# Turn off your cell phone - USMC Commandant



## dapaterson (11 Aug 2016)

> The ...commandant of the Marines Corps, said today's Marines have gotten a little too comfortable with modern conveniences in a way that could prove disastrous on the battlefield.
> ...
> "When was the last time ... when you saw Marines or soldiers operating in Iraq or Afghanistan when they camouflaged their face or they broke up the outline of their helmet with camouflage so they couldn't be seen? When was the last time you saw that?" he asked.
> "We've been operating out of fixed positions. We have not moved across the ground. We have not maneuvered. We have not lived off the land," Neller said. "We've been eating in chow halls and drinking green bean coffee. That's pretty nice."
> ...



http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/10/politics/marines-cell-phones-general-robert-neller/index.html


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## sandyson (11 Aug 2016)

Good luck General.  Those telephones have become a part of personality.  People drive on the busiest highways and talk or text on the damn things.  People walk through traffic using them. That telephones interrupt person to person conversations is acceptable manners.  People check the 'phones' last thing at night, first thing in the morning and seemingly every few minutes in between.  etc.  Other than disconnecting the cell phone infrastructure I doubt the military will ever again control electromagnetic signature of units of soldiers.  Someone is going to sneak one 'in' and turn it on even in the middle of nowhere.


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## Oldgateboatdriver (11 Aug 2016)

However, I think the general is exaggerating a bit.

That soldier/seaman on a ship in the middle of nowhere may have a GPS in his cell phone - but he ain't calling anyone. There are no cell phone antennas in the middle of the ocean: You get no bars. And any shipboard network is under the control of the CCR. So maybe when you are close enough to shore but otherwise...  ;D


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## Good2Golf (11 Aug 2016)

Oldgateboatdriver said:
			
		

> However, I think the general is exaggerating a bit.
> 
> That soldier/seaman on a ship in the middle of nowhere may have a GPS in his cell phone - but he ain't calling anyone. There are no cell phone antennas in the middle of the ocean: You get no bars. And any shipboard network is under the control of the CCR. So maybe when you are close enough to shore but otherwise...  ;D



...although if they take pictures, etc... the GPS metadata can be used against the force should such pictures make they way to become open source....as it has been against Al Queda and ISIS.  

Regards
G2G


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## Red 6 (11 Aug 2016)

Here's the line from CNN about what General Nellis said: "US Marines need to put away their cell phones, forget about their fancy coffees and get back to doing what Marines used to do -- dig a foxhole, cover up, stay quiet and be wary, the Corps' top officer says."

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/10/politics/marines-cell-phones-general-robert-neller/

It isn't an ALMAR, so it doesn't carry the weight of specific orders. He was saying that our forces need to get back to the basics of full-spectrum warfighting. The US Army's top leaders are saying the same things. I don't think General Nellis was saying to quit using cell phones at all. 

On a sidenote, the CMC is taking a good deal of flak for using the term 'foxhole.' Marines don't use foxholes. They build 'fighting positions,' and the snark patrols are out in force over that one. ;D


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## Lightguns (11 Aug 2016)

The Russians and the Chinese have been working really hard on defection doctrine, I suspect they see our and Republic of China's youth personal dependence on cell phones as a force multiplier for them.  We don't help because we do not discipline the use of these devices by our troops on field exercises for welfare purposes.  Using a cell phone is good dog and not considered in the greater ECM plan.  I think that is wrong, I think we will pay for that omission in all arms counter electronic warfare training.


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## dapaterson (11 Aug 2016)

On the other hand, the insufficient comms holdings of the CAF mean that activities are often dependent on the civilian comms infrastructure (including cell phones).  I may or may not have seen a RRR come in once via text message...


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## Jarnhamar (11 Aug 2016)

> ...
> "When was the last time ... when you saw Marines or soldiers operating in Iraq or Afghanistan when they camouflaged their face or they broke up the outline of their helmet with camouflage so they couldn't be seen? When was the last time you saw that?"



Camo-faced soldiers with bushy helmets operating in the desert or urban environments makes a lot of sense to me.


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## MARS (11 Aug 2016)

Jarnhamar said:
			
		

> Camo-faced soldiers with bushy helmets operating in the desert or urban environments makes a lot of sense to me.



 ;D

A Bridge Too Far - The wrong camouflage


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## medicineman (11 Aug 2016)

I was looking for that earlier, lol.

MM


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## OldSolduer (12 Aug 2016)

Jarnhamar said:
			
		

> Camo-faced soldiers with bushy helmets operating in the desert or urban environments makes a lot of sense to me.



I'm going to Dundurn on Sunday. We're doing defensive ops. Bushy helmets and cam paint are back in style. At least they will be of someone hasn't made it so.

And one of my tips will be " you don't need to find Pokemon in your trench, turn your damn phone off"


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## SeaKingTacco (12 Aug 2016)

I seem to have heard someplace that there are still parts of the Dundurn Trg area that do no get cell phone reception.


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## medicineman (12 Aug 2016)

I always remember being on 2 CMBG's COP COBRA ex in Gagetown and listening to a debrief by then 2 EW Sqn about all the int they collected simply from cell phone conversations.  EMCON is important...

MM


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## George Wallace (12 Aug 2016)

medicineman said:
			
		

> I always remember being on 2 CMBG's COP COBRA ex in Gagetown and listening to a debrief by then 2 EW Sqn about all the int they collected simply from cell phone conversations.  EMCON is important...
> 
> MM



I remember a similar story of a RCR CO who could not figure out why the Enemy Force always knew where his forces were.....until the Hot Wash where the EW guys played back his complete Orders that he had given to his troops over a cellphone.


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