ANTHOLOGY AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 177 Communications The raid force used only limited communications. Checkpoints were reported and emergency messages, such as mission abort codes, were the only traffic passed. Because of the very long distance involved, the raid force commander's only link to higher headquarters was via satellite communications (SATCOM) to the division forward command post (CP), initially some 75 miles away. SATC0M was used to report the occurrence of key events on the execution checklist (see Figure 2) and to confirm target location just before the force departed the final assembly area. Sample Artillery Raid Execution Checklist of 5/11 Codeword Event Apple Raid Force arrives in Assembly Area Orange Raid Force at Firing Position Peach Target Confirmed Cherry Commencing Attack Grape Withdrawing Raid Force Banana Mission Complete; Retuming to Battalion Position Area Chicken Hawk Mission Abort Figure 2 Command and Control When we added a second firing battery to the raid force, we also added a command element to control the activities of the two-battery force. The command element had to be very small and light. It consisted of the battalion commander or executive officer as the raid force commander, a driver, the battalion sergeant major (doubling as radio operator and navigator) and the SATC0M radio operator. The command element led the raid force to the final assembly area and reported, as necessary, to the division forward CP via SATCOM. All raids were well-rehearsed and timeliness were established, based on detailed time and distance studies. Radio transmissions from the command ele- ment to the raid force were seldom needed. All required actions were executed on the established timeline, and radios were used only by exception. This detailed planning proved to be the key to success.First Page | Prev Page | Next Page | Src Image |