Black Knights keep Striker Communications Running

3rd BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WAR EAGLE, Iraq - "Whether it's radio communications, picking up a phone or using a computer, it all goes through us," said 1st Lt. Charles Feher, a native of Berwyn, Pa. From high tech satellites to a Soldier laying cable by hand Company B, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad directly or indirectly provides communications for 13 different locations throughout the Striker Brigade's operational environment.

"From satellite links to line of sight communications," said Feher, executive officer of Co. B, 3rd STB. The majority of the communications are line of sight, due to a lack of satellite dishes. Once the satellite dishes and antennas are set up a series of computers and other electronic hardware handle most of the work, but Soldiers are still in the mix. "We run our own cable to all our subscribers," Sgt. Jose Lozoya, a native of Odessa, Texas, who is serving as the Joint Network Node 69 section sergeant, Co. B, 3rd STB.

Sgt. Jose Lozoya, a native of Odessa, Texas, who serves as the Joint Network Node 69 section sergeant, Company B, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad, monitors the communications system at Forward Operating Base War Eagle in northern Baghdad Sept. 4. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jerry Saslav, 3rd BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B)

For the wires that connect each computer and telephone to the network, Soldiers from Co. B laid each wire by hand. "We go through hundreds of spools of wire to do this. Every time there is a network change, we have to rewire the entire thing," said Feher. The 'Black Knights' also provide maintenance and all troubleshooting needs for all the systems on the network. "If anything goes down, it comes back to us," said Feher.

Occasionally, the system does go down. Atmospheric conditions can disrupt communications as well as unknown reasons, which Feher refers to as phantoms.

"Line of sight (communications) is two, high-powered antennas facing each other, if something cuts in between it like a helicopter, it goes down," said Feher. One day a general was visiting all the combat outposts and forward operating bases that Co. B provides communications for. As the general's helicopter flew between the antennas he disrupted the communications.

Spc. Larry Love, a Shreveport, La., native, conducts a maintenance check on the Joint Network Node 69 dish at Forward Operating Base War Eagle in northern Baghdad Sept. 5. Love is a transmitter operator with Company B, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jerry Saslav, 3rd BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B)

When the helicopter was no longer between the antennas, communications resumed. The Black Knights needed to find out why communications went down. "If you can't figure it out, then you could lose communications indefinitely and in a very mobile battlefield that is not acceptable," said Feher. "We provide pretty much the only links for large data transmission, you can only say so much over the radio." Iraq's environment is also a factor. The heat can cause the systems to shut down, so air conditioners keep the equipment cool.

Dust is also a factor. The Soldiers must clean the equipment regularly to keep the tiny particles from clogging the system. When the system goes down, Soldiers begin a troubleshoot process to get the system running again. "You double check everything you've got," said Feher. "Is the antenna set up correctly, is the wire good? You test all your wires; you test all your cables.

When you have dozens and dozens of routing switches and encryption devices that you have to go through, it takes quite a long time. If the hardware is working, then all the software is checked." When all the systems are running properly, Lozoya and others monitor the system. "It should stay working properly. That should is a kicker," said Feher. "That never happens, there's always something."

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