1. 2017 SOUTHEAST REGION COMMUNICATIONS SESSION
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2. 2017 SOUTHEAST REGION COMMUNICATIONS SESSION
Communications steps up to major changes.

3. PLEASE CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING
Portions of this presentation have not been released for publication to other CAP members yet, and we ask you to consider this briefing as U/FOUO. It is not to be discussed outside of CAP, or with members who you feel do not maintain OPSEC standards.

4. How many of you remember the CARDA and SARTA missions?

5. CARDA
This was a Civil Defense mission where CAP was involved in Aerial and some ground Radiological Monitoring . Many of our non-pilot members were trained in operating Geiger counters and reporting results to higher headquarters which was then forwarded to Federal agencies.

6. If you are wondering about who Civil Defense was, that was one of the forerunners for FEMA. When CD was active in the 50s, 60s and early 70s, CAP was a very integral part of their programs and operations.

7. In fact, our old ribbons were very similar to theirs
In fact, our old ribbons were very similar to theirs. We had the Triblade propeller and they had the triangle.

8. Here is an older style Geiger counter

9. SARTA
Was a series of mission types that were built to provide the individual States with CAP resources to assist in various operations including relocation and transporting of personnel, movement of resources and first aid equipment as well as victims.

10. Also during that “Cold War” time frame, the US Air Force built its Global HF network to provide world-wide HF communications.

11. On some of those missions, we were assigned the tasks, accomplished them and provided the communications pathways to get information from one location to another. Well, that sounds like what we are suppose to be doing now, but in the new missions communicators are going to be more involved.

12. Over the years, the Global HF network declined in operations as computers, cell phones, the internet and satellites took over. Sorry – but that was one big mistake that DoD made and now they see the problem.

13. So CAP is being looked at to step in, and step up to the plate and move our communications program into a much needed and slightly similar direction than what the USAF had, but with different missions and outcomes.

14. CAP Communicators have been invited and have become a major player in the DoD COMEX program which is the start of rebuilding the National Communications program.

15. Now we will bring you portions of a briefing that has not been publicized as the requirements need to be built from the Communications program upwards. We are the first step.

17. “But, Comm is already involved.”
I hope you all read and thought about that one line. We as communicators are the beginning of new missions for CAP. These missions will not happen without US. We are already involved in the DoD Communications Exercises (DoD COMEX), which is the groundwork for the new missions.

19. YES, COMM and OPS on the same page, WORKING TOGETHER as a TEAM.
We as communicators will be handling messages for CAP Operations as well as providing a pathway to launch aircraft, deploy ground teams and do everything that we now do by cell phone and internet. But we will not use them as they can be hacked and placed out of service due to natural and man made reasons.

20. At the same time,
We are being looked at to handle messages for INTERNAL agencies, being DoD, DHS, and others, while also taking care of our daily CAP operations.
Communications in CAP is now a 24/7 operation, not just turn on the radio check into a net and turn it off.

22. What does this mean for me as a communicator?
As CAP builds the HF, HF/ALE and VHF networks we have become a 24/7 communications program. All of us will need to be able to handle traffic at all levels up and down the Chain of Command within CAP as it is now called for in the Regulations.

23. BUT
We will be tasked by outside Federal agencies to handle communications requirements for them also. We have already handled messages that launched Air Force aircraft and initiated Federal employee responses.

25. Let’s take this one section at a time.
Finish the build out –
Currently the National Traffic Network (NTN) is operational on a 24/7 basis. There has been a number of new TRIBLADE stations added so that National has outlets in every Region for a traffic pathway.

26. Radio only path to every commander / critical staff
This starts at the Region level and works all the way down to the Flight level. Every Wing MUST build the pathways for communications by HF to VHF and get radio only traffic to every commander and staff member that task resources.

27. Most commanders do not have radios!
BUT
Most commanders do not have radios!
Then you get a radio path to the closest member you can, to provide in person delivery if at all possible. Commercial infrastructure should not be used unless it is a last resort.

28. If there is radio traffic for the FL CC and he was in Miami -
NOC TO TRIBLADE 65 OR 60 ON NTN.
TRIBLADE 65 OR 60 TO YELLOW PLANE 4 ON NET 4.
YELLOW PLANE 4 TO MANATEE 704 ON THE MIAMI REPEATER.

29. MANATEE 704 WOULD DRIVE TO THE CC LOCATION AND DELIVER THE TRAFFIC.

30. Cell phones work all the time?
BUT
Cell phones work all the time?
Yes, and they can be monitored making them an unsecured path, violating OPSEC requirements.
They can go down at any time for many reasons. We need to consider the fact that they are not reliable in our new type of missions.

