GEN Benjamin S. Griffin (front right), Army Materiel Command Commanding General, visited JUICE at Fort Monmouth in 2006. To Griffin’s left is Gary Martin, Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center Director at the time. (U.S. Army photo.)

Qualified military and government personnel interested in resolving Joint interoperability issues across theaters, military services, and DOD and civil agencies are invited to the annual DOD Joint Users Interoperability Communications Exercise (JUICE) at Fort Monmouth, NJ, June 2-19, 2008.

Hosted and conducted by the Software Engineering Center (SEC), a directorate of the U.S. Army’s Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC), JUICE has been held at Fort Monmouth since 1994. SEC delivers life-cycle software solutions that ensure warfighting superiority and information dominance from the operational environment through the sustaining base. Headquartered at Fort Monmouth, SEC has offices throughout the United States and the world.

JUICE is the only exercise of its type offered to military and government personnel. “JUICE provides a truly unique, one-of-a-kind opportunity for all of us who work with communications systems to see the latest in technological developments while also sharing information on current communications equipment and approaches,” said Acting SEC Director Stephen Kovacs.

As in past years, attendees from around the world will work together during the 3-week exercise to participate in mission-related activities on a deployed joint task force network, facilitated by warfighters and executed under the sponsorship of a supported regional combat command.

Exercise participants will be able to engage in new technologies, receive training, obtain assessments and certification of existing and evolving technologies, and resolve technical problems or challenges that they may be experiencing in their mission to improve warfighter survivability on the battlefield.

U.S. Air Force BG Michael Basla (left) and BG Nick Justice attended JUICE at Fort Monmouth in 2007. (U.S. Army photo.)

Invitation-only VIP days, June 17 and 19, provide senior-level personnel a unique opportunity to review the latest developments in government and commercial technologies designed to support and improve communications systems. “General officers and senior executives from around the world attend JUICE during the VIP days,” said Kovacs. “It’s a valuable opportunity for senior leaders to learn firsthand about cutting-edge technology and see how it applies to real-life operations.”

SEC recommends JUICE participation for those interested in communications interoperability among DOD, military services, the National Guard Bureau, the Defense Information Systems Agency and other government agencies that develop, operate and maintain all tactical communications networks. Past participants have included project managers, systems engineers, software developers, information technology specialists, chief information and chief technology officers, and personnel from active units and combat commands. Important information for participants follows:

• JUICE attendance is free, but travel expenses are the participant’s responsibility.
• Secret-level security clearance is required.
• Vendors require government sponsorship.
• JUICE participants who attended the mid-planning conference Feb. 26-28 or the final planning conference Apr. 29-May 1 held at the L-3 Ilex facility in Eatontown, NJ, should be prepared to discuss their objectives.
• For more information, contact the Office of the Executive Agent for Joint Tactical Networks at (732) 532-8053 or john.caruso@us.army.mil.
• Media contact is Timothy Rider at (732) 532-1258 or timothy.rider@us.army.mil.

Article courtesy of the CECOM LCMC Public Affairs Office.