CAMP CASEY, South Korea — Soldiers assigned to the 210th Field Artillery “Thunder” Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, regularly train to fire long-range artillery at specified targets from long distances. Although this remains the brigade’s main focus, Soldiers from the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 210th Field Artillery Brigade’s Air Defense and Airspace Management (ADAM) Cell, trained with another goal in mind: defend the brigade against enemy attacks from the air. Soldiers within the ADAM Cell took the opportunity Dec. 11, during weekly Sergeant’s Time Training to demonstrate their unique abilities as air defenders.
A small group of Soldiers set up the ADAM shelter, a highly specialized military vehicle containing multiple distinctive, technical sub-systems. They also set up its various antennas and tent which provides an expandable workspace. The Cell’s equipment provides the ability to establish connectivity with multiple joint and coalition sensors and airspace users via multiple computer systems.
By monitoring communications networks and the common operational air picture, the ADAM shelter’s Soldiers are able to provide airspace command and control (C2) to friendly airspace users, situational awareness for commanders and early warning against enemy air attack for friendly forces. Additionally, the Cell plans for the orderly use of airspace and coordinates for any necessary aviation requirements. The training provided the opportunity for the Cell’s Soldiers to set up the entire shelter and operate all of its supporting systems for the first time in many of their careers.
“It was effective training,” said Pfc. Christopher Byler, an Air Defense Battle Management System Operator assigned to HHB, who helped to erect the shelter’s five separate antennas.
Establishing an effective interface between the shelter’s three different computer systems proved difficult. The shelter uses an Air and Missile Defense Workstation (AMDWS) to conduct planning and combine airspace intelligence information, a Forward Area Air Defense (FAAD) terminal to monitor the air picture provided by external Sentinel radar and a Tactical Airspace Integration System (TAIS) to manage airspace. The Air Defense System Integrator (ADSI) brings all of these systems together and enables the shelter to send out relevant information to other joint airspace users. Given the complexities involved, the Soldiers were proud to see everything ultimately work as it was designed.
“It gives us an idea of where we stand in our ability to Fight Tonight,” said Byler, a native of North Point, Florida.
Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Francis, the Cell’s noncommissioned officer in charge, supervised Soldiers in the set up and operation of the shelter, which took all day.
“I know we all learned a lot from it,” said Francis. He spent much of the day inventorying the shelter, along with all of its components and associated equipment.
“Property accountability is important for such an expensive piece of military equipment,” said Maj. James Brant, the 210th Field Artillery Brigade’s aviation officer.
Brant provides oversight of the Cell from an Army aviation perspective.
“It won’t work unless we have each and every component,” he added, emphasizing the secondary training objective for the day.
Although less common among the Brigade’s air defense Soldiers, this type of integrated training is commonplace for the Soldiers of the “Thunder” Brigade.
“This is a great event for the Soldiers of the 210th Field Artillery Brigade’s ADAM Cell to show off their technical skills,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Aaron Gillette, the ADAM Cell’s Command and Control (C2) Systems Integrator and resident technical expert.
Interoperability between military units on the peninsula, as well as our Republic of Korea Army counterparts, enables the 210th Field Artillery Brigade to maintain its ability to provide immediate counterfire in support of the commander’s objectives.