Signal Professionals are at the Center of Rapid Transformation
By Command SGT MAJ Lisa M. Gandy
Article published on: November 1, 2025 in the Army Communicator Fall 2025 issue
Read Time: < 4 mins
Team Signal,
The Signal Regiment has forever been defined by our capacity to innovate and adapt through change. For over
165 years, we have served as the vital lifeline of command and control, evolving from the flag and torch
that began our legacy to the complex, global networks we operate today. Now, as our Army undergoes a period
of rapid transformation, it is our collective duty as Signaleers to pivot to what’s next.
The Army’s Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) system is not just another piece of equipment to
field; it represents a fundamental shift in how we provide commanders with decision dominance in large scale
combat operations. This evolution requires each of us – from our most senior leaders to our newest Soldiers
– to accept change, remain agile, and rededicate ourselves to our fundamental mission of enabling command
and control in any battlespace.
Our success in transitioning through this era rests squarely on the professionalism and technical expertise
of every single Signaleer. The Signal School is leading this effort by proactively updating its courseware
to develop a common set of core signal concepts, ensuring that every Soldier understands the “why” behind
what they do. This deliberate shift away from platform-specific training to a foundational understanding of
routing, switching, and signal flow will produce a more agile and adaptable Signaleer – one who can build
upon the foundational training with a little hands-on specific equipment training, to operate any
communications equipment they are issued upon arrival at their first unit.
Complementing these institutional reforms, we are actively closing the collective training gap with the
Signal-Mobile Advanced Readiness Training (S-MART) program, which brings much needed hands-on experience
with newly fielded equipment directly to our Signaleers at home station, tailored to their unit’s specific
needs. These are not merely plans to build better networks; they are plans to build better Signaleers
through a “train-the-trainer” approach. These initiatives reinforce the commander’s critical need for signal
professionals who are both proficient leaders and technical experts, qualified to overcome any challenge the
future battlefield may bring.
The history of our Regiment has proven time and again that we will answer the call, and I am certain that
together, we will continue to rise to this challenge. We will continue to “Get the Message Through!” and
enable our Army to fight and win wherever the nation requires.
Signal Proud! Signal Strong!
Command Sgt. Maj. Lisa M. Gandy,
26th Regimental Command Sergeant Major