« em: Maio 01, 2007, 12:54:16 pm »
Portugal realizes vision through Combined Endeavor interaction
By U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Denise JohnsonCombined Endeavor Public Affairs
LAGER AULENBACH, Germany — The Portugese Army has gone from envisioning a modern internet protocol system to a fully-functioning voice and data application by capitalizing on three years of Combined Endeavor participation.
"Four years ago, as we progressed on our journey toward a modern communications system, we addressed the possibilities of advancement in the Combined Endeavor arena," said Portugese Army Sgt. 1st Class Mario Cesar Arede, information technology specialist from the Portugese Army Communications Project Team at the Military Center of Electronics, Lisbon, Portugal.
Two Portugese Army officers attended Combined Endeavor 2003 as observers to determine if the exercise would be beneficial and if it would provide some direction on the most feasible and practical way to attain their goals.
"Being in observer status provided us the opportunity to see if we would benefit from this exercise, as well as fulfilled our obligation to attend as an observer prior to being a participant in this event," said Portugese Army Maj. Carlos Manuel Pires de Sousa. Sousa is the Portugese Army Communications Project Team manager, also from the Military Center of Electronics. "We understood then that Combined Endeavor was a way for us to benefit from the wisdom and expertise of those who were more advanced in IP and Voice Over IP, such as the Netherlands team."
The Portugese Army was using outdated commercial internet systems in 2004 but have taken full advantage of the information sharing here. "In the spirit of Combined Endeavor, we walk around and ask questions; the majority of the time, we get the answers." Arede said. "The Netherlands participants had a proven system in place and were more than willing to help us bring our vision into a working reality."
Four years ago the Portugese delegation came here to learn. Through the help of various national teams, and their own diligence, the Portugese Army now comes to Combined Endeavor as both student and teacher.
"As degrees of information are shared, efficiency grows. Those who you may have been teaching yesterday can now share the responsibility to teach others today," said Royal Netherlands Army Capt. Henk Lourens, Command and Control Support Center test engineer. Lourens is stationed at Ede, Holland.
Combined Endeavor participants benefit by sharing and helping others grow in the global information-technology community. "The efficiency grows because you share the knowledge. That, in turn, provides you with a platform for brainstorming in which we all grow together," Lourens said.
Today the Portugese Army have an IP and VOIP system up and running to a degree of proficiency equal to that of the Netherlands team. "Now we are learning how to package it into a more mobile, deployable unit and we are also sharing our lessons learned with other nations," Arede said.
The U.S. European Command-sponsored exercise Combined Endeavor includes nearly 1,500 people from 42 countries spanning four continents and international organizations. Representatives from NATO, Partnership for Peace (PfP) and other nations plan and execute interoperability testing of command, control, communications and computer systems from participant nations in preparation for future combined humanitarian, peacekeeping and disaster relief operations. Combined Endeavor 2007 began April 27 and runs through May 10.
LAGER AULENBACH, Germany -- Royal Netherlands Army 1st Lt. Evert Wagensveld, test engineer for the Command and Control Support Center at Ede, Holland, loans an E-1 module to Portugese Army Sgt. 1st Class Antonio Machado, information technology technician for the Military Center of Electronics in Lisbon, Portugal. The E-1 module allows for European-standard trunking (groups of channels) enabling the Portugese to maintain interoperability via telephone with other European countries participating in CE. The overall success of the exercise relies primarily on the ability to share not only hardware, but information, ideas and software, as well. Combined Endeavor 2007, held April 27 through May 10, is a U.S. European Command-sponsored exercise, bringing NATO, Partnership for Peace (PfP) and other nations together to plan and execute interoperability testing of command, control, communications and computer systems from participant nations in preparation for future combined humanitarian, peacekeeping and disaster relief operations. (Photo by U.S Air Force Tech. Sgt. Denise Johnson)
