[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]A Program Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (PEO IEW&S) soldier was recently recognized with a Bronze Star for his actions while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lieutenant Col. Wilbur D. Richburg, Product Manager Radars Project Lead, EQ-36 Radar, earned the medal for his role as the Assistant Product Manager, Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems, Iraq.
Richburg, a 19-year veteran, deployed from October 2005 through November 2006 spending time at Contingency Operating Base (COB) Q-West, Baghdad, COB Speicher, and COB Anaconda. Some of the tasks he was charged with during his tour were to design, build, operate, sustain infrastructure communications and a Technical Control Facility (TCF). He was responsible for setting up the architecture for network communications for both Contingency Operating Bases.
According to the citation approved by Lt. Gen. Ross Thompson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology), “(Then) Maj. Richburg led the implementation of critical Strategic Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) capabilities that proved an immediate force multiplier for combat units at the FOBs and COBs.”
The capabilities which were valued at over $130 million provided centralized C4 operations centers with robust classified and unclassified high capacity voice, video and data communications infrastructure capable of supporting more than 100,000 warfighting troops.
The improvements that Richburg provided leant themselves to both operational capabilities upgrades and contributed to the increased morale of deployed soldiers. Prior to his arrival, in theater communications for units were hampered by the fact that it relied solely on the military tactical infrastructure systems for communications.
While supporting Camp Speicher, Richburg accomplished laying the fiber for the backbone for the installation. “The backbone is the fiber that goes in the ground and supports the entire network so that when people log on their system your voice/data transmissions would run throughout the fiber ring on-base and then is transmitted out through a satellite at one point on the COB/FOB. That’s how email traffic is transmitted.,” said Richburg.
Establishing the backbone of the network infrastructure is required before transmitting commercial communications. This was difficult due to warfighters exclusive reliance on tactical communications. “They used the military system, military vehicles and military satellite on the move communications to pipe information back and forth, but the bandwidth from that capability is very limited and to support that type of network for NIPR/SIPR/CENTRIX traffic takes a large number of signals corps soldiers and contractors to support it,” said Richburg.
Richburg realized there are a number of advantages the new system could bring to his fellow soldiers including a reduction in deployment lengths. “The sooner we could get the backbone network the sooner many (Signals Corps) soldiers could be relieved and they could go home.”
In addition, to allowing for numerous soldiers to be redeployed months earlier than expected, the increased bandwidth capabilities created by Richburg’s improvements in the infrastructure communications on-base gave many soldiers an instant morale boost with an added ability to communicate with family and friends at home. “Normally everytime we would try to call back to the states at 1700 (5 p.m.) in Iraq, your chances of making a successful call was about 20-30 percent of connecting and holding that signal,” said Richburg. Once they added more bandwidth, the transmission capability increased the chances of getting a clearer signal during peak hours to better then 70 percent.
The award citation also noted some of the challenges Richburg had to overcome which dealt with everything from sporadic indirect fire to daily temperatures in excess of 120 degrees. Additionally the local environment and personnel he was responsible for implementing his plans were also concerns for him.
“Anything we did had to be protected from mortar attacks and sand storms,” said LTC Richburg. “I had 3 large electronic power plant generators attached to my Technical Control Facility. We had to take precautions during sand-storms from affecting the filters, summer heat burning out the fuses, wet-stacking, HVAC operations, along with cutover and migration services to pass voice/data communications to Kuwait and Europe from Iraq.”
Reacting to earning the Bronze Star, Richburg said, “it is nice to be recognized but I like to focus on the bigger picture and see the results of the success with all the users in theatre. They are the soldiers, airmen, marines, government employees, and contractors out there that are actually using the system and are thankful for the system.”
Richburg, who has a degree in biology and chemistry from South Carolina State University where he was a member of the Reserve Officer Training Corps, began his Army career as a Chemical Corps officer, followed by stints with Infantry (Light and Heavy), Artillery, Armor, Medical, Chemical Corps units and as a Basic Training Company Commander before he decided to join the Army Acquisition Corps.
His current role thrusts him into the lead for another system that will continue to improve the lives for soldiers in the field. As the project lead for the EQ-36, he is responsible for the first countermortar radar that will provide a 360-degree long-range capability.
The area that he relishes most about his new position is the fact that he gets to work with the users in the field and he will be able to see the positive results in the future. Richburg sees the amount of work he and his team have before them as a secondary concern compared to its eventual benefits to soldiers.
“You don’t look at the intensity of the job but rather the people you are going to satisfy when you do that job and how much you are going to make their life better,” said Richburg. “This radar system will allow soldiers to have increased confidence to feel safer from mortar and artillery threats.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]