Chapter 4
Theater Operations
Theater operation assets are those signal elements that fall under the signal command of any given theater, as well as those entities that fall under NETCOM that support signal operations for a ASCC AO and above. Those elements include soldiers, systems, equipment, materiel, applications, and facilities apportioned within a theater to install, operate, maintain, and defend LWN capabilities which provide network enabled capability and facilitate IS at strategic, operational, and tactical levels. This chapter discusses the missions, functions, and characteristics of theater operations as they relate to changes fueling the Army transformation and modularity.
LEVERAGING THEATER OPERATION ASSETS
4-1. Theater operation assets are designed to do the "heavy lifting" in extending GIG services to the JFC, ASCC commander, and Army elements operating in theater operational echelons and above. Most often this means installing and operating large-scale, non-mobile network infrastructures, tactical gateways, heavy network systems, nodes and hubs necessary for increased bandwidth, range extension, and theater reachback. Theater operations often provide large-scale connections between tactical networks and the GIG. Theater operations provide a pooled network provisioning capability in general support of tactical forces without organic network support. An ESB's mission is significant in not only installing, operating, maintaining, and defending the LWN at higher levels of command, but also in providing network support to ASCC elements operating at the tactical corps/division levels.
4-2. The primary design of theater operations is to provide the resources and personnel necessary to meet flexible conditions sometimes in austere environments. They meet the requirements for large-scale network and information services for major command posts, installations, facilities, base clusters, and enclaves. Most notably, they provide networks and services supporting large user populations located at-
• JTF, ARFOR, JFLCC, or Theater Army HQ.
• Theater base support and intermediate staging bases.
• Seaports of debarkation (SPODs) and aerial ports of debarkation (APODs).
• TAAs.
• Theater and logistics support centers.
• Logistics operations centers and supporting temporary installations.
PROVIDING "OTHER" SERVICE SUPPORT
4-3. Theater operations also perform a variety of missions to meet specialized requirements. This extends to supporting other services such as NGOs and the DHS.
SUPPORT TO NAVFOR, MARFOR OR AFFOR COMPONENT JTF
4-4. A JTF performing missions having specific, limited objectives or missions of short duration normally dissolves when its purpose is complete. These missions very likely generate very specialized network requirements that cannot be met with organic resources. The JTF must often rely on a signal command to augment those of its service component in order to tie joint network requirements effectively to the GIG and fully integrate service communications links to ARFOR, AFFOR, MARFOR, JSOTF, and NAVFOR. Vital to the JTF mission is the capability of the signal command to provide an in-range extension of reachback services. Because JTF and combined headquarters are not fixed organizations, network support must be scaled to the requirement based on METT-TC. One aspect of meeting modularity requirements is the ability to "plug and play" signal assets to meet unique or tailored needs.
SUPPORT TO THE DHS
4-5. The mission of the DHS is to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and to minimize damage, mitigate effects, and recover from attacks that do occur. To accomplish this mission, DHS has the authority to mobilize resources of the federal government to include CONUS based signal assets. The foremost role of these assets is to provide LWN capability in support of DHS crisis situations and the interface of Army information systems with government agency information systems. Crisis response operations involve Army tactical elements in a variety of roles. C2 of those elements require flexible, secure communications system networks that are independent of civilian and government networks. Army networked communications provide responders with communications means that are free from the potential degradation posed by threat activity or overuse. They also enable interface with other branches of service to provide joint force capability should the situation require it.
SUPPORT TO SOF
4-6. SOF is a very specific mission that may find signal commands augmenting organic, dedicated SOF signal forces tasked to provide C2 networks and communications systems to a JSOTF, CUWTF or coalition SOF task force. On occasion, SOF must operate in conventional environments or require theater augmentation to meet network requirements. Base operational support to SOF units often calls on signal commands. Particular to this case are Civil Affairs, psychological operations, and SOF engaged in specialized theater missions such as WMD counter proliferation, coalition support, security assistance, foreign internal defense, as well as network links into theater LWN.
SECTION I - MAJOR COMMANDS
NETCOM/9TH SC(A)
4-7. NETCOM/9th SC(A), as a direct reporting unit to Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) CIO/G-6, is the predominant signal force and network service provider related to the Army and Theater LWN enterprise and the GIG. NETCOM/9th SC(A) has authority to implement and enforce enterprise policy and provides authoritative guidance concerning the techniques, procedures, standards, configurations, designs, devices and systems to accomplish specific functional tasks and missions. NETCOM/9th SC(A) has full enterprise level responsibility for all global Army networks and information systems that comprise LWN. NETCOM/9th SC(A) CONUS trained and organized tactical forces are OPCON to US Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), specifically for the purpose of supporting specific national command authority objectives. NETCOM/9th SC(A) delivers IT and common user services and exercises ADCON of service assigned and attached forces in support of the GCC and the ASCC commanders.
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