U.S. Army, Lt. Col. Nicholas E. Prisco, Commander,

U.S. Army, Lt. Col. Nicholas E. Prisco, Commander, 39th Signal Battalion and Belgian Army, Lt. Col. Michel P. Flohimont, Commander, 6th Group (Communication and Information Systems) CIS discuss about GENESIX Operation Combined Lightning exercise. Saint Hubert Belgium, 28th June 2016.
The 39th Signal Battalion based out of Chièvres Belgium has developed a lasting partnership with the Belgian Army 6th Group CIS by conducting combined training and communication exercises. Both units have been working together and exploring technical challenges surrounding interoperability with the hope of integrating military communication systems. The intent of Operation Combined Lightning is for the two nations to integrate satellite communication systems. The 39th Signal Battalion and 44th Expeditionary Signal Tactical Battalion (based on Grafenwoehr, Germany) setup a satellite terminal at the Belgium field site and the Belgian Army uses it and connect to the Belgian defense network and give Belgian Commanders the ability to exercise command and control. The biggest challenge at every NATO led joint exercise in Europe always deals with the ability for allied nations to communicate. In this Belgium exercise, the US equipment is the backbone to enable Belgian Commanders the ability to communicate with other Belgian units. This is a test to see if a U.S. satellite terminal can connect to the Belgian network and provide Belgian Commander on the ground the ability to communicate via Belgian networks. In Europe, it is not unusual to find U.S. tanks crossing a German-assembled bridge or U.S. aircraft landing at a British airfield. One of LTG Hodges priorities for US Army Europe is to build relationships with Allies and Partners and maintain a dynamic presence. The strength of Europe relies on our ability to be interoperable with other nations. (U.S. Army Photo by Visual Information Specialist Henri Cambier)