Somewhere in Atropia there is a struggling battalion retransmission (RETRANS) crew. They are on the hills of Porta-Potty Wadi, or somewhere in the Tiefort Mountain Range. These soldiers have a critical task–to facilitate their unit’s communications. But either because they lack the training, the leadership, or the equipment, they often fall short. Signal trainers at NTC consistently observe units struggling to maintain long range push-to-talk communications. BCTs should consider using three events to properly train and certify their RETRANS crews.
Let’s revisit that RETRANS crew established on the hills of Porta-Potty Wadi. Prior to departure, the crew fails to conduct an analog or digital map reconnaissance of their route and drives to the wrong location. They take over an hour to erect a single OE-254 antenna, a task that TM 11-5985-357-13 states should take one person 15 minutes to set-up. After establishing two antennas, the Team Chief messages the Main Command Post (MCP). He reports that they are only able to retransmit one net on OE-254s. They failed to pack six antennas. They are unaware that they are in the wrong position due to lack of operational knowledge of their Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR) and Joint Battle Command-Platform (JBC-P). Furthermore, the battalion’s Very High Frequency (VHF) network begins to fail as the task force extends.
As the sun sets, the Team Chief realizes the crew will need to use night vision devices (NVD) to move to their correct location, a task in which they are not proficient. Due to the lack of training and equipment proficiency, the Team Chief chooses not to risk moving until sunrise without an escort. At night, the enemy identifies their site due to sky-lined vehicles and antennas. Additionally, all members of the crew are asleep rather than pulling security or observing through optics. Just before the battalion is set to attack, an enemy BMP-3 destroys the vehicle and crew. Lack of communications between the battalion’s MCP, Tactical Command Post, and forward elements contributes to a failed battalion attack.
RETRANS Crews are critical to communications and enabling Task Force Commanders’ command and control (C2). They are solely responsible for extending a unit’s line-of-sight VHF network. RETRANS Crews regularly deploy to the National Training Center (NTC) lacking proficiency in basic soldier field craft and MOS specific tasks. NTC Signal OC/Ts consistently identify RETRANs planning and execution as critical points of failure of the C2 War-fighting Function (WfF), contributing to lack of shared understanding and severe communications degradation across the BN and BCT.
Correct Placement. Example of a reverse slope RETRANs site (Photo by Master Sgt. Everardo Perez).
BCTs are required to execute RETRANS crew certification according to the Signal Assessment Tables in TC 6-02.1 using T&EO 11-CW-7017. They should consider using three key events as the RETRANs train-up to NTC. These events include a layout of all RETRANS equipment, setup of all the BCT’s RETRANS Crews side-by-side, and a FTX to verify equipment functionality and crew proficiency.
BCT, BN S6 sections, and the Signal company need to conduct equipment layouts. The layouts should be led by the BCT S6 section and supported by the Signal Company and all subordinate S6 sections. The layout should include items identified in both ATP 6-02.53 and GTA 11-02-001. The six to eight OE-254s and COM-201s are critical items in this layout. On the same day as the layouts, units should order their identified shortages to prepare for the future BCT RETRANS setup event. Units consistently fail to maintain spares, listed as COEI or BII, on hand.
The RETRANS setup event serves to establish a common standard for all BCT RETRANS crews. It is a simple exercise where every RETRANS crew in the BCT establishes all RETRANS sites side-by-side in a designated centralized area. After setup is complete, all crews evaluate each site noting recommendations and best practices. This creates a common understanding of minimum requirements across the BCT. Units can execute this event several times leading up to the RETRANS FTX and use it to certify Table III (TC 6-02.1).
The RETRANS FTX should be a 48-hour event where units focus on the tactical basics that many crews fail during an NTC rotation. FM 6-02, paragraph 4-15 lists planning factors and events that crews should train on at the RETRANS FTX. These include:
- jumping sites multiple times per day
- day/night mounted land navigation
- site selection
- generator operations and maintenance
- leveraging subject matter experts to train site security procedures
Crews should conduct a full site establishment with all six antennas and camouflage. Units should jump sites during both day and night conditions to get repetitions of driving and site establishment with NVDs under low-visibility conditions.
RETRANS crews are consistently a critical point of friction, undermining mission success and contributing to critical communications degradation at NTC. Task Force Commanders, XOs and S6s must develop training for signal soldiers like Infantry and Armor squads and platoons. With a strong foundation of crew training, these soldiers will provide a much-needed communications capability for commanders. Moreover, having a common RETRANS level of proficiency enables the BCT to employ the C2 architecture required to fight and win on the distributed battlefield.
Doctrinal References:
- FM 6-02
- TC 6-02.1
- ATP 6-02.53
- GTA 11-02-001
- TE&O 11-CW-7017
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