Military Signal Intelligence Training Strategy 1st Iteration
by U.S. Army Candy C. Knight 2d Theater Signal Brigade
May 8, 2024

The 2d Theater Signal Brigade’s Intelligence and Security Directorate (S2), and the brigade’s Communications Directorate (S6), successfully implemented the first iteration of U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s (USAREUR-AF) premier Military Signal Intelligence Training Strategy (MSITS) during a weeklong training April 22 to 26, 2024.

Entitled SUPREME CONFIDENCE, the training event tested the brigade’s intelligence architecture plan and its ability to develop a program of record for exposing junior intelligence analysts to large-scale combat operations and intelligence support to expeditionary signal operations.

The training event also increased the Soldiers' familiarity with strategic satellite communications support for noncombatant evacuation operations.

“This training event leveraged existing training partnerships between the 2d Theater Signal Brigade and the European Foundry Training Platform, while incorporating nascent capabilities and external directorates,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Adam Wells, NCO-in charge, S2, 2d Theater Signal Brigade.

Wells, who established MSITS to support the brigade’s expeditionary mission set, crafted the SUPREME CONFIDENCE training scenario’s operational environment to include various elements of the USA’s strategic interests.

The S6 Soldiers implemented the brigade’s information technology requirements necessary to facilitate an operational intelligence architecture external to the brigade’s organic footprint.

The S2 Soldiers trained on elements of the United States’ strategic interests in the Arctic region, to include freedom of navigation along the Northern Sea Route, territorial claims and disputes among the Arctic States, and increasing military power projection from near-peer adversaries in the Arctic.

“I’m new to the unit, and I hope to learn how to use and operate the equipment we brought for the training event,” said U.S. Army Cpl. JustineDee Mercado, Help Desk Technician, S6, 2d Theater Signal Brigade. “Learning to operate the system helped me add a new skill to my arsenal and overall helped me become a more well-rounded Soldier.”

The training event also incorporated an open-source intelligence intranet component through the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) G2’s Information Operations Network (ION). As a result, analysts could interact with state-sponsored and non-state cyber threat actor profiles within the scenario.

“I participated in the training event with the hope of gaining a better understanding of intelligence preparation for the operational environment,” said U.S. Army Spc. Joshua Tydings, Intelligence Analyst, 2d Theater Signal Brigade. “This training event helps my career development by allowing me to implement my fundamental knowledge as an analyst in different types of strategic and tactical operations.”

SUPREME CONFIDENCE further exposed the brigade’s intelligence analysts to publicly available information and open-source intelligence practices within a closed, scenario-based intranet training sandbox.

Staff Sgt. Wells created a dynamic and interactive training environment where state-sponsored and non-state cybercriminal threat actor personas intentions were to disrupt critical infrastructure required to sustain commercial and tactical satellite communication mission requirements.

In a first for the brigade, the training event successfully integrated artificial intelligence training components, which exposed analysts to cybercriminals and state-sponsored actors that leverage artificial intelligence capabilities to enhance their objectives. The actors also used AI to exploit platforms to attack vulnerabilities within them. The use of AI helped create immersive reporting and media content for exploitation and threat characterization.

SUPREME CONFIDENCE’s realistic and immersive training scenarios help increase the Soldiers’ communication skills and enhance the interoperability between the two directorates. The training also improved the brigade’s readiness to attack more challenging problems.

“This training enabled me to expand my technical aperture by allowing me to lead a tactical intelligence cell at a unit I otherwise would not have,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Jakob DeHoop, Senior Signals Intelligence Analyst, 2d Theater Signal Brigade. “I needed this experience leading intelligence Soldiers in an training event capacity to gain a deeper understanding of the tactical functions that apply to being an intelligence analyst.”

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