15 Schofield soldiers
train in India’s jungles

The Associated Press last week quoted U.S. Embassy spokesman David Kennedy as saying the training would focus on the unique terrain of northeastern India.

A Schofield spokesman said the soldiers are members of the 25th Infantry Division's Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry. They left the islands Sept. 9 and will be gone about a month.

The joint exercise is being organized by the Counterinsurgency and Jungle Warfare School in the eastern state of Mizoram, which has trained soldiers from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Myanmar and other countries.

Kaneohe Marines who specialize in tactical data communications in Afghanistan refer to themselves as the "geek squad."

"We are cyber-warriors; we are the future of the modern battlefield," said Sgt. Alexander Papiernik, tactical data networking specialist, in a Marine Corps statement.

The Marines are currently deployed to Jalalabad, Afghanistan, with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and are responsible for installing, operating, and maintaining network systems.

"We do everything from e-mail to live video feed from aircraft. We can deliver a real time, instantaneous feed to anywhere in the world," said Papiernik. "How many computer nerds do you know that have a grenade launcher? Bill Gates doesn't."

The Kaneohe communication specialists not only ensure the data communications for the battalion are kept running, they also help out fellow Marines with their own computer problems. Since it would take six weeks for a computer to make a round trip to the states to be repaired, these specialists are considered invaluable to the Marines that use computers to e-mail friends and family back home.

"We get two or three fix-it jobs a week," said Cpl. Andrew Parsons, tactical data networking specialist. "Our biggest grief is when they try to fix it themselves."

The Marines execute the data plan for the battalion under the supervision of Sgt. Jeremy Sadler, network administrator.

The linking of the forward operating bases with secure communications is crucial to the success of the battalion. Many of the bases are separated by miles of rugged terrain, so support would need to be sent as quickly as possible to be effective. The use of up-to-date technology makes the range of the battalion significantly greater due to the ease of communication.

"Security and stability are the main concerns for our job. Thankfully, with NMCI (Navy Marine Corps Intranet), we're a step closer than ever before. Now, all units will be on the same system," said Sadler.

Besides keeping the battalion in constant communication for military applications, the specialists are also an important factor in morale, as they maintain the Internet allowing Marines easy contact with their families and friends.

"When I came in the Marine Corps, we had to write letters, and you had to pay for your own stamp," said Master Gunnery Sgt. Gerardo V. Panetta, battalion operations chief. "Now I have Marines that can chat with their wives and even use Web cams."