1. 7è groupe des communications
7 Communication Group
7è groupe des communications
Col D.J. Lambert
Commander
Oct 2016

2. 7 COMMUNICATION GROUP
Aim of Brief & Contents
Aim of Brief: To provide an overview of 7 Comm Gp IOT raise awareness on this new C&E formation
Contents:
Mission, vision, value and organization
DEFSOC
76 Comm Regt
77 Line Regt
Challenges
*7 CG grew out of CFSSG, but our mandate is significantly different and CFSSG is dead
*7 CG is one of two military formations under DGIMO (also tasked as the Cyber Component Commander). Our sister formation of course is CFIOG.
*To better understand the focus of the two formations, think of it this way:
-7 CG ensures the man-made Cyber domain is up and running so that Commanders and Staffs can command and control
-CFIOG executes Cyber operations within that Cyber domain

3. 7 COMMUNICATION GROUP
Mission
The mission of 7 Comm Gp is to sustain communications and information systems (CIS) in order to enable the CAF to exercise command and control (C2) while force generating line capabilities in support of CAF operations.
For 7 Comm Gp, the mission verb “sustain” implies:
-We provide some services (mostly in the classified domain)
-We coordinate the provision and integration of services
-We monitor the status of services
-We are the national focal point of in-service support / service operations
*Mission statement is fresh off the press
* ’Sustain’ is our mission verb. ‘To enable CAF C2’ is our unifying purpose
*We provide some services (mainly in the classified domain)
*We mostly coordinate to ensure other orgs provide and integrate services (eg SSC)
*And we monitor and sustain all existing services
*as well, we have a unit whose focus is to FG linemen for operations

4. Vision 7 COMMUNICATION GROUP
7 Comm Gp is responsive to both the C2 needs of the CAF and to the IM/IT departmental objectives.
7 Comm Gp is an agile, responsive and efficient formation which reliably provides assigned CIS services, works collaboratively with partners to coordinate and integrate the provisioning of other CIS services, and assumes the leading role in CAF/DND service operations by monitoring and sustaining in-service C2 capabilities.
7 Comm Gp assumes the leading role in performing in-service support impact analysis of yet-to-be-fielded IM/IT projects and initiatives.
7 Comm Gp is responsive to CAF operational demands for well-trained linemen, and seamlessly merges its task to force generate line capabilities for operations domestically and abroad with its partnership with SSC in delivering an in-scope line infrastructure workforce in support of DND installations. 
7 Comm Gp works hand in hand with partner organizations to deliver on its core mandate and mission, and strives to achieve synergy and collaboration with all its partners. 
7 Comm Gp is recognized as a Centre of Excellence and a key enabler of national service operations.
*The key aspects of the vision are highlighted

5. Vital Contribution to the CAF
7 COMMUNICATION GROUP
Vital Contribution to the CAF
7 Comm Gp directly enables and supports CAF operations on a 24/7 basis.
7 Comm Gp delivers and sustains the classified CIS capabilities which directly enable CAF C2, intelligence, joint targeting, and Cyber operations, as well as IM/IT institutional capabilities. 
7 Comm Gp integrates new capabilities, monitors CAF/DND CIS status, and acts as the focal point to coordinate response in case of outages. Once at FOC, the DEFSOC will be the eyes and ears of the CAF J6/ on the status of all CAF mission-critical CIS capabilities. 
7 Comm Gp routinely deploys close signals support to departmental VVIPs and technicians on missions domestically and abroad. 
7 Comm Gp force generates linemen for deployed operations domestically and abroad
*This slide provides my answers to the questions “why does 7 CG exist?” and “why should we invest in 7 CG?”
*Have a read. I want y’all to remember this slide

