was assigned to Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron for the Fleet Assistance Program as a Communication Center Operator.  During his tour there he aided in the installation of the Defense Message System (DMS) and, for his efforts,  received the Defense Information Systems Agency DMS System Administrator of the Year Award.

Returning to CONUS in February of 2002, GySgt Moore was assigned to Marine Wing Communications Squadron-38, MCAS Miramar, CA as a Data Network Chief and deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

From 2005 - 2008, he was assigned as the Area Control Center SNCOIC for MCBH, Kaneohe Bay, HI and also held the billet of EKMS Manager.

 In July of 2008, he transferred to his current unit, 9th Communication Battalion, Camp Pendleton and in January 2010 deployed as the Battalion Data Chief for 9th Communication Battalion (Forward) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom 10-1.  On arrival in Afghanistan he was tasked to move all data equipment and services from the Tactical Technical Control Facility into the new Commercial Technical Control Facility. He quickly developed a plan with the Data Officer to move all gear and services with minimal downtime to users aboard Camp Leatherneck.  GySgt Moore was instrumental in the expansion of the CENTRIX-I network and the virtualization of the server farm supporting the transition of I MEF (Forward) to Regional Command (Southwest) and command and control of coalition forces. GySgt Moore developed an improvement to the monthly re-filling of cryptographic keying material, which eliminated the typical service outage and allowed remote sites to maintain reliable data services. He also provided remote assistance to data Marines at major subordinate commands such as correcting system server conflicts. His ongoing efforts directly led to the increase of technical skill throughout 9th Comm Battalion (Fwd).

GySgt Moore’s personal awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (3), the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal (5), the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (5), the Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon, and the NATO Medal.

STAFF SERGEANT JARED M. CHRISTENSEN
Recipient of the 2010 PFC Herbert A. Littleton Noncommissioned Officer
Trophy for the Operational Communications Excellence

Staff Sergeant Christensen completed Recruit Training in 2001 after graduating from Central High School of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

 As a Sergeant throughout 2010, he served as the Data Chief for 1st Marine Division (Forward) G6, Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, which is normally a senior-staff NCO billet. He enabled realistic pre-deployment training for the 1st MARDIV staff and major subordinate commands on a like-deployed data environment, and provided insight on configuration and connectivity challenges. Once deployed, Sgt Christensen directly supervised the installation of the COC for initial operations prior to use of permanent structures, including the addition of the CENTRIX-ISAF network.  His efforts established the baseline for 1st Marine Division (Forward) units and set the standard for the incoming MEF (Fwd).  Sgt Christensen then established the Division’s Network Help Desk.  He coordinated schedules and training so that six Marines successfully provided 24-hour coverage to the Division. On redeployment of the Division Network Operations Security Officer, Sgt Christensen assumed those tasks.  In this CWO billet, he coordinated multiple IP links over satellite and terrestrial communications networks increasing the available bandwidth to the Division’s major subordinate commands, and he led network security efforts and policy implementation across the Division.  As Data Chief, Sgt Christensen oversaw compliance with over 100,000 DISA Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIG).

SSgt Christensen’s personal awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Good Conduct Medal (3), the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (5), and the NATO Medal.

SERGEANT WESLEY H. BLAKE
Recipient of the 2010 PFC Herbert A. Littleton Noncommissioned Officer Trophy for Electronics Maintenance Excellence

Sergeant Blake graduated from Cypress Falls High School in Houston, Texas, in 1999 and completed Recruit Training in 2007.

While serving as an AN/TRC-170 Technician with Service Company of 8th Communication Battalion, Sgt Blake wrote test programs and scripts, created an installer program to support those, performed software uploads throughout II MEF, developed loading and testing procedures, instructed Marines on those procedures, and documented numerous errors and previously undocumented functions on the 3515N radio test set. His efforts saved the Marine Corps hundreds of thousands of dollars, and enabled significant ongoing time- savings to Marines across the Corps. Sgt Blake worked with Test Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment (TMDE) personnel to ensure his scripts met or exceeded all requirements to test the radios. He also coordinated with Marine Corps Systems Command in the development of a Technical Instruction Manual authorizing use of his programs on all 3515N machines. His programs are now the standard method for organizational level maintenance personnel to test the radios throughout the Corps. Software-based radios within the Marine Corps supported by this test equipment include the AN/PRC-152, AN/PRC-117, AN/VRC-103, and the AN/PRC-150.  His efforts have also benefited the Army. Tobyhanna Army Depot requested the programs developed by Sergeant Blake and they can now be downloaded on the forge.mil website for use in any of the several thousand Army 3515Ns.

