SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras –
Several members of Joint Task Force-Bravo received training on the operation of critical communication equipment during a communication exercise (COMMEX) conducted here, Jan. 6-7, 2014.
"The purpose of the exercise was really two-fold," said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Joseph Ramaglia, a communications officer assigned to Joint Task Force-Bravo. "First, we are able to bring up all our equipment and test our communication capabilities on the installation to ensure we are prepared for any operations in the future. The second part was to train communications personnel within each of the MSCs on the functionality of the equipment to ensure they are prepared for future operations as well."
Throughout the exercise, service members received training and familiarization on the operation of the AN/PRC-148 radio, the AN/PRC 152 radio, Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) system, Land Mobile Radio System (LMR) and Iridium satellite phones.
According to Ramaglia, this type of training is critical for members of the Task Force.
"Everyone on this installation is going to utilize some form of communication equipment at some point during their tour here," said Ramaglia. "It's beneficial for us to ensure we have service members trained and that they are ready to operate and use this equipment when it's required, whether that be during an exercise or in a real-world scenario."