Building Upon a Legacy through Unprecedented Transformation

By Col. Julia M. Donley

Article published on: September 1, 2025 in the Fall/Winter 2025 Edition of Army Communicator

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The Army is undergoing a rapid transformation. Consolidations – Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and Army Futures Command (AFC) into Transformation and Training Command (T2COM), Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), Army North (ARNORTH), and Army South (ARSOUTH) into Western Hemisphere Command – are occurring alongside a critical evolution within the Signal Regiment to meet the demands of the future force. Building upon a legacy that began with a single flag and torch in the Civil War Era, we are now modernizing to provide commanders with decision dominance. This evolution is Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2).

NGC2 is fundamentally changing how Signaleers support commanders, impacting personnel across the Regiment from U.S. Army Network Command (NETCOM) to the maneuver battalion. Over the next 30 months, the Army will divest legacy WIN-T capabilities from the Global War on Terrorism Era and field lighter, scalable, and more capable communications capabilities that are far more than a baseband and a transmission source. These packages will enable an intelligent, adaptive, and threat-informed network tailored to meet the commanders needs, putting them back in command and control.

The Signal School is actively reevaluating its instruction, identifying outdated material, and updating the curriculum to develop Signaleers grounded in fundamental signal concepts, rather than solely focused on specific equipment. All signal Advanced Individual Training (AIT) Soldiers, regardless of military occupational specialty (MOS), will receive a Basic Communicator Module. This module will provide a foundational understanding of routing, switching, waveform propagation, and signal flow, better preparing them to operate any communications equipment they are issued upon arrival at their first unit.

Recognizing a significant collective training gap following new equipment fielding and new equipment training (NET/NEF), we established Signal–Mobile Advanced Readiness Training (S-MART), leveraging the Regional Signal Training Sites (RSTS). This program is tailored to unit needs, reinforces both institutional and RSTS training, and utilizes newly fielded equipment to provide Soldiers with hands-on experience operating the next generation of communications gear at their home station. S-MART will expand over the next 12 months, with scheduled training for multiple divisions, bridging the gap as NGC2 becomes operational.

This year will be marked by significant and necessary changes across the Army and the Signal Regiment as we train and prepare for the challenges of large-scale combat operations. These changes reinforce the commander’s critical need for Signaleers who are both proficient leaders and technical experts. Throughout its history, the Signal Regiment has consistently adapted to support commanders’ communication requirements in any battlespace, and today is no different. I am confident that we will rise to this challenge, as we have continually met our Army’s challenges for the last 165 years.

Pro Patria Vigilans! Watchful for the Country!