Sergeant Blake’s personal awards include the Navy Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Copernicus Award.

26 MEU S-6 COMMUNICATIONS SECTION
Recipient of the 2010 Lieutenant Colonel Kevin M. Shea Memorial Unit Award The team began the year with a communications proof of concept for afloat voice over internet protocol, and command and control support from a non-military sea-base. The fly-away kits developed are now the standard for communications support to vessels recovered after pirate attacks. They also successfully coordinated use of ports and protocols at the DON-level to bridge unified communications in the area of Voice over Secure Internet Protocol. The MEU deployed a month early in response to a humanitarian crisis in Pakistan; during transit the S-6 established the MEU network across the ships even while two were undergoing upgrades and modifications. They also set-up and operated multiple land-based sites including Djibouti, Pakistan, Kenya, and Jordan supporting a variety of exercises, two disaster relief operations, and combat and combat support operations. They worked with a wide range of equipment including lofted communications balloons. At Camp Lemonnier, the S-6 team initiated a fiber optic extension project and the designation of a MEU Support Area. Their master reference, depicting key flows, points of contact, and local operating procedures will facilitate other units entering and exiting the Camp. The MEU S-6 coordinated the use of new equipment integrated into the overall MEU network plan, and trained other MEU Marines who then used the new gear in Afghanistan. They also enabled adoption of improved rechargeable batteries and solar re-chargers which saved approximately $100,000 in battery costs during the first third of their deployment and reduced the weight carried by half.

26th Marine Expeditionary Unit Communications Section History

- Temporarily activated as the 26th Marine Amphibious Unit at various times during the early 1980s to participate in exercises and operations in the Caribbean, North Atlantic, and Central American areas

- Activated 1 July 1985 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, as a permanent headquarters

- Participated in Operation El Dorado Canyon, Libya, March â April 1986

- Re-designated 5 February 1988 as 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit

- Participated in Operation Sharp Edge, Liberia, December 1990 â January 1991

- Participated in operations in the Adriatic Sea, October 1992 â August 1994

- Participated in operations in Somalia, June â July 1994

- Participated in multiple operations in the Balkan Peninsula, December 1996, March â May 1997, June 1998, and April â July 1999.

- Participated in Operation Avid Response, Turkey, August â September 1999.

- Participated in Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan, November 2001 â February 2002

- Participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq, April â May 2003

- Participated in Humanitarian Operations in Liberia, August â September 2003

- Participated in Operation Sea Horse, Iraq, supporting British-led Multi-National Division Southeast, July-August 2005

- Participated in Humanitarian Operations in Indiana, June 2008

- Participated in Operation Copper Dune in the CENTCOM AOR, September- December 2010

- Participated in Operation Razor II in the AFRICOM AOR, October 2010

- Participated in Counter-Piracy Operations in the Gulf of Aden September-October 2010

- Participated in Humanitarian Assistance / Disaster Recovery Operations in Pakistan, August â November 2010

- Participated in Operation Enduring Freedom, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, December 2010

Summary of Unit Performance and Accomplishments
Individual Marines remain the foundation of any unit.  The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) S-6 is based on a core of six Marines whose goal is to forge a force of responsive and scalable, forward-deployed and forward-engaged command and control enablers.  Alert and ready to support the combined arms team, other services, allies and interagency partners, our goal is to enable command and control through a comprehensive communications network encompassing air, land and naval forces moving forward from the sea base.

All achievements during the calendar year 2010 stem from that initial team, gradually augmented with people and units from across the MEF and welded into a MAGTF through the crucible of the Pre-deployment Training Program (PTP).  Initially focused on EXERCISE SEA VISION, our year began with the unique challenge of proving the Department of the Navy’s (DON) sea-basing concept, where our ability to command and control from a non-military sea-base was established over non-traditional means and was the genesis for a fly away kit of communications components to augment the resources of the Maritime Prepositioning Force that would ultimately become the standard for communications support to vessels recovered after pirate attacks.

Interrupted by the news that Haiti had been struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake affecting three million people, the MEU communicators shifted their activities to providing planning support for the II MEF Global Response Force (GRF) as it was spun up to support OPERATION UNIFIED RESPONSE (OUR) in Haiti.  Comprehensive waterfront assessments were conducted in Little Creek Amphibious Base and Norfolk Naval Base to coordinate the subsequent realignment of virtually all East Coast naval amphibious shipping for deployment in support of OUR.