31. Deploy MilStd data
We are being told to move away from standard voice on HF and go to data. AF MARS has gone one route and we will be doing the same, but we will not be compatible with them.

32. This means new equipment and again, communications will be required to make changes in how we train our members to use the new equipment.

33. Encryption systems already distributed
Wow, this is a major change – YES, at the National level we are already running encrypted messages.

34. In fact, some stations have been called on by DoD and Federal agencies to handle traffic for them already. So it is just a matter of time when every radio operator may be called on to handle these messages. Are you ready? Is your antenna system frequency agile to cover all frequencies used by CAP? We now have over 100 HF frequencies assigned to us.

35. Adopt and integrate message formats
This is going to be a major change for all communicators as well as critical staff. They will be writing the messages, but we as communicators will need to understand the method to make sure it is in the correct format to meet the new standards.

36. This is our biggest challenge - CHANGE
We currently follow ACP-125 message formats. We will need to change to ACP-126 and ACP-127 formatted “record” traffic.
This is our biggest challenge - CHANGE

37. The USMTF standard is approved for use by all Departments and Agencies of the Department of Defense (DOD) and provides technical and management guidance for the U.S. Message Text Format (USMTF) program.

38. Please understand that the next slide has not been seen by OPs below the National level. It is being worked into a presentation, but remember, all of this hinges on COMMUNICATIONS, so we are the ones that are getting this briefing first. If we fail, then there may be no briefing for others in CAP.

40. So now we as communicators are the hinge for a new series of missions
So now we as communicators are the hinge for a new series of missions. Can we do it? SURE WE CAN

41. What is our first step? Build out the Communications program we have now to reach every Commander and critical staff member at every echelon.

42. Get every HF and VHF radio operational on more than just a “check into net” time frame. Build the Wing Message Center Stations to be able to cover NET 4 on a 24/7 timeframe as missions do not follow a 9 to 5 or half hour net schedule.

43. Work with command and critical staff at every level to build pathways, write them up and include primary ones in your Comm. Plan, and update them as staff positions change.

44. Initially Region will need pathways for the CC, CV, CS, DO, ES, DC, FRO and IC at the Wing level. The Wings will need to build the same pathways to the lower echelons and all the way to the PICs in the field.

45. Make sure that Region Comm. Staff are provided copies of your pathways
Make sure that Region Comm. Staff are provided copies of your pathways. You also need to consider placing your MCS, NCS and ANCS operators into the pathways and make sure you include their established schedules in the event of any emergency.

46. How many HF communicators do we have in this seminar – please raise your right hand high.

47. How many Operations staff do we have in this seminar – please raise your right hand high.

48. How many IC and ES staff do we have in this seminar – please raise your left hand high.

49. Now consider the fact that all of the Communicators have the ability to make this work. If we do not, then the whole program may go down the drain. DoD may consider withholding funding for future resources.

50. ANY QUESTIONS ? And if you are going to ask for frequencies NO I will not provide any frequencies – please contact your Wing DC.

51. I am not trying to be funny as this presentation was to be serious, but I have added a little fun and history here at the end. You can thank Lt. Col. Jan Kendrick for the next slide. She was a Sq. Commander and Spaatz parent before passing and she gave me the caption.

52. “I am on the net but where is the NCS?”

53. So let’s get all the repeaters on line with VHF nets and have a link to the HF nets so traffic can flow both ways on a daily basis.

54. This also may be funny – but HF and VHF may be the only way communicate in the event of an emergency.

55. For any 40 plus year members you should remember these
For any 40 plus year members you should remember these. Each of the 3 radios on top operate on a 3 mHz range and you needed a 28 Volt dynamotor to operate them and an amplifier and speaker for the receiver.

57. This tube type receiver weighed in at 89 pounds when in the original case. I knew 4 CAP members that had these in the 60s.

58. This was the first receiver I ever used for CAP HF communications
This was the first receiver I ever used for CAP HF communications. BC 340 series radio.

59. And how many of you ever used one of these?

60. How about an old GONSET, Civil Defense had hundreds of them all over the USA. The 4 black rectangles top left is where the crystals went.

61. Here is the AEROTRON VHF single channel radio that was in most communicators home and vehicle.

62. This is the infamous HW (Hot Water) 18 that most CAP members used
This is the infamous HW (Hot Water) 18 that most CAP members used. You could buy them built or in kit form.

63. If you have any relics and would like to donate them, NHQ Comm
If you have any relics and would like to donate them, NHQ Comm., is building a historical library of radios used by CAP members.

64. ANY QUESTIONS ? And if you are going to ask for frequencies NO I will not provide any frequencies – please contact your Wing DC.