Big Changes in Store for Signal Corps

The concept of training U.S. Army soldiers in the art of communications is about to undergo a change as substantial as those wrought by new media capabilities. And, these capabilities are among the very drivers of that change. Maj. Gen. Mark Bowman, USA, director of architecture, operations, networks, and space, Army CIO/G-6, told the MILCOM 2010 luncheon audience that the traditional way of teaching signal soldiers how to operate boxes will change to accommodate the inherent knowledge that they bring to the force. This knowledge includes social media and other capabilities. Another driver for this change is the Army's adoption of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP). The Army will have fewer specialized technologies and systems as it adopts VoIP for its voice traffic. Overall, the Army will have less military occupational specialties. The general offered that the Army does not need as many as it has today. "Everyone needs to be cross-trained," he said. Ultimately, all soldiers will receive some degree of communications training. "It would be irresponsible not to teach basic communications skills to everyone in the army," Gen. Bowman declared, noting that any soldier may have to step in to operate a basic communications system in an emergency.