"Troops and field commanders can talk to each other in chat rooms, if their secure phones are not working. They can discuss troop movements …. They actually use what I do to keep them from having to travel. It is really dangerous here to move from one location to another, so there is less need for troop movement and less risk," says Headrick.

Headrick calls IWS a weapons program. All of it is Web based. "It has different chat rooms…. It is based on a very wide range of technologies. It is like AOL (America Online) with a Webcam. It is specifically for the military. We built it for ourselves."

IT2 Jamone Robinson works in the JOC as a webmaster. "I make sure there is adequate bandwidth; I consider anyone who works in the JOC to be my customer," says Robinson.

To prepare for deployment, Navy personnel spent two weeks at Fort Bliss, Texas, for weapons training. In a heightened security posture, personnel wear body armor (ballistics flak jacket with plates) and Kevlar helmets. They also carry an MCU2P chemical mask. Officers carry a 9mm weapon and ammunition with them at all times. Enlisted personnel carry an M-16 rifle with ammunition.

IT1(SW) Steven Schwalbe says being in Iraq is a challenge in itself with the heat, dust storms and daily rocket and mortar attacks by insurgents. He works in the JOC doing basic IT work using Windows XP Professional.

"We fix Microsoft Outlook problems, printer issues and we set up conference calls … whatever needs to be done."

Schwalbe has been at Go Back     SEND TO FRIEND