442ndRCT Soldier's Forum

M14MSgt wrote:I was able to snag a couple EE-8 field phones with the canvas cases. I am going to try and get my dad to look at them and render them functional. He was a radio-relay repairman in the Marines during the early 60s and he said they were still using them at that time. I thought maybe these might add to our unit's impression during events where we have a base/camp. String some comm wire between them and they are good to go for HQ to unit comm.

Awesome!

"Love Actual, Love Company... We need some extra lovin' out here. Preferably a jeep with a Ma-Deuce!"

Jeff Copeland has 4 or 6 of them too. He knows how to string the line and how to fix them. He is in charge of Commo.

Now if we only had static positions for once in our lives we could actually string them up to OPs, LPs, and various points of "the line". But it seems we are always on the attack!

ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK!

I think you misunderstood what I said Dave or I did not explain my idea correctly. When I said Jeff was our communications guy, I meant that he already had expertise in that area. I meant that he knows how to do it and that if anyone wanted to use field phones, ask Jeff because he already knows how to do it. I am sure he would like to use the phones at more events also. The problem lies in the fact like Randy said, we are always on the move attacking and do not have 75 miles of wire for the phones. At some of the non-Roberts battles we use smaller battle area. It would be more practical to use phones at a smaller battle site. I like the idea of using field phones. I like using new stuff. I like new ideas. I am sure that at some event this year we will be able to use the field phones.

Essentially you also need to look at what field phones evolved from and what their intended use was for. Look at WWI despite many military leaders pushing for maneuver warfare (and even the German campaign into the Low Countries was done in a "modernized" maneuver warfare) it eventually bogged down into the trench warfare. Field Phones were essentially a way to keep in reliable contact with your elements, as long as the wire was hooked up and the phones worked there is little chance of failure, meanwhile with wireless you add more elements that can go wrong. (Essentially the more "parts" the more it can fail). They kept the field phone realizing despite radio they still have uses, especially when a line is stabilized and everyone digs in. And eventually it became mostly a use for the Battalion Command Posts and such to keep in touch with their organic units and transfer their companies to the artillery batteries or to notify reserve units that they are moving forward and notifying the company in that position that reinforcements are on the way.

Now I could see some big use if we could 24 hour a scenario that has both sides dug in heavily from each other. I could see a Bulge battle that could go like that, but of course being the "invaders" into Festung Europa, we're pretty much always on the attack. I agree with Dave, I'd like to see them get use if we can get the things we need to run them. Its apparent we have the expertise. I think in the least we could use them to keep in contact with other units' command elements.

davep wrote:Good constructive discussion.

When it comes to commo there is "field phones" and "Walkie talkies". While field phones have limitations the walkie talkie don't, and should be use as much as they can. As for the field phones, they could be adapted (hack/cheat) to have them transmitted "wireless" between field phones.

As our unit grows we will once again be able to split our attack into multiple squads, which would lend itself to "inter-squad" communication. There was one battle at Camp Roberts, where Mayo, Brett, Greg, and Myself were on patrol and Mayo wanted Randy and the MG team to put down distracting fire, to cover our move to the left. Had we brought the Walkie Talkies, then we could have simply comunicated our intend , sync our watches, and away we go.

I also don't think the Mayo should be the disiginated "mule" who carries everything for us. Maybe some the equipment can be off loaded, and each person be responsible for bringing it to the events.

Though I do like it to help us tactically we also need to realize that not every squad had a radio all the time, or even small groups. Me I like winning and radio commo keeps us all aware, so I say go for it.

Heck going into OIF not even squads had radios, they just started issuing radios to squad/fireteam leaders. I remember our DIs brought that up as a point that we should be glad the Corps is stepping up its technological game.