The recurring theme that I keep hearing is the desire for interoperable communications at all times in all situations in all environments. This is a “heavy” requirement that I remember dealing with back in the early part of my SEAL career.
For the majority of the first ten years of my career, I specialized in communications. In the teams we call SEAL’s with a communication specialty, “SEAL Communicators”. As a SEAL communicator, I found that as technology improved, my life improved. In the early days of my career the equipment that I carried for my platoon was heavy, complicated with cables everywhere. On long patrols, it wasn’t unusual for the communicator to be one of the heaviest members of the patrolling element, regardless of the nature of the mission. I also remember having it drilled into my head as a new guy that there were two situations that were taboo for any SEAL.
- Loss of equipment or weapons
- Not being able to effectively communicate or “making comms” while in the field.
In one of my first training events as a new guy SEAL we were conducting a “swimmer op”, the point here is that we were in the water. I was the communicator for this event, therefore I had communications equipment in the water with me. The mission profile was for us to be swimming through pier pilings and crossing some pretty difficult water obstacles to perform the tasks we needed to get done. Needless to say, as a new guy, my methods for securing the communications equipment to my body were lacking and I lost a radio.
This mistake was minor and I recovered from it, however what I discovered was that I didn’t like drawing the kind of attention to myself that one draws when they lose equipment as a SEAL. Not a happy time for the new guy.
Forevermore, I vowed that I would never lose anything ever again. I also vowed that I would never be
“that guy” again. I wouldn’t be
the guy who couldn’t “make comms” either.
So as my career progressed, I developed a bit of a following and reputation as a communicator who “made comms” first time, every time. Today it might be difficult to imagine having difficulty in establishing communications (“being able to contact someone or have some able to contact you.”) but it really was difficult, believe me.
“Making comms” became what amounts to be an obsession of mine. I was determined to ensure contact and connectivity at all times for my unit, and I was successful. Even if it required me to rewire a cellphone in the middle of the gulf of mexico and access the private cell network owned by the Shell Oil company….to this day I appreciate the anonymous operator who patched my call through as my team was out of gas drifting out to sea and I was able to establish communications in order to change the location we were extracted because we didn’t have the fuel to make our extract point.
For me I learned that communications was truly a lifesaving system. I also believe that I probably carried a bit more equipment than most other communicators, simply because I was always concerned that I might not have something I might need and for me not being able to establish communications was unacceptable.
I’m learning that as technology advances, the burden of being a “strongback” to carry stuff diminishes, but the critical importance of being able to rapidly establish and maintain communications anywhere is even more important.
We’ve taken additional steps to target and meet this need with the our latest ASAP design. This next system, code named “Eager Talent” will be even more disruptive than the previous ASAP X4C design some of you have seen. We will be unveiling “Eager Talent” in the next couple of months.
I’ll leave you with a clue.
I’ve started to enjoy Cliff Bars quite a bit lately, especially the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut flavor! While enjoying my tasty treat, I glanced at the back of the package and found some remarks from the founder, Gary Erickson. I’ll quote what’s on the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut package:
“While trekking Nepal, I met up with an expedition about to climb Dhaligiri, one of the world’s highest peaks. I figured that with more than 200 porters the expedition must have been traveling with at least 20,000 pounds of stuff Expeditionary climbing takes an enormous amount of energy, equipment, and people, to put just a handful of individuals on top of a mountain. My friends and I prefer to climb alpine style, we move quickly, carry light packs, and leave no waste behind. Each campsite is a beautiful destination in itself, not simply a means to an end. I don’t believe in reaching the top at any cost – in climbing or business. Clif Bar’s journey resembles alpine climbing. We try to travel light and are committed to keeping our company, products, people, community, and the earth healthy.” Gary Erickson, Founder and Owner of Clif Bar & Company.
With the “Eager Talent” system we are doing much of the “heavy lifting” for our customers in enabling them with a “travel light” capability that moves them closer to establishing and maintaining interoperable communications and information flow at all times in all situations and in all environments.
Cheers,
John Surmont
Founder, CEO
Sofcoast, Inc.
