MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP BUTLER, Okinawa, Japan – U.S. Marines from across III Marine Expeditionary Force participated in training focused on the further development of the Strategic Tasked Organic RF Machines (STORM) system on Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 16, 2024.

The training allowed Marines, within the 06XX military occupational specialty field, to evaluate and test the STORM system. During this event, the Marines worked alongside engineers and software developers from John Hopkins University (JHU) Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) to field test the system, to include fragility of the system and user accessibility of the software.

STORM provides map overlays that can help provide estimated locations of signals of interest. This capability is vital for situational awareness of the current Electromagnetic Operations Environment (EMOE) to the troops on the ground and back to the commander for appropriate decision making.

Cpl. Matthew Spicer, a 0627 Satellite Systems operator with Marine Wing Communications Squadron 18, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing explained, “We found out, you can scan for only your frequencies, as opposed to everything else, so it'll (STORM System) get out all the mesh to help you manage your signals much better and more efficiently.”

The Marines were able to provide valuable feedback on field sustainability and durability to the STORM’s developers. The experience also provided Marines the ability to enhance their knowledge beyond their MOS specific tools.

“It's teaching them something outside of what we do every day. We’re expanding upon our capabilities of what we already know, because a lot of us are really good at our specific jobs, but don't really get to see things outside of it” says Spicer. “This is something that relates to every communicator.”

Implementation of the STORM system will help Marine communicators in decision -making at the tactical level and provide critical information in future conflicts. In the 39th Commandant’s Planning Guidance, General Eric Smith, Commandant of the Marine Corps, states “...command and control, as well as our ability to share data, will play an outsized role in future conflict, especially in realizing distributed concepts such as the Stand-in Forces and Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations”.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP BUTLER, Okinawa, Japan – U.S. Marines from across III Marine Expeditionary Force participated in training focused on the further development of the Strategic Tasked Organic RF Machines (STORM) system on Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 16, 2024.

The training allowed Marines, within the 06XX military occupational specialty field, to evaluate and test the STORM system. During this event, the Marines worked alongside engineers and software developers from John Hopkins University (JHU) Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) to field test the system, to include fragility of the system and user accessibility of the software.

STORM provides map overlays that can help provide estimated locations of signals of interest. This capability is vital for situational awareness of the current Electromagnetic Operations Environment (EMOE) to the troops on the ground and back to the commander for appropriate decision making.

Cpl. Matthew Spicer, a 0627 Satellite Systems operator with Marine Wing Communications Squadron 18, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing explained, “We found out, you can scan for only your frequencies, as opposed to everything else, so it'll (STORM System) get out all the mesh to help you manage your signals much better and more efficiently.”

The Marines were able to provide valuable feedback on field sustainability and durability to the STORM’s developers. The experience also provided Marines the ability to enhance their knowledge beyond their MOS specific tools.

“It's teaching them something outside of what we do every day. We’re expanding upon our capabilities of what we already know, because a lot of us are really good at our specific jobs, but don't really get to see things outside of it” says Spicer. “This is something that relates to every communicator.”

Implementation of the STORM system will help Marine communicators in decision -making at the tactical level and provide critical information in future conflicts. In the 39th Commandant’s Planning Guidance, General Eric Smith, Commandant of the Marine Corps, states “...command and control, as well as our ability to share data, will play an outsized role in future conflict, especially in realizing distributed concepts such as the Stand-in Forces and Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations”.