The next time the Thunderbirds of the U.S. Army’s 11th Signal Bde deploy, they will be equipped with new Combat Service Support Automated Information Systems Interface (CAISI) 2.0 systems and reset Combat Service Support Very Small Aperture Terminal (CSS VSAT) systems, thanks to Product Manager Defense Wide Transmission Systems (PM DWTS).

On Oct. 27, 2009, at Fort Huachuca, AZ, LTC Johnnie Edmonds, Director, CSS Communications, PM DWTS—who oversees the CAISI and CSS VSAT programs—presented an Officer Professional Development (OPD) training session to 11th Signal Bde officers, giving a broad overview of the CAISI 2.0 and CSS VSAT systems. The session included hands-on demonstrations of the systems by Robert Schmaling, a field support representative with PM DWTS; Rod Harp, a senior systems engineer with the Information Systems Engineering Command; Peter Nesby, Assistant PM CAISI for PM DWTS; and Brian Paden, CAISI support operations manager with PM DWTS. Paden later presented a new materiel introductory briefing to the 11th Signal Bde’s CSS Automation Management Officers (CSSAMOs), to whom PM DWTS fielded CAISI 2.0 systems in early December 2009. PM DWTS is part of the Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems Project Office of Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS).

System Benefits
Edmonds explained how the systems are designed for the transport of logistics data, noting that CAISI 2.0 connects a brigade’s logistics systems in a deployable wireless local area network (LAN). He added that CAISI 2.0 is the Army’s only certified wireless tactical LAN, meeting Wi-Fi protected access security standards and ensuring secure wireless transmissions.

CAISI 2.0 systems are deployed down to the company level and tied into CSS VSATs at the battalion or brigade level for Non-secure Internet Protocol Router Network satellite connectivity to transmit their Standard Army Management Information System transactions. “The use of CSS SATCOM [satellite communications], which includes CAISI and CSS VSATs, saves Soldiers’ lives by eliminating ‘sneaker net’—the need for Soldiers to get in convoys and go in harm’s way to place requisitions or deliver other logistics data,” said Edmonds. “Now, Soldiers can stay inside the wire and securely transmit requisitions and logistics data.”

CW2 Jeffrey Collins, CSSAMO for the 86th Signal Battalion (Bn), vouched for CAISI 2.0’s availability and effectiveness. “You turn CAISI 2.0 on and it’s there—it’s like you’re part of the network,” he said. “It’s great.”

Major Improvements
Both Edmonds and Paden spoke of vast improvements that PM DWTS included in CAISI 2.0 compared to the previous version, CAISI 1.1:

• A 20-times increase in range.
• A 7-times increase in data rate.
• A smaller logistics footprint, with fewer modules and two radios combined in one module.
• Easier setup, with the configuration pushed out by the root radio to all subordinate radios, automatically configuring them with passwords, encryption keys, and all information needed to communicate in the CAISI network.

Collins told about how, after he received CAISI 2.0 training, he went back and had his Soldiers manually reconfigure their CAISI 2.0. “They really appreciate the difference and were glad that CAISI 2.0 makes configuration so easy,” he said.

Edmonds explained that when in garrison, it is beneficial to use the CAISI network as if deployed. “In fact, the Army G-4 has issued a memorandum authorizing the use of CAISI and CSS VSATs in garrison by logisticians to conduct their day-to-day logistics business,” he said.

LTC Frank Gonzales, 86th Signal Bn Commander, and LTC Geoffrey Mangelsdorf, then-11th Signal Bde Deputy Commander, thanked Edmonds and his team for coming to Fort Huachuca to present the training session, which was the first such OPD presentation that PM DWTS personnel had given to a signal brigade. “This is a great opportunity to learn about what have become really great systems for the Army,” said Mangelsdorf.