1. Civil Air Patrol Advanced Communications User Training
28 Oct 97
April 2019 Commander Call
Communications Update
LtCol David Rudawitz
Director of Communications
Oregon Wing
Communications - Voice of Command
Capt Derrell Lipman

2. Civil Air Patrol Advanced Communications User Training
28 Oct 97
Topics
Participation in training opportunities
HF stations and HF participation
Unit Emergency Communications Plans
New LMR Equipment
TDFM Training
ORWG Annual Communications Exercise
ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update
Capt Derrell Lipman

3. Participation in Training Opportunities
Ongoing Issues
Current attendance at monthly webinars is well below expectations (average about 10)
Participation in COMMEXs is still extremely low
New members are not getting ICUT training
Member proficiency with communications assets, methods and procedures
Mobile assets not being used during weekly nets (VHF and HF)
Need command support to increase participation
Annual ORWG COMMEX 29 June
ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update

4. ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update
ICUT Completion
ICUT training levels are below dismal
Must have ICUT to use ISR radios.
Unit Comm Officers are authorized, automatically, to administer and certify ICUT training vice wing.
Wing will do train-the-trainer as needed.
Unit
Yes No %
PCR-OR-001 18 2
90%
PCR-OR-007 23 34
40%
PCR-OR-008 42 5%
PCR-OR-016 25 11
69%
PCR-OR-034 27
50%
PCR-OR-037 4 16
20%
PCR-OR-042 19 44
30%
PCR-OR-050 15 31
33%
PCR-OR-055 8
24%
PCR-OR-065 21
32%
PCR-OR-073 82
18%
PCR-OR-085
72%
PCR-OR-099 12
28%
PCR-OR-114 1 8%
ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update

5. HF Stations and HF Participation
We need HF MCS/ANCS base stations in
Bend/Redmond
Medford/Grants Pass
Eugene/McMinnville
HF station participation in ORWG/PCR/NTN nets needs to increase
Units need to participate in nets with their mobile HF stations
Do not prevent access to communications rooms to use them for testing
ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update

6. Unit Emergency Communications Plans
Instructions for unit members for actions in the event of major/complete loss of commercial communications and CAP activation
Not just for a CSZ event
ORWG ICP at UAO unless unavailable (CSZ) and then at RDM
Standardized format being developed by Operations/Communications for use later this year
ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update

7. ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update
New LMR Equipment
Waivers submitted for TA compliance
ORWG specific programming waiting on new national code plug and PCR standardization
National nearing release of APX radio user training
Some amount of new equipment expected no sooner than this summer
ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update

8. ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update
TDFM Training
New course developed by ORWG will be released on ORWG website very soon.
Course intended to work with LMS training
ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update

9. ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update
ORWG Annual COMMEX
COMMEX19 is ORWG’s annual communications exercise
Saturday 29 June
ICP at UAO
Mission: REQ
ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update

10. Operational Intentions:
“Are the Oregon Wing and all of its Squadrons fully prepared and adequately trained to respond to a major disruptive event and are our communications capabilities sufficient to sustain our mission?”
Provide a safe and supportive environment for all ORWG members to operate radios, practice communications procedures, and exercise and wing and squadron alerting and incident response procedures.
Provide reliable and comprehensive communications support for associated Emergency Services missions.
ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update

11. Operational Intentions (2):
Celebrate successes; identify procedural deficiencies; and encourage units to revise their Emergency Communications Plans based on their exercise experiences.
Request WAWG and IDWG participation by simulating extra-ORWG resources for relays and sending injects and tasking requests to exercise PCR net capabilities.
Provide a coordinated opportunity to train and certify as many cadet and senior members as possible in communications skills. Plan for and provide the necessary resources to ensure trainer and trainee success.
ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update

12. ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update
Exercise Overview
In the context of an unspecified major disruptive event the ICP will initiate Alert Level 1 operations and communicate the activation to all units using HF radio as a first choice. ORWG will remain at Alert Level 1 thought the entire exercise.
Units will alert their members per their Emergency Communications Plan (ECP) to designated rally points. Units are to carefully monitor the success of the activation and identify any gaps in the notification and activation process.
ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update

13. ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update
Exercise Overview (2)
Units should assign MROs (encourage Cadets!) to participate in the HF radio nets.
Units identify available resources, complete an OPSTAT form, and transmit it to the ICP preferably via HF.
ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update

14. OPSTAT Form

15. ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update
Exercise Overview (3)
Actual and notional air and ground sorties will be planned, released, and managed by the ICP using only CAP communications resources (HF and VHF).
Units with aircraft will need an AOBD and Flight Release Officer in order to actually fly a sortie. This capability should be reported to the ICP on the OPSTAT form!
We will provide an Exercise Guide prior to the event.
ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update

16. ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update
Radio Activities
You will receive a task code and a request to plan and fly / or just plan the mission.
Determine if the airport is working or closed and reply with the correct code from a list provided.
ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update

17. Airport TID Codes Airport Name Task Code Airport Open Code
Airport NoOp Code
Albany Municipal Airport
NA14
S3SR
4SNR
Alkali Lake State Airport
0KNT
UU7U
TU0U
Ashland Municipal Airport (Sumner Parker Field)
BCGB
TPLN
BTBN

18. Radio Activities (2)
Request and receive initial and updated OPSTAT Situation Reports from all participating units.
Participate in Region HF radio nets.
Support flight operations.

19. Evaluation Did your Emergency Communications Plan work well?
“Are the Oregon Wing and all of its Squadrons fully prepared and adequately trained to respond to a major disruptive event and are our communications?”
Did your Emergency Communications Plan work well?
Was the alerting and response process well understood by all participants?
Were radio communications effective?
Did you employ risk management and was the activity performed safely?

20. Questions

21. ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update
What do I need from You
Help to identify and encourage your unit members to become active in the communications program.
Increase ICUT completion
Actively support member participation in weekly nets and conducting practice and tests with other stations
Encourage members to attend/take communications training that is available
Maximum participation in COMMEX June
Direct requests for training to
ORWG April 2019 Commanders Call Communications Update