U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Stevie Jones, United States Forces–Iraq server room non-commissioned officer in-charge, and Tech. Sgt. Samuel Sapiera, USF-I system administrator search the computer for communications guidance on Camp Victory, Iraq, March 4, 2010. The mission of the Airman and Soldiers in the United States Forces- Iraq J6 communications directorate server room is to provide network core services on both secret internet protocol and non-secure internet protocol routers throughout Camp Victory. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Trish Bunting/Released)

U.S. Army Specialist Travis Barriga, United States Forces-Iraq computer information administrator, works on a trouble ticket at his desk on Camp Victory, Iraq, March 4, 2010 The mission of the Airman and Soldiers in the United States Forces- Iraq J6 communications directorate server room is to provide network core services on both secret internet protocol and non-secure internet protocol routers throughout Camp Victory. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Trish Bunting/Released)

Communication wins wars

Published March 8, 2010
By Senior Airman Jarrod R. Chavana
ACCE Public Affairs

BAGHDAD -- The mission of the Airman and Soldiers in the United States Forces- Iraq J6 communications directorate server room is to provide network core services on both secret internet protocol and non-secure internet protocol routers throughout Camp Victory.

The USF-I personnel work together in order to maintain updates, e-mail, service communication and equipment.

Communication is one of the militaries most distinctive capabilities in the area of information superiority, according to Air Force Tech. Sgt. Samuel Sapiera, USF-I J6 server room noncommissioned officer in charge. It allows joint force commanders to keep pace with information and integrate this information into a timely campaign plan.

"Security is our number one issue and changes are made to our servers routinely," said to Sergeant Sapiera, deployed from Fort Meade, Md. "Making changes is the cause of some of our issues."

The server room personnel utilize a trouble ticketing system called "Remedy". They receive between 50 and 100 remedy tickets, in which they categorize in order of importance.

"We have some problems that require you to study and test the solutions," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Skyler Brown, USF-I J6 site administrator, deployed from Misawa Air Base, Japan. "Some problems we have don't have a TO, so we have to troubleshoot to figure out the problem and it's one of the most challenging and yet favorite parts of my job."

The Air Force creates step by step guides, which are called TO or technical orders. The military writes these manuals and gives them to personnel, who use them for problems that routinely come up.

The overall consensus of working in a joint environment is each branch of service has its own training and ways of fixing problems. This allows for new perspectives and solutions to solving problems.

"The Air Force receives more job specific training where as the Army gets a variety of training," said Army Specialist Travis Barriga, USF-I J6 computer information, deployed from Fort Lewis, Wash. "We are able to share each other's practices and create a better joint service. We will all leave here more confident at what we do."