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Greg Tavarez |
Supporting Warfighter Communications at Shaw AFB
Greg Tavarez
November 2009
In January 2008, MITRE opened a site in Sumter, S.C., to support the U.S. Air Force Central Command (AFCENT) at its Shaw Air Force Base headquarters. MITRE's Greg Tavarez, the site leader, has enjoyed the challenges of setting up a new site and providing direct support to his sponsor.
Tavarez, a MITRE employee since 2006, moved from the corporation's Langley site, in Hampton, Va., to start the new site. "The bulk of my work supports the development and deployment of airborne communication systems and command and control systems. I also support AFCENT's efforts to improve their systems engineering processes," he says.
His efforts over the past several years have contributed to the development and fielding of several different communications systems. "On one project, I worked on an airborne gateway that connects our ground troops and air platforms to the information they need to do what they do. I've also worked on alternate solutions for a voice radio relay capability that helps our ground guys stay connected. In addition, I supported the development of the communications architecture for an intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance platform to get the information off of the aircraft and into the hands of those that need it."
MITRE's Shaw AFB,
South Carolina, Site
Established in January 2008, MITRE's site at Shaw AFB is one of the corporation's newest. Located in Sumter, S.C., the site's sponsor is the U.S. Air Force's Central Command (AFCENT); the site primarily supports AFCENT's communications and operations in theater. |
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Frequently the implementation of these communications systems takes Tavarez far from home. He has made several trips in the past year to the Middle East to provide onsite support for the systems' integration and deployment in the field. He also met with warfighters to ascertain what aspects of their communication systems are working and where improvements could be made.
Other aspects of his work are more research-oriented. "We do some network research and development work here, such as the network operations common operational picture [NetCop] analysis project. For years, our guys at the AFCENT network operations systems center have been monitoring the theater networks to ensure links stay up and act quickly when they go down. They have also been archiving the traffic flow of those networks for future analysis. Now our sponsor has asked us to conduct the analysis on that traffic and build models to better plan for future networks."
He adds, "NetCop is one of those projects where it is easy to appreciate the complexity of it and envision the huge benefits of the models we are creating, not just for AFCENT but for the research and development community at large. Not a week goes by when somebody says, "we sure could use those models for this.' "
A Small Team Has a Big Impact
When the site first opened in January 2008, Tavarez and MITRE's Cathy Fisher were there. "Cathy and I are still the only ones currently here full-time," says Tavarez. "She works mainly on base communications engineering and has been an integral part of our support to our sponsor. Since Cathy has a long history working with AFCENT, she's been a tremendous resource and great to work with in starting this site."
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Greg Tavarez standing in front of the "Tree of Life" in Bahrain. |
Eventually another person from MITRE's Langley site will be relocating to Shaw AFB. "Chris Franklin, the project leader for AFCENT, is slated to move here," he says.
Tavarez is eager to let others in the corporation know what is different about MITRE's Shaw AFB site. "The one thing I try to tell folks about our work here at Shaw is that it's all a matter of perspective. For some, supporting the warfighter means working on a system to be fielded in five to 10 years. For others, it's three to five years. For those of us at Shaw, our work affects current combat operations—tomorrow through the next year. We're helping to field solutions that affect today's airmen and soldiers. At the same time, we're helping to form future systems by giving the current warfighter's perspective."
He continues, "Since Shaw is a very small site, we do rely heavily on MITRE reach-back. We collaborate with folks at the McLean [Va.] and Bedford [Mass.] campuses daily, as well as with staff from many other sites."
This interaction works both ways. "Cathy and I are regularly sought out for information and expertise relating to combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. We make an effort to get involved in company-wide technical exchange meetings and other user group meetings we can contribute to or benefit from. Additionally, I have a briefing about the site that I use at every opportunity to make folks aware of the work we're doing and how we can help each other with our respective tasks."
On a more personal note, Tavarez and his family have settled in and are enjoying their new home. "Sumter has a great small-town atmosphere where everyone knows everyone," he says. "Eventually I'd like to start using my private pilot's license again. Being around all these airplanes every day certainly gives me the urge to fly."
—by Kay M. Upham
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