Maintaining the Information Flow: Signal Corps Manpower and Personnel Requirements for the Battlefield

Army transformation depends heavily upon superior Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance C4ISR to provide a force multiplier. C4ISR requirements also bring electronic systems and technologies to the battlefield in quantities never before used by the Army. In order to function and serve the soldiers, these systems require support personnel predominantly from the units Signal Company. To determine if identified signal manpower levels would adequately support a C4ISR function for the new Stryker Brigade Combat Team SBCT, an assessment of signal support was conducted. The assessment methodologies were 1 a comparison of the Stryker signal personnel with signal personnel of current units, 2 a comparison of electronic equipment per repairer levels in the SBCT and current units, 3 an analysis of the C4ISR maintenance backlog during an operational exercise, and 4 an analysis of signal personnel questionnaires. Results indicated that the signal personnel assigned to the SBCT may not be sufficient. Manpower for some of the Military Occupational Specialties MOSs needs to be increased, specifically the information systems personnel MOS 74B and various electronics repair personnel. If the C4ISR is not sufficiently maintained, it will degrade and not provide the expected force multiplier needed by the warfighter.