communications

The complete guide to Aberdeen Proving Ground

Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) in Maryland is one of the lesser-known Army installations. That’s probably because it’s largely an R&D…

1,000 bombers took part in largest World War II bombing raid

The largest bombing raid of World War II was the British attack on Cologne, Germany, on May 30, 1942, involving over 1,000 bombers.

6 reasons why comm guys hate military movies

Comm guys and war movies don’t seem to agree all that well. Here are six pretty glaring examples.

The crazy way subs used to communicate

7 little ways to be an effective radio operator

Every combat arms unit needs a radio operator. Whether they enlisted as one or they were “voluntold” to be one, someone’s gotta do it. There’s a steep learning curve between being a guy with a radio pack and being the go-to radio operator. If yo…

The story of ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ makes your officers look pretty smart

The “Charge of the Light Brigade” has become shorthand for a military disaster, especially one that is filled with heroics but is still a catastrophe. In the actual Charge of the Light Brigade, approximately 670 men rode into the teeth of Russian …

6 rules about military email to keep you out of trouble

Work email is often more of an annoyance than anything else. It lets people reach you whenever they want, ignore…

Radiomen in the Vietnam War faced a 5-second life expectancy

At the height of the Vietnam War, up-and-coming commo guys who wanted to learn the art of radio operation would walk into a classroom and see a huge number five written on the chalkboard. Inevitably, someone’s curiosity would win out and they…

How Vietnam-era commo guys talked through the jungles

Throughout history, communications troops have had one job: to make sure those on front lines are able to talk to headquarters. Today’s troops that operate satellite communications and line-of-sight radio waves through mostly barren terrain may not…

11 memes that perfectly capture life as a commo guy

In every branch, on every base, and in every possible unit is a communications (commo) guy. Sometimes, you get a commo guy who runs-and-guns alongside the combat arms guys. Other times, you get the guys who can talk for hours on the backstories of e…

Use these 4 tips from Winston Churchill to write better emails

Emails- They are the bane of our existence, but they are how we communicate in the modern world. Each day, military leaders clean out their inboxes only to have them fill back up within hours. Unfortunately, quantity doesn’t equal quality. Too ofte…

What is the phonetic alphabet and why is it used?

The military does a lot of things, from humanitarian aid missions to security operations for the world’s shipping lanes, but without a doubt, the thing the military excels at is war-fighting. Specializing in such a dramatic and chaotic enterprise r…

Why Australia won’t allow Chinese tech near its networks

The top cyber and communications spy in Australia has explained why Huawei and ZTE…

Why technology degrades over time, according to your commo guy

Dealing with computer problems and other technical failures is just one of the many joys of being in communications. Being trained to work with computers and radios often means that the commo guy becomes the go-to person for any and all computer-r…

This Army S6 rap track will be stuck in your head all day

You can talk about them but you can’t talk without them — that’s pretty much the commo creed. One U.S. Army information technology specialist took to the mic to remind everyone just how important that is. The signal specialist here is kno…