Long-distance caller: British signals officer visits GF'04

Signal across the world shares a great history, and CPT Ronald "Jeff" Jephcote can verify this based on personal experience. Jephcote traveled from the United Kingdom to the 311th Theater Signal Command at Fort Meade, Md., to experience signal operations American-style in this year's Grecian Firebolt. Hosted by the 311th TSC, he's here to soak up the experience and take back the best of lessons learned to share with his command back home.

Jephcote serves as a traffic officer for the Royal Corps of Signals in the 32nd (Scottish) Signal Regiment of the 2nd (National Communications) Signal Brigade and he's observing and advising operations at the 311th TSC.

"Back home I'm an ICP [Integrated Contingency Planning] communications officer, and cover the north of England and Scotland," said Jephcote. "At my job, I'm the middle man between the division that covers that area and the project team, or Headquarters Land Command (Department of the Army)."

Jephcote joined the Royal Corp of Signals in 1969 as an enlisted Soldier. Since then, he has built up three decades of signal experience as an enlisted Soldier, a civilian, a Territorial Army (Reserve) officer and a full-time officer in the Royal Corp of Signals.

"We cover communications for the United Kingdom; the Homeland Defense communications," said Jephcote. "We use technologies like the National Communications Radio System, which is an HF (high frequency) system with an adaptive processor that automatically sends and receives messages using approximately 1,024 frequencies," explained Jephcote. "It's part of the Integrated Contingency Planning for floods, national disasters, and God forbid, terrorist threats, and works more or less the same as how your emergency communications work In this Grecian Firebolt."

He also has a role in the United Kingdom's new nationwide emergency communications system, Airwave. "Airwave is the new Public Safety Radio System that is used by the police and the other blue light (emergency) services," said Jephcote. "The [British] Army is using Airwave as well, so we can test interoperability with the blue light services for emergency purposes."

Jephcote was introduced to Airwave during the British firefighter strike two years ago when at least 40,000 firefighters walked off the job on wildcat strikes that lasted from two-to-eight days. During the strikes, the United Kingdom forces were deployed to fight the fires in a mission called Operation Fresco.

"I was working at brigade as the officer-in-charge Watchkeepers, which means I managed the equivalent of 42 battle captains such as used in the Grecian Firebolt exercise," said Jephcote. "During Fresco, we had all this new equipment; remote access laptops and mobile phones--it was everything from small HF radios to brand new COTS (commercial-off-the-shelf) equipment--we provided equipment to Joint Operations Centers throughout the United Kingdom. We had to control it all, and run a 24-7 Help Desk for users."

Jephcote said he has been well received by the 311th TSC. "I've really enjoyed my stay here; my hosts have all been friendly," said Jephcote. "I've felt very welcome and people have been very helpful when I ask questions."

That welcome included an invitation to the 311th Theater Signal Command Army Birthday celebration, which provided a bit of a twist for him. "I enjoyed the birthday cake for the Army Birthday," laughed Jephcote, "but there wasn't a cup of tea."

SFC Hoots serves with the Army Reserve 311th TSC Public Affairs Office. Before joining the Army Reserve, she served with the State Area Command Public Affairs Office for the Virginia Army National Guard covering activities of the 29th Infantry Division (Light), and was the chief public affairs NCO for the Maryland Army National Guard 29th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

ACRONYM QUICKSCAN

COTS--commercial-off-the-shelf

HF--high frequency

ICP--Integrated Contingency Planning

NCRS--National Communications Radio System

TSC--Theater Signal Command

SPC Turner serves with the Army Reserve 5115th Theater Support Unit Public Affairs Office at Fort Meade, Md. During the 2004 Grecian Firebolt, he provided quality photographic and print coverage of activities at the Fort Meade site.

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