Fort unit's big job getting new systems to soldiers

Sierra Vista Herald, Sierra Vista Arizona ^ | Sep 14, 2005 | Bill Hess

[SandRat]

FORT HUACHUCA - It's a small unit with a big job.

That's what an Army colonel said about the Intelligence Electronic Warfare Test Directorate.

As the war on terrorism continues, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan, soldiers are being provided new systems, some of which have not been through he normal vetting process prior to being sent to the field.

That is when the directorate's soldiers and civilians are called upon to team with others from the Operational Test Command to deploy and evaluate how well equipment is doing in actual field environments.

"We do operational testing of all intelligence-related systems that the Army is buying or testing," said Col. Michael Boardman, the organization's director.

While much of the activities happen on the Arizona post, some of the 120 people assigned to the directorate need to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq to check out equipment that has been sent directly to those two countries for immediate use, he said.

Capt. Christopher Lambert and Sgt. 1st Class Craig Muerer recently returned from a six-month deployment as part of a larger team from the unit's command consisting of experts in a number of other systems the Army has sent overseas. Three members of the directorate are deployed as part of another team.

Lambert said having teams in the deployed areas allows for data sharing, which can help Army officials decide if a new piece of equipment is good or not.

Muerer said the ones who help people such as him and the captain "are the soldiers who are using the equipment."

Boardman said the circumstances facing today's Army requires getting systems into a combat area quickly.

The rapid equipment fielding program is not meant to bypass stringent testing and acceptance of equipment, he added.

In today's environment, the rapidly changing technology, available through off-the-shelf purchases or by the Army dictating requirements, means sending systems immediately to where soldiers are involved before a complete evaluation is done, Boardman said.

When he was the senior intelligence officer in Afghanistan, he said many of the systems now being sent to that country and Iraq would have been useful.

But there still was the old way of accepting and fielding new technologies, which took time, the colonel said.

In many cases, American companies understand the military needs and are able to develop items fast, having them ready for use with the Army agreeing to field test them, he said.

Having the ability to use newer technology is one way the Army is being proactive when it comes to sending equipment to the fighting soldiers, Boardman said.

However, the Army cannot allow systems to remain in an area if the equipment doesn't work or provide an advantage, he remarked.

In many cases, the items are shipped to Iraq and Afghanistan to soldiers who have little experience with the systems, but because of their technological prowess, they are fast learners and adapters, Boardman said.

Muerer said some of the questions asked of soldiers are what kind of training did they receive and if a piece of equipment seems to have the capability to do what a manufacturer touts.

He and the other inspectors also are learning at the same time, usually only having a brief information sheet about a piece of equipment.

The soldier-user and a command structure must be satisfied.

Lambert said he talked with a senior noncommissioned officer who was not convinced a piece of equipment would be good for his unit.

"The first sergeant said until its worth was proven, it would not leave the Conex (shipping container)," the captain said.

The team members' objective is to make sure that a private to major general has the best equipment. Muerer added that the mission of people like those who are part of IEWTD is to go to the theater of operations and obtain critical information.

"We get the proper data to make the difference," he said.

He, Lambert and other team members do not hover over soldiers, watching every move they make in using a new system.

They also try not to impinge on a soldier's free time in questioning an individual about what is good or bad about a system. Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have more than full days and the time has to be right to gather information, both men said.

Lambert said gathering the right information from a soldier who may have been on a three-day patrol and has six hours of rest has to be done at the right time when the GI can provide the information with a clear mind.

Boardman said the reports that come back are clear and concise, "not shoddy off the cuff reports."

It is the expertise of those who work at IEWTD that make sure the reports are precise, the colonel added.

Muerer, whose background is in unmanned aerial systems, as the unmanned aerial vehicle program is now being called in the military, and Lambert a former military intelligence company commander, have the background needed to understand the growing technology in the Army's warfighter inventory.

With IEWTD, Lambert is a test officer and Muerer is a research, development, test and evaluation noncommissioned officer.

Boardman said that while testing new systems in Iraq and Afghanistan is the most important job, IEWTD and other Operational Test Command functions have a worldwide mission to take teams to many nations and all over the United States.

What testers find out is that soldiers, those who work on a daily basis with systems, are honest about whether the equipment is good or not, the colonel said.

And in many cases they make a system not only work better but find other things a piece of equipment can be used for, the colonel said.

When Boardman was Fort Huachuca's garrison commander a few years ago, he didn't know that much about IEWTD's mission. But as its director, he said the work people such as Lambert and Muerer do cannot be understated.

As for the directorate's mission of ensuring what the Army is using, the testers of IEWTD are doing the job of providing information whether a new system or piece of equipment is valuable.

And sending new technology to the field so soldiers can use it is a good way to determine the value of a system.

"As the Army looks at new systems it is better to (rapidly) get them into the soldiers' hands to tweak them," Boardman said.