6. Version 1, dated on 29 August 2016.
7 COMMUNICATION GROUP
7 Comm Gp
(Ottawa)
7 Comm Gp HQ
DEFSOC
Coordinating
DIMEUS
76 Comm Regt
77 Line Regt
77 Line Regt HQ
(Kingston)
76 Comm Regt HQ Sqn
(Ottawa)
Det Selfkant
1 Line Sqn
(HQ in Kingston)
4 Line Sqn
(HQ in Petawawa)
764 Comm Sqn
(Ottawa)
Cable Crews
Det Petawawa
Det Trenton
Det Toronto
Det Borden
Det North Bay
Det Meaford
Det Kingston
RLWC Pet
765 Comm Sqn
(Ottawa)
Antenna Crews
2 Line Sqn
(HQ in St-Jean)
Crypto Support Sqn
(Ottawa)
Det St-Jean
Det Valcartier
Det Montreal
Det Bagotville
Det Ottawa
Det Leitrim
Det Halifax
Det Esquimalt
Crypto Maintenance
Sqn (Kingston)
Det Ottawa
*The 7 CG org chart. Takeaways:
-Roughly 725 people (plus 47 contractors)
-21% of our positions are vacant, and it hurts. Little can be done with military positions given the state of our C&E trades, however we are working hard on filling our civ positions
*Our establishment also requires a complete review. Ongoing.
*7 CG is spread all over Canada and Europe
3 Line Sqn
(HQ in Edmonton)
Det Edmonton
Det Esquimalt
Det Shilo
Det Suffield
Det Wainwright
Det Winnipeg
Det Comox
Det Yellowknife
Det Cold Lake
Det Dundurn
RLWC Edm
5 Line Sqn
(HQ in Halifax)
Det Halifax
Det Greenwood
Det Gagetown
Det Gander
RLWC Hfx
Det St Johns
7 Comm GP HQ
76 Comm Regt
77 Line Regt
Manning
Positions
filled
Military 28 24
226
196
237
189
Civilian 37 20
191
144 6 4
Contractor
 15 32
Version 1, dated on 29 August 2016.

7. DEFSOC – Role and Responsibilities
7 COMMUNICATION GROUP
DEFSOC – Role and Responsibilities
The DEFSOC provides national ITSM operations coordination across the DND/CAF. It sustains and governs DND IT and CAF Communications and Information Systems (CIS) operations management and coordinates the provisioning of IT services to meet DND business and CAF operational objs
Required to be focal point for urgent/important operational service delivery matters
for critical synergy and efficiency, needs to be a co-located physical facility
for responsiveness and effectiveness, must have a unified and streamlined organizational structure
Does not serve/interact with users directly but rather acts as an operational entity for escalation from SMC’s and L1’s.
Key DEFSOC responsibilities are:
DND/CAF IT service operations coordination
Service issues resolution
Enterprise network monitoring and reporting
National Service Desk
Canadian Forces Service Release
Change Management Prioritization
-HQ 7 CG is a typical formation HQ (albeit very thin), with three significant caveats/additions:
-It tends to focus outwards, on collaboration with partners (in particular SSC)
-It owns the J6 Enterprise Services Branch which provides core services technical management
-In cooperation with other organizations, it owns the DEFSOC which monitors CIS capabilities, acts as focal point for outage resolution, and acts as the National SMC focused on change management, incident management and problem management

8. 76 Comm Regt (new MOO 11 Apr 2016 ) 7 COMMUNICATION GROUP Mission:
19/04/2018
7 COMMUNICATION GROUP
76 Comm Regt (new MOO 11 Apr 2016 )
Mission:
Provide strategic messaging, Secret and Top Secret networks and intelligence
systems, operational infrastructure design, cryptographic support and
maintenance support for the national and international Command and Control
to the Canadian Armed Forces and Dept of National Defence
Main responsibilities:
3rd+ line support to national Secret C2 networks;
1st to 4th line support to national TS networks and imagery systems;
National military messaging - SMSS, ADDN, MSAX;
National management of Communications Security (COMSEC) key-material and equipment;
Cryptographic technical services (cradle to grave) and classified network design & install (RDS);
National ISSO, TCI, Ops, CF-Allies network coord
Deployable kits (CDS +) and LCMM
Satellite Op Centre
National Call Attendant Service (from CFNOC Nov 2016)
*Mature unit, formerly known as 76 Comm Gp
*Now formally a unit (vice a formation), with five sub-units (vice small units)
*Mandate and tasks have remained.
*Complex organization, vital to CAF C2 .
ACISS 8

