Hawaii Army Weekly:
KYOGAMISAKI, Japan — Signal Soldiers from the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, 78th Network Enterprise Center, and the 307th Expeditionary Signal Battalion enhanced the ability of the 14th Missile Defense Battery (MDB), 94th AAMDC, to communicate with its higher headquarters and transmit accurate missile defense data to meet its regional and homeland defense missions.
The Signaleers successfully transitioned the communication capabilities of the Kyogamisaki Communications Site (KCS) from the Pacific Land War Net into the Transportable Radar Communication Complex (TRCC) and Hardened Transportable Terminal (HTT).
The fielding of the TRCC/HTT required communications equipment to be moved from the current satellite communications shelter into the TRCC/HTT complex.
Personnel from the Army, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Missile Defense National Team-B, and local contractors had key roles in helping set up the operations of the TRCC/HTT.
The new satellite terminal and communications complex that was delivered and installed by the team provides a protected communications path for radar data critical to missile defense operations to meet theater requirements to be used directly in the defense of the continental U.S., explained Maj. Fred M. Hollingsworth, KCS deployment lead, MDA.
“Not only does this complex provide communications for a missile defense mission, it is significantly enhancing the 14th MDB’s network and voice capabilities,” Hollingsworth said. “This includes the introduction of a ‘voice over Internet protocol’ technology new to U.S. Army-Japan that will spread to all of the Army units supported out of Camp Zama.”
The 14th MDB provides the first line of defense against ballistic missile threats from belligerent actors in the Pacific region. As such, KCS must have redundancies in its communications suite to maintain continuous communication capabilities.
The 94th AAMDC communications directorate ensures there are alternate methods of communication available if the primary method fails. The 307th ESB provides satellite communications to KCS by working in teams and pulling 24-hour shifts to guarantee the site has continuous communications capabilities.
The remote location of KCS presented many challenges. Signal Soldiers from across the Pacific collectively invested numerous hours into the establishment of equipment and communications on site.
Chief Warrant Officer 1 Kevin Regan was in charge of the 78th NEC efforts to provide communications support during the establishment of KCS. His Soldiers were instrumental in getting the campus communications established at KCS in preparation for the TRCC/HTT.
“KCS has been a very exciting network to set up from the ground up. It has had its challenges, but it has also allowed us Signalers to develop new tactics, techniques and procedures in order to tie in a tactical level system with a strategic system with the support of our sister battalion 307th ESB. This ability will allow us to better support our customers around the Pacific region,” said Regan.
