By Maj. Johnathon Knapton
2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
Brig. Gen. Karl H. Gingrich, assistant program executive officer for operations, readiness and fielding and program executive officer for command, control and communications-tactical, receives feedback from communications Soldiers being trained on the new Warfighter Information Network, Tactical Increment 2, during a visit to the Mission Training Complex Feb. 8, 2017. (Photo by Maj. Johnathon Knapton)
Brig. Gen. Karl H. Gingrich visited Fort Carson Feb. 8, 2017, to discuss and observe the fielding of the Army’s new Warfighter Information Network, Tactical Increment 2.
During his visit, Gingrich visited with leadership from the 4th Infantry Division’s Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion and had an office call with Col. Matthew Cody, commander, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, since they have elements receiving the new equipment.
The assistant program executive officer for operations, readiness and fielding, and program executive officer for command, control and communications-tactical, culminated his visit at the Fort Carson Mission Training Complex. This is where more than 180 communications and automations Soldiers are going through three months of training, culminating in a final certification.
The fielding of the new equipment is an 18-week process scheduled to be completed in May 2017. The new platforms replace and upgrade Increment 1 systems.
“Increment 2 creates an on-the-move capability, replacing the previous at-the-halt capability of Increment 1,” said David O’Conner, Increment 2 site manager.
The platform upgrades improve the warfighting ability of the division, brigade and battalions by increasing the ability of their commanders to conduct mission command on the move. The new infrastructure will provide a single integrated network leveraging both military and commercial technologies while maintaining other technologies proven effective through Increment 1, he said.
Brig. Gen. Karl H. Gingrich, assistant program executive officer for operations, readiness and fielding and program executive officer for command, control and communications-tactical, receives a briefing from David O’Conner, Increment 2 site manager, while touring the Mission Training Complex at Fort Carson Feb. 8, 2017. (Photo by Maj. Johnathon Knapton)
Previously, units were required to bring their headquarters units to a stop, establishing mission command and communication nodes in order to establish full network connectivity. Units will now have a more mobile and effective capability.
“The Win-T Increment 2 equipment will provide Col. Cody and his battalion commanders access to mission command systems on the move, in their vehicles, that currently only reside in the tactical operations centers of the brigade, enabling them to better visualize the battlefield from any location,” said Maj. Carl Strickland, brigade signal officer, 2nd IBCT.
Fort Carson’s Mission Training Complex is among the best in the Army, according to Marvin Weeks, modeling simulations specialist.
“Fort Carson Mission Training Complex strives to keep up with the pace of our training audience,” said Weeks.