Don't forget the Army's "phone company" either. Some of you may have heard of DISCCOM units. These units had 20ft connex boxes that were set up just like switching stations to manage communications in a Brigade or Group setting. Mobile versions were mounted on 5-Ton Trucks and Hummers. These systems used a human operator but were responsible for managing both "phone traffic" AND radio traffic between large numbers of units. They were also responsible for laying and managing the miles of commo wire that supported large operations. These units could easily connect to civilian phone systems when needed.
|