24TH MECH INF DIV OPERATION DESERT STORM AFTER ACTION REPORT

File: 080596_jun96_decls21_0182.txt
Page: 0182
Total Pages: 253

Subject: 24TH MECH INF DIV OPERATION DESERT STORM AFTER ACTION REPORT    

Box  ID: BX001437

Document Number:          2

Folder Title: 24 MECH INF DIV AFTER ACTION REPORT                                                             

Folder Seq #:        785

Unit: 24TH ID     

Parent Organzation: XVIII CORPS 






                                     UNCLASSIFIED
                                                                     05/30/91
                                   JULLS LONG REPORT

          1. (U) TULLS NUMBER: 52067-34013 (00010), submitted by SIGNAL
          OFFICER, 24 ID, 870-5516, (912)767-5516.

          2. (U) No type OPN DESERT STORM NOTES conducted by 24 IN DIV (MECH)
          on 05/20/91.

          3. (U) KEYWORDS: TELEPHONE, MORALE, COMMUNICATION, SIGNAL,

          4. (U) TITLE: COMMERCIAL TELEPHONE LINK

          5. (U) OBSERVATION: Morale support activities are essential
          during long deployments. Present day soldiers use telephones
          with minimal letter traffic which is a dramatic change from
          previous conflicts.

          6. (U) DISCUSSION: Modern technology allows soldiers on the
          battlefield to access commercial telephone systems to place
          emergency and morale calls. This access is essential to prevent
          soldiers from clogging the limited number of autovon trucks.

          7. (U) LESSON LEARNED: During the initial phases of OPERATION
          DESERT SHIELD, we experienced near grid lock on the military
          telephone system when soldiers tried to constantly call home..
          Installation of two Saudi PTT telephone banks and two AT&T phone
          banks helped eliminate this problem. We also ntegrated 1IM3 ed
          AT&T trunks into the military system to allow soldiers to
          process emergency calls durin offensive combat operations in
                                      .9
          Iraq.

          8. (U) RECOMMENDED ACTION: The US Army should have outstanding
          contracts with AT&T to provide limited commercial satellite
          service for our troops whenever they deploy. Current technology
          allows rapid deployment of such systems. In the future, the
          Army should consider the IRIDIUM system of satellite cellullar
          phones for official and morale and welfare type calls.

          9. (U) COMMENTS: This is the telephone generation. Soldiers'
          morale requires that we provide at least minimal opportunity to
          place commercial calls. New technology allows commercial
          satellite access in field locations. Emerging technology will
          allow cellular satellite access from any place on the planet.



              (U) SUBJECT: COMMUNICATIONS

              (U) INTEROPERABILITY: PLANNING

              (U) Lesson distributed by: 24TH IN DIV.




                                       Page   11

                                     UNCLASSIFIED

Document 253 f:/Week-22/BX001437/24 MECH INF DIV AFTER ACTION REPORT/24th mech inf div operation desert storm after a:08029615062350
Control Fields 17
File Room = jun96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-22
Box ID = BX001437
Unit = 24TH ID
Parent Organization = XVIII CORPS
Folder Title = 24 MECH INF DIV AFTER ACTION REPORT
Folder Seq # = 785
Subject = 24TH MECH INF DIV OPERATION DESERT STORM AFTER A
Document Seq # = 50
Document Date =
Scan Date = 12-JUN-1996
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 02-AUG-1996