An official website of the United States government         Here's how you know         
**Official websites use .mil**
A **.mil** website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
**Secure .mil websites use HTTPS**
 A **lock (lock )** or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Skip to main content (Press Enter).

National GuardAlways Ready Always There

National Guard

                - 

Search

Search
Search

-  Home		 
-  News    -  Guard News         
  -  Overseas Operations         
  -  State Partnership Program         
  -  News Features         
  -  RSS Feeds         
  -  Press Releases         
  -  Transcripts 
-  Features    -  Features by Year         
  -  Posture Statement         
  -  State Partnership Program         
  -  Special Features 
-  About the Guard    -  How We Began         
  -  Air National Guard         
  -  Army National Guard      -  DEERS Soldier Journey         
    -  Leader Development Program 
  -  History and Heritage         
  -  I am the Guard         
  -  NGB Official March 
-  Leadership    -  CNGB         
  -  VCNGB         
  -  SEA         
  -  DANG         
  -  DARNG         
  -  Joint Staff      -  J-1         
    -  J-2         
    -  J-3         
    -  J-4         
    -  J-5         
    -  J-6         
    -  J-7         
    -  J-8         
    -  Personal Staff        -  Inspector General         
      -  General Counsel         
      -  Public Affairs         
      -  Executive Support Services         
      -  Legislative Liaison 
    -  Special Staff        -  National Guard Office of Special Victims' Counsel         
      -  Office of the Provost Marshal         
      -  Office of the Joint Surgeon         
      -  Director of Acquisitions         
      -  Small Business Programs         
      -  Chaplain         
      -  Senior Leader Management Office         
      -  Diversity Equity Inclusion 
    -  Comptroller 
-  Resources    -  National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance         
  -  Community Engagement         
  -  FOIA         
  -  Fact Sheets         
  -  Helpful Links         
  -  Image Gallery      -  News Images         
    -  Graphics         
    -  Historical Paintings 
  -  Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion         
  -  Legislative Liaison         
  -  Small Business Programs         
  -  Social Media         
  -  State Websites         
  -  Videos      -  Featured Videos         
    -  On Every Front         
    -  2019 Videos         
    -  2020 Videos         
    -  2021 Videos 
  -  Suicide Prevention         
  -  Family Programs         
  -  Environmental         
  -  Trial Defense Service         
  -  Holistic Wellness Challenge 
-  Contact Us		 

Home : News : Article View

PHOTO INFORMATION

** Download

** Details

** Share

# Soldiers train to detect, defend against electronic warfare

By Staff Sgt. Michael CardenOhio National Guard

CAMP GRAYLING, Mich. - Knowing your location and the location of the enemy is paramount on the battlefield, and with the advent of satellites and GPS, U.S. Soldiers can pinpoint their exact position down to the meter. What happens when that signal is jammed?

 Ohio National Guard Soldiers are training with a team from the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Army Strategic Command (USASMDC/ARSTRAT) on how to identify and mitigate electronic warfare that targets GPS systems.

 "There are adversaries out there with the capability to deny, degrade and disrupt our capabilities," said Capt. Kyle Terza, chief of home station training for USASMDC. "The threat is out there and, while we may not be facing it right now, if we are looking toward the future, we have to be trained and ready to operate without it."

 Terza's team provides training and resources to both Soldiers maintaining communication and data networks and Soldiers out in the field who are most likely to encounter electronic warfare.

 "We've been so focused on counterinsurgency, it's good to train for dealing with adversaries with comparable technologies," said Staff Sgt. Matthew Merzke, a squad leader with the 1487th Transportation Company, located in Piqua, Ohio. "It's out there and we need to know how to deal with it."

 Most Soldiers are familiar with the Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR), commonly referred to as a '"dagger." It's a hand-held GPS receiver that is used in conjunction with many Army systems such as satellite receivers and battlefield command systems, but how they work is a mystery to many.

 "A majority of our younger Soldiers have probably never even heard of electronic warfare or have been exposed to it," Terza said. "It was a great training opportunity for them."

 Soldiers were able to get hands-on with their DAGRs, learning how to recognize when they were being jammed and how to mitigate the electromagnetic interference (EMI). With the team from USASMDC offering guidance, Soldiers were able to triangulate and find the device that was blocking their signals.

 "This is stuff we need to know to be able to train better Soldiers," Merzke said, "to keep them safe and bring them home alive."

 By the end of the training, Soldiers had laid the groundwork to take the instruction back to their units to help others understand the challenges and how to adapt.

 "They understand how to recognize it, how to report it and who to report it to." Terza said. "If they do enter a contested environment, they are prepared for it."

**                    SHARE                

**                    PRINT