Communications Exercise

[wuzafuzz]

I have been tasked to help create a relatively simple wing communications exercise.  Although I've CUL'd SAREX's and SAREVALS this will be my first shot at actually testing communications. 

So far we haven't even started brainstorming, so the field is wide open.  The only stated guidelines are 100-1 and no funding.  Are there any Elmer's in the house?  ;-)

[Thunder]

The only stated guidelines are 100-1 and no funding.  Are there any Elmer's in the house?  ;-)

ha of course....

Ok seriously, here is what I think are good things to practice:

Prepare your wing by announcing an exercise is coming and to be prepared to assist. Kick off the event during a regular net. Don't tell the members which day its going to happen - this will test the readiness level of your comm assets. Ban cell phones and internet (the things likely to not work in a disaster). Up to you if you want to use VHF or HF - I suggest stretching the HF legs, especially if GTL's are involved - I find some GTL's are lacking in the HF arena.

At some point, try setting up an emergency station with a repeater. Grab a tactical repeater if you can and a crank mast/antenna, and plant it (with a watchful person) high up somewhere and see if people can follow a coordinated switch to the new repeater on VHF.

Change the communication plan a few times, see if people know how to find it and read it. Change the channel assignments, bring in new channels, and simulate "malfunctions" where repeaters go down, or channels are unusable.

Lastly, don't let anyone get out of learning the paperwork. Send some formal messages, make every station keep a log, draft new comm plan forms whenever there is a change, fill out asset and channel allocations... etc. Have some "shift changes" so different people can read last duty's paperwork and then fill out their own. And also so the crew under the CUL can experience different (changing) styles of leadership.

Just some of my ideas... I am yet to do a wing-wide exercise but I have done them at unit level and you'll be sure to improve people's ability and understanding if you just make them sit down at a mic

If you've CUL'd your share of SAREX's, no doubt you are familiar with the things that can go wrong in comm.

Lastly... DON'T FORGET THE AAR! and send out participation letters - this should count towards people's tech rating

[Slim]

In the days before the internet and cell phones, I helped run a wing-level CommEx with the rest of the wing comm staff.

The station was run out of a house, with both HF and VHF capabilities.  We had prepared messages ahead of time, with the goal of passing them on both an HF and VHF net.  For those areas outside of metro Detroit (where we were), the goal was to pass the messages to an HF station, who would then pass them over VHF to stations in their areas, using a repeater if available, or simplex. 

I think we ran the exercise over a five or six hour period.  At the end, participating stations were asked to mail copies of their logs and message forms to wing HQ, where we reviewed them for completeness and accuracy.  Any station that submitted paperwork that was complete and accurate got a participation letter.

[RADIOMAN015]

Gee it's the beginning of the fiscal year and there's NO funding for your exercise     Why should communicators end up paying out of their pockets for operating the vans & other vehicles for portable repeaters to other locations    Also what about high bird testing operations?

You major objectives in the exercise should be to test every aspect of your wing's communications plans.

I disagree with others as far as this being a no notice type test.  I would announce the date.   One has to remember that in a real world no notice contingency more members would be available (they would cancel other personal plans) than in a no notice practice type exercise.  Also IF you know before hand who is going to be participating you can construct your taskings better.   Also IF a particular unit isn't participating perhaps the squadron, group, or wing commander can get involved to try to get participation.   

Construct taskings for every geographic area in your state.  Consider some sort of a numbering system & pass as formal message traffic and request acknowledge/information via return formal message traffic.

Examples of taskings.   Provide current weather information (e.g. winds, cloud cover, temperature, dew poing, etc).   Send van to location X, Y, & Z and at each location attempt to call stations on GUARD and (appropriate) repeaters) or CC1/CC2/TAC. 

Typically look at VHF repeaters, VHF simplex tests (fixed base stations, mobiles, airmobiles, portables, temporary fixed bases, etc). HF/SSB and HF/ALE (with permission).  On the HF side you may want to ask some adjourning wings or region to also monitor since radio they may actually hear your stations better.    Even intra squad radios could be tested as far as range etc.

All CAP fixed base radio stations in CAP facilities as well those CAP vans with installed mobile equipment, should be strongly encouraged to participate.   

I'd run the exercise about 5 hours (typical 0900 to 1400/1430 hrs local (1/2 hour for lunch).   

I'd get a list of all participants and get the wing commander to send a short email thank them for participating.   Communicators also need this exercise anyways for comm career advancement.

Most of all have fun, have everyone take pictures and also get the PAO to write up a good story for your wing newsletter or website :clap:
RM

[wuzafuzz]

Thanks for all the ideas!  The reminders about participation letters were great since I'd spaced that so far.

Regarding a no-notice exercise, 100-1 3-3 b requires an exercise with no more than 12 hours notice.  Not exactly a recipe for participation I know, but there it is.  It almost begs for 2 CommEx's.  Once unannounced to comply with the regs, another announced.  After all, people will change plans for a REDCAP.  That's not so likely for a surprise training event.

I love the mention of PAO involvement.  Fortunate since I'm one of those too!

Eric

[RADIOMAN015]

Regarding a no-notice exercise, 100-1 3-3 b requires an exercise with no more than 12 hours notice.  Not exactly a recipe for participation I know, but there it is.  It almost begs for 2 CommEx's.  Once unannounced to comply with the regs, another announced.  After all, people will change plans for a REDCAP.  That's not so likely for a surprise training event.

I love the mention of PAO involvement.  Fortunate since I'm one of those too!

Eric

I agree with you --- There's nothing to prevent you from running two separate exercises.   Run an exercise with a 12 hour notification and than just  net roll calls for a number of hours.    Than run the scheduled exercise on the scheduled date.   Both could be conducted close to the same time period.  e.g. run the no notice notification first & than the scheduled exercise.    Generally my view is an almost no notice exercise is to test availability for tasking versus actually doing something, so in that phase of the execise you could just run roll calls with formal message reporting back to the wing Hq from various geographic NCS in your wing on station check ins.     

I would assume in your wing (as in my wing) most alert notifications are done via text messaging/email.   IF you dont' already have a alert message contact points for your communicators that would also be something to work on.    I know in our wing the radio station data base has the chief operators contact points at work (phone/fax), home, cellphone, & email.   Actually there's nothing to prevent you from running quarterly alerts just to see what availability there would be.
RM   

[arajca]

Gee it's the beginning of the fiscal year and there's NO funding for your exercise     Why should communicators end up paying out of their pockets for operating the vans & other vehicles for portable repeaters to other locations    Also what about high bird testing operations?

A note about funding for this:
Funding was requested and we have not heard if it was granted (unofficially from the top - not).

[FlyTiger77]

I disagree with others as far as this being a no notice type test.  I would announce the date.

Is there not a regulatory requirement to conduct periodic, wing-wide no-notice CommEx's?

[arajca]

It's not no-notice, it's 12 hour notice - as noted previously.

[FlyTiger77]

It's not no-notice, it's 12 hour notice - as noted previously.

I missed that post, obviously. Thanks.