9. 77 Line Regt (MOO 31 May 2016 ) 7 COMMUNICATION GROUP Mission:
To force generate scalable 1st , 2nd and 3rd line cable and antenna design, installation, maintenance capabilities in order to enable command and control across Canadian Armed Forces installations domestically and abroad.
Main responsibilities:
Management of the National Line Program of Work
FG Line Capabilities for Operations
Expeditionary Ops
Domestic Ops
Emergency 1st Line Maintenance/Repair National ITI (Cable Plants and Antennae) (SSC and DND)
1st Line Maintenance to National ITI (SSC and DND) *
Cable Plants (Inside Plant and Outside Plant)
Strategic Antenna Systems (Antenna Farms)
Red Distribution Systems (RDS)
BPT support EC HR tasks ie, AEW, MSS
BPT support / advise Regional Comds
*New unit. Centralizing Line resources (less CMBGs) under a single command.
*Ph 1 – transfer of resources (people, money, vehs, eqpt) from L1s to 77 Line regt is ongoing
*Ph 2 – transfer 1 Line Sqn from CFJSR to 77 Line Regt – planned for 2017 once we’ve demonstrated success with ph 1
*Challenge: partnership with SSC

10. Challenges 7 COMMUNICATION GROUP
7 Comm Gp is a nascent formation whose establishment and manning remains a work in progress.  Its current human resources (HR) are not aligned with its mission-critical mandate and tasks:
Current HR is insufficient to sustain existing CAF CIS capabilities. For example, there is no manpower to monitor and sustain all C2 networks and services on a 24/7 basis (eg CAF Satellite Op Centre, SVTC).
There is no HR to absorb the ISS workload associated with fielding new CAF IM/IT capabilities.  Numerous CAF IM/IT projects and initiatives are therefore at risk of being delayed in their implementation due to being unsustainable with current resources.
There is insufficient HR to perform detailed ISS impact analysis of new IM/IT projects and initiatives, thus creating a lack of responsiveness and delays.
There is insufficient HR to analyze the numerous single points of failure and design and build redundancy in the CAF IM/IT infrastructure.
Finally, there is extremely limited staff capacity and depth, both at formation and unit levels, to properly analyze and staff the HR solutions needed to resolve 7 CG’s critical manning shortfalls.
The DEFSOC, the op centre which monitors CAF networks’ status and acts as the focal point to coordinate response in case of outages, remains far from achieving its FOC status.
*And my formation challenges.
*My mission analysis and problem framing as I took command was fairly simple, and the problem can be summarized in one word: manning.
*First, I don’t have enough people to manage current CIS capabilities
*which means that I have absolutely no one to manage incoming CIS capabilities
*and to make it worst, being a brand new formation, I don’t have the staff capacity to do a deep dive and come up with creative solutions to our establishment and manning solutions
*An interesting challenge, and one that we’re tackling as quickly as we can.
*This is my Vital Ground

11. Defence Service Operations Centre
7 COMMUNICATION GROUP
Questions and Discussions
DEFSOC
Defence Service Operations Centre

12. Additional Slides

13. (including 8ACCS within 2 Wing)
7 COMMUNICATION GROUP
DND / CAF CIS and SOC- BROUGHT TO YOU BY 7 COMM GP
Services/ Customers
ADM(IM)
DGIMO
7 Comm Gp
Operations/
Joint CA
1 Can Div
All Divisions
RCAF
All Wings
(including 8ACCS within 2 Wing)
1/2 Cdn Air Div
CFAWC
2 Naval bases
RCN
CANSOF
CFJSR
CFIOG
76 CG
CJOC
NDHQ
ADMs
CFWC
DND/CAF CIS
Defense
Services
Operation
Center
76 Comm Regt