These efforts gave way to the rigors of pre-deployment exercises punctuated with the occasional hiccup of Navy and Marine Corp service policy misalignment in the logical and physical architecture of afloat networks.  Despite this, the MEU S-6 cited numerous recent examples from OUR and made the USMC case for access to Internet-Based Capabilities (IBC) with local control reserved to the force commanders.  Also in the policy sphere, MEU S-6âs coordination of ports and protocols at the DON-level to bridge unified communications in the area of Voice over Secure Internet Protocol (VOSIP) resulted in an exception to naval policy.  This policy has since been converted into standard operating procedures applied across every Network Operations Center in the Navy.  For the first time, Marines can call VOSIP unimpeded by policy from any ship of the fleet, to all land stations.

Real world events overtook operations as the MEU deployed a month early to respond to a humanitarian crisis in Pakistan, dispatching an advanced party aviation component equipped for C2.  This challenged the S-6 to establish a comprehensive command and control network with two ships, the USS Carter Hall and the USS Ponce still in the midst of server upgrades and major network modifications, and a third ship being realigned to provide support for national tasking missions.  Constructing C2 capabilities from scratch while simultaneously repairing ship-based communications deficiencies and restructuring misguided upgrades divergent from Marine Corps requirements, the MEU S-6 Marines smoothly joined these elements into one seamless whole on three separate naval platforms and logically harmonized with an EOIP-configured Joint Task Force Enabler (JTFE) during the transit across the Atlantic.

The MEU S-6 proceeded to support the build-up and deployment of an expeditionary force-in-readiness operating across three combatant commands while concurrently addressing command control challenges inherent to a humanitarian crisis in Pakistan, provide warfighter support in Afghanistan, meeting theater security cooperation objectives, and addressing national tasking requirements in the Africa Command (AFRICOM), Central Command (CENTCOM) and European Command (EUCOM) Area of Operations (AO).  This set the tone of our deployment, matching the pace and rhythm of their training cycle.

26 MEU served as the lead communications unit in the development, fielding, employment and deployment of the Marine Corps first operational expeditionary Everything over Internet Protocol (EOIP) network.  Partnered with the joint community, the MEU S-6 Communicators pioneered an operational test and evaluation between Camp Lejeune, NC; Scott Air Force Base, IL; Northwest Field, Chesapeake, VA and the USS Kearsarge in the western Atlantic Ocean.  26 MEU's demonstrated technical expertise amalgamating telephone calls, television signals, fax transmission, computer data and video streams into one telecommunications matrix was cited by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) CONUS, Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) and the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) as the key contributing factor to the successful resolution of systems integration challenges bridging EOIP and traditional multiplexed/switched networks in the tactical environment.

Extending this test to the waterfront, 26 MEU arranged an EoIP Proof of Concept exercise that linked units at sea, in the field, in garrison and in the joint community.  The successful extension of logical networks linking mobile Marine and Naval assets over an IP infrastructure was a first for the Department of Defense.  26 MEU's work heralds the transition from a ceiling-based concept with governing maximums, to a dynamic and scalable EOIP networks that operate with a minimum floor of increasing capabilities.  This allows us to support double the number of users on a footprint 15% smaller and using 10% less electrical power.  These advantages were so significant they were immediately applied to the IIMEF deployed architecture and adopted as the new standard for Marine Expeditionary Units.

A crucial success, this feat is being duplicated from comprehensive notes transmitted through MCSC and the MARFORs.  The savings in network development time alone on an LHD-class ship is on the order of 1/8 the time spent on setup and maintenance of a traditional, non-virtualized network.  The groundwork has been laid for employment of this concept on East and West Coast amphibious shipping, 13th MEU on USS Boxer and 22nd MEU on USS Bataan, to support MEUs training in calendar year 2010 for deployment in 2011.

The S-6 Marines pursued the efficient restructuring of the Landing Force network on the first GIG-E network upgrade on the East Coast for USS Kearsarge.  These Marines also identified and incorporated USMC requirements into the DON Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES), a key task that advanced the application integration process serving both Navy and Marines.  26 MEUs architecture recommendations are now the standard for amphibious deployed units and have already been applied to 13th and 22nd MEUs amphibious platforms and influenced the pre-deployment configuration planning for 11th MEU and 24th MEU.  This vital work was also the subject of a Headquarters Marine Corps C4 point paper citing critical improvements desired by the Marine Corps, targeting key components for upgrade and establishing the blue/green standard for all future GIG-E installations.

