5TH SIGNAL COMMAND PLAYS LEADING
ROLE IN TRANSFORMATION OF U.S. ARMY, EUROPE.
In serving the world’s most powerful Army, which is driven by intelligence and technological savvy, change is the only constant. U.S. Army, Europe, is undergoing the most comprehensive and aggressive transformation undertaken since World War II, and 5th Signal Command is leading the process in this critical and crucial period.
“We needed to be in front of the change process,” said Brigadier General Dennis L. Via, commanding general, 5th Signal Command. “The communication infrastructure must be in place before USAREUR moves, and we have had to build systems that implement new Army Knowledge Management goals while continuing to support the global war on terror and our current customers.”
The restructuring of signal forces in Europe is a key component in the Army’s campaign to implement Network Centric Warfare and Army Knowledge Management Goal 3, the Integrated Global Presence and Basing Strategy, and USAREUR Global Rebasing and Restructuring initiatives, as well as a constantly increasing demand for seamless information flow to combatant commanders.
While USAREUR designs the future of the Army’s presence across the footprint, which includes Europe and Northern Africa, its communication arm is taking the lead in ensuring the most efficient and effective network operations are in place to meet forthcoming needs of its customers. Simultaneously, 5th Signal Command must continue to realign and restructure in sync with U.S. European Command end-state mission requirements.
Throughout the transformation, 5th Signal must also remain poised and ready to quickly support all USAREUR mission requirements, contingencies and commitments.
PROCESSING CENTER SOLUTION
Following guidelines outlined by the Department of the Army and Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM), a centralized system is replacing the decentralized Network Service Center (NSC) model in the 2nd Signal Brigade. Current NSCs are being restructured into four new regional operations centers (ROC), which will be supplemented by multiple smaller operations centers.
Simultaneously, systems administration functions are currently being organized into Local Processing Centers and Area Processing Centers. LPC/APCs are server consolidation facilities for file storage, e-mail accounts and Internet access. The centers increase network security, bandwidth, reliability and efficiency of services provided, while supporting information sharing and collaboration in a protected environment. APCs also provide continuity of operations and disaster recovery of all data stored in either an APC or LPC.
In order to enable this transformation, the issue of bandwidth needed to be addressed. The Installation Information Infrastructure Modernization Plan (I3MP) is an ongoing process to upgrade the theater infrastructure and ensure that information is capable of traversing networks to reach centralized systems. Servers can be physically further away from users while increasing security and speed capabilities. All major enduring installations in theater have been upgraded.
“The APCs and LPCs, along with infrastructure improvements, ensure that the customers’ information is safely stored, managed and backed-up in four centralized facilities,” said Via. “The new system provides disaster recovery and continuity of operations capabilities that simply did not exist in the decentralized system.”
Although the number of employees required in systems administration will decline, services will not be compromised. Because of emerging sensor technologies incorporated into the LPC/APCs, these centers will have the capability to diagnose, repair and conduct recovery operations that had previously required extensive hands-on support.
The first LPC opened at Daumerie Casern, Chievres, Belgium, this past January. The second LPC opened in Caserma Ederle, Italy, in June.
In July, the Kaiserslautern APC—the first of its kind across the Army—officially opened, incorporating the LPC-APC model by implementing the Army Knowledge Management goal of consolidating information to manage the infrastructure as an enterprise. Lieutenant General Gary Speer, deputy commander, U.S. Army, Europe, attended the ceremony.
“This is breaking new ground for U.S. Army, Europe, and really for the U.S. Army. We are going down a whole different path of the way we do business with this Area Processing Center,” said Speer. “Simply put, this should enable the warfighter to extend their desktops to wherever they go,” he added.
The official transition to operations centers is ongoing throughout 2006, with the APC opening in Grafenwoehr, Germany, later this fall to service the needs of the newly based 2nd Calvary Brigade Stryker Combat Team.
All employees are receiving specialized training on new technologies, to include storage area networks, power path technology, control center functions and time finder foundations.
“U.S. Army, Europe is truly leading the way in the transformation to a professionally managed, enterprise solution enabling warfighters,” said Via.
As the 2nd Signal Brigade completes this transition, the 7th Signal Brigade is also completing its own conversion. 5th Signal’s two Integrated Theater Signal Battalions (ITSB), 44th and 72nd Signal Battalions, are currently being outfitted with new communications resources, including Phoenix terminals, to best meet the needs of USAREUR.
These battalions will serve as enduring units in USAREUR to support any contingency, humanitarian, training or exercise mission. The ITSBs will also complement the ROC in supporting the 2nd Calvary Brigade Stryker Combat Team in Grafenwoehr.
LEAN SIX SIGMA
While incorporating these significant changes across the European Signal foot-print, 5th Signal Command is also implementing “Lean Six Sigma” initiatives within the command to ensure efficiency throughout its operations management. Lean Six Sigma provides tools to help commanders manage processes, resulting in substantial cost savings and cost avoidance. These savings are then reapplied to meet additional operational requirements.
According to Via, the restructuring of Europe’s communications arm will be seamless. Regardless of location, no customer will be without communications capabilities or service, and the end-state will be a smaller, more effective system. New locations will be stood up and fully functioning while still maintaining 100 percent of the services under the previous system until the transition is complete.
To ensure this, 5th Signal is implementing the Army’s first theaterwide Enterprise Service Desk (ESD). All trouble-shooting calls are forwarded to a single center, utilizing remote repair capabilities to fix any problems that may arise. If the problem cannot be fixed remotely, specialists from operations centers will then be engaged.
5th Signal Command continually takes advantage of new advances in technology, ensuring that it is always ready to support the mission and needs of the force. “These are just a few of the biggest steps,” said Via.
Although the nature of the Signal Corps is based in technology and advancement, 5th Signal Command’s mission sets people as its top priority. In addition to providing training and position re-assignments, the civilian employees affected by the transformation receive comprehensive assistance from the Civilian Human Resources Agency.
“Our focus is to ensure that all our employees are cared for while we restructure the U.S. Army in Europe communications services, ultimately making 5th Signal and the Army more efficient and effective in mission success,” stated Via.
Soldiers are continuously trained on new technology utilized within the command, thus making them highly proficient as they pave the way for the future Army in utilizing the new APC/LPC structure.
“[The APC opening] is key evidence in Lean Six Sigma even though at the time we began—when it was a PowerPoint slide—we didn’t even know it was Lean Six Sigma that we were engaging in,” said Speer. ♦
