GRECIAN FIREBOLT 2001 STRIKES AT FT. DIX, NJ: Delaware National Guard

Sgt. Bruce Hibbs of the 259th Signal Company (TROPO) stationed at Harrington, Delaware, provides perimeter security for his unit while daily operations continue. (US Army photo by Sgt. Kyran V. Adams)

FORT DIX – Signal units across the globe worked furiously during the first days of the Army’s worldwide communications exercise, Grecian Firebolt ’01 (GF01), to install equipment, linking together all of the participating sites.

The 259^th Tropo Company, Harrington, Del., was no exception as they installed tropospheric scattering long-haul communications here at the Crusader Park site. However, unlike the other units participating in GF01, they continued setting their equipment up daily, as well as performing other combat related tasks.

This year’s annual training integrated a parallel Lane Training Exercise (LTX), evaluated by the Reserve Component (RC) Training Assessment Model (TAM). Lane Training develops, maintains, regains or enhances proficiency of a unit’s ability to conduct its wartime mission.

2^nd Lt. Monique Georges, executive officer, 259^th Tropo Company, Harrington, Del., develops sector sketches for sight defense during lanes training. The 259^th was performing a unit collective task called "Occupy an assembly area," an integral part of their Training Assessment Model (TAM) evaluation. (Photo by SSG Deborah Welch.)
Three elements always help predict how well their mission will be accomplished: distance, terrain and weather, according to 2^nd Lt. Monique Georges, executive officer.

However, a fourth factor worked to the 259^th’s advantage during their TAM. Unit cohesion and teamwork allowed the 259^th to rise to the challenge.

"Our unit is really close knit and everyone’s heart is in this mission," Capt. James Benson 259^th Company Commander. Soldiers on Track 179 V3 of the unit exemplify that oneness, he said.

Sgts. 1^st Class Robert Porter and Stanley Johnson, who work together, came into the Delaware National Guard from the Navy as staff sergeants. A large number of soldiers came to the 259^th when the Naval Reserve center closed. Leaving quite a few experienced non-commissioned officers(NCOs) looking for a new home, the surplus of experienced Navy NCOs provided a training opportunity for the 259th and the ex-sailors.

Sgt. Edwin Luhrman and Sergeant 1st Class Robert Porter of the 259th Signal Company (TROPO) remove a satellite dish before setting up communications operations at Crusader Park using the Transpheric Scattering Long Haul Line of Sight Communications System. (US Army photo by Sgt. Kyran V. Adams)
Although Porter, Johnson and others came with years of experience, leadership and technical skills, the Army’s courses are very different from the Navy Reserve. Each transfer soldier had to attend numerous Army schools before securing their new jobs with the Delaware Army National Guard.

Many of the former Naval Reserve NCOs attended their respective Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) schools, the Primary Leadership Development Course (PLDC) and the Basic NCO Course (BNCOC) together.

"A majority of our NCO’s and 31Rs (operators) came to us from the Navy Reserve with lots of experience and were willing to go through all the Army training, too. That has very positively affected our effectiveness as a unit," said Porter, platoon sergeant and transmissions systems chief, who joined the Army National Guard after 13 years experience in the active Navy as a nuclear-trained machinists mate.

"I’ve been in the Army three years as of July, and we’ve already done all of this training together," Porter said. Porter trained together with Sgt. 1^st Class Stanley Johnson, also a platoon sergeant and transmissions systems chief, during ANCOC, which solidified their friendship and camaraderie. Johnson has an engineering and mechanical background and was formerly a machinist’s mate in the Navy.

However, platoon sergeants are not the only soldiers who have had the opportunity to form such a strong backbone of camaraderie.

"Since the unit is fairly new, everyone needed to have M.O.S. qualification, so a large group of soldiers went to school together," said Porter. Unique training opportunities such as these have been common throughout the 259^th’s short history, bringing everyone together into a very close-knit unit.

"Their positive attitude is contagious, which has led to a hard working group of soldiers who are really enjoying their mission and conducting some great Lanes Training," said Georges.