The requirement for direct links with forces forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan drove the Communications section to initiate and perform a technical review to validate the secure voice requirement supporting deployment and pre-deployment training.  This resulted in approval #FY10I0302 to modify the IT-21 firewall and provide access to VOSIP services in the amphibious fleet.  26 MEU drafted, tested, proposed and implemented the DON standard for the inclusion of Voice over Secure Internet Protocol (VOSIP) thus immediately and dramatically improving coordination and support by US Naval shipping and Marine Air assets to Operation Enduring Freedom and numerous other named operations and exercises.

Taking a leading role, the 26 MEU S-6 worked with NAVCYBERFOR and Fleet Forces Command to develop a successful approach to the joint USN/USMC coordinated justification to utilize Internet-Based Capabilities across all naval shipping platforms.  This resulted in NAVMSG 241840Z Sep 10 from COMFLTCYBERCOM establishing DON policy and approving access to social media and open source intelligence that proved important to the relief effort in Pakistan, bearing on the targeted delivery of more than 3.1 million pounds of supplies and facilitating the smart deployment of Marine Corps aviation assets.  Inestimable additional data points were accumulated as the MEU provided support to the Office of the Defense Representative in Pakistan (ODRP) and we capitalized on the lessons learned from Haiti.

The deployed communications network grew to its greatest extent under 26 MEU, including the use of multispectral radios and lofted communications suites.  The key to the 26 MEU Communicator’s approach has not been to induce expensive changes in existing equipment but rather to use the equipment in novel ways to achieve a greater effect.  Utilizing modern waveforms such as the Harris High Performance Waveform (HPW) and Satellite TDMA Capability (STC), the MEU S-6 Marines have been able to leverage on-hand technologies and configure more prominent roles for them in the MEU communications architecture.  This ultimately allowed even the most remote Forward Observation Base access to a data and voice capability on one set of equipment.  The savings in time, improved accuracy of reports gathered and general increases in efficiencies are incalculable and are all the result of sound planning, an excellent and well-implemented training plan, and good stewardship of service assets.

The use of high-altitude UHF retransmission balloons to support over-the-horizon reach-back is another indicator of the industrious nature of the 26 MEU S-6 Marines.  Coupled with the range of the MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft, the employment of lofted communications suites allows the commander to extend robust, redundant and reliable communication links over large expanses of unimproved terrain.  This technology has demonstrated its great potential for humanitarian assistance and operations other than war.  It has been employed by the MEU to support national tasking in the CENTCOM AOR and has been forward deployed into Afghanistan to directly support operations in Helmand province.  Critical to the Helmand work was the modification of lofted communications technology to work using a tethered variant that improved access to compartmentalized terrain, mitigating the affects of blind spots and dead zones during combat operations.  Emphasizing our collective responsibility to invest wisely and spend parsimoniously, the MEU S-6 development of a tethered variant provides the commander the ability to add scalability to his range, recover the payload for re-use, and increase the overall benefit to the service.

26 MEU S-6 spearheaded a dramatic reduction of the equipment and support footprint involved with field radio communications afoot.  Through the use of green technologies, a significant cost-savings was brought about by fully capitalizing on the Soldier Power initiative.  The MEU S-6 pushed for the adoption of longer-lived rechargeable batteries (BA-2590 batteries vs. traditional BA-5590 batteries) and Solar Portable Alternative Communications Energy Systems (SPACES).  Utilizing them in exercises and operations has seen the command save approximately $100,000 in battery costs through a net reduction in the consumption of more than 1400 batteries within the first third of the deployment.  There is a more practical savings in weight, as well.  Marines can now carry a kit of 6 rechargeable batteries and a solar charger that weigh under 20 lbs.  Prior to this advancement, the same Marine had to carry 63 lbs of batteries.  The impact to the MEU reconnaissance effort in particular is significant â ensuring greater sustainment over time by replacing a percentage of the weight in batteries with other enablers or requirements.

This representative sample of the performance and accomplishments of the MEU S-6 did not take place in a vacuum.  The communications community is well-connected among itself and there are few original ideas that were not enhanced by the comments and critiques of others.  Strewn across multiple venues, the MEU S-6 is deployed in Afghanistan, forward staged in Djibouti, well-established in Kuwait, and situated to support Non-combatant Evacuation Operations from multiple vessels at sea.  Always ready and motivated to contribute to the main effort, this does not preclude their support for planning three steps ahead, recovering lessons learned and applying them to the status quo, and disseminating best practices to raise overall awareness

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