 C4
program to deliver joint training set to begin
U.S. Joint Forces Command will hold a Command Control,
Communications and Computers Planners course to provide
knowledge and experience of joint systems in theater.
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By Robert Pursell
USJFCOM Public Affairs
(NORFOLK, Va. - Nov. 30, 2006) -- U.S. Joint Forces Command
(USJFCOM) will hold a command control, communications and
computer (C4) planners course in January to provide knowledge
and experience of joint systems in theater.
The course, developed by USJFCOM's Joint
Warfighting Center (JWFC) and the C4
Systems Directorate (J6) along with the
U.S. Army Signal Center at Ft. Gordon, Ga., will address
combatant command (COCOM) - identified issues of C4 planners
arriving in theater without joint systems training.
Army Maj. Rod Garfield, joint C4 information branch chief,
explained the purpose of the course.
"The goal for the course is two-fold; first is to
bring about a common baseline or interoperability across
the services so they can speak to each other with one commonality
on command, control, communications and computer systems
in support of the Long War," he said. "More
importantly, is for each graduate to possess the 'know
how' required to operate successfully on a COCOM or joint
staff."
Garfield said USJFCOM's J6, as well as the U.S. Central
Command's J6, felt that this course would expose warfighters,
who go over to Iraq or Afghanistan, to the steep learning
curve they face.
"You're going to need people that hit the ground,
that can come in and engineer the systems and be able to
provide the warfighters with they type of communications
support they require," he said.
"This is a joint course that teaches Army, Navy,
Air Force, and Marines as of now. It's going to teach how
to survive. It's going to be five to six weeks long and
teach about all the different systems and domains, everything
we face over there with the Long War," said Garfield.
He mentioned that the course is designed for communicators
from the COCOM to the component level. USJFCOM is also
currently exploring the possibility of participation by
multinational partners.
The
major also stated the course will be pushed to as many
C4 planners as possible at all levels. "We're
going to take it down to the component and all the way
down to the corps and the divisions and then up to field
grade officers, senior non-commissioned officers, and chief
warrant officers," said Garfield.
Smaller courses for eight to12 students are planned early
in 2007 and organizers planned a larger course for 20 students
shortly after. Future plans for five classes per year with
15 students per class are ongoing.
"The mini-courses are scheduled from January through
February and in April 2007. That will be the first course," said
Garfield. He also indicated an online course will be available
in 2008.
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