Advancement In Military

The advancements in information technology within the United States Army changed the battlefield. Through the identification of improvement that I have seen in my eighteen year military career, I will show changes on the battlefield in the areas of surveillance, communication and planning. Surveillance is a key part to the planning of any military operation. In the beginning of my career I would have sat in a two to four man Reconnaissance and Surveillance position and passed information about what I had seen back to my higher element, but once I left that position I could no longer verify that what I had reported had not changed. Today while the use of human intelligence is still viewed and the more reliable source, the availability of imagery from unmanned aircraft and satellites reduce the need for personal on the ground conducting surveillance. These improvements allow simultaneous surveillance to be conducted and viewed from any location. Communication is the passing of information or ideas form one person to another. In the beginning of my career my squad would have carried a single 25 pound radio capable of sending voice communication only. Today the radios weigh around seven and a half pounds, and are at least one per squad. The squad would also carry at least two smaller radios and a smart phone or tablet device …show more content…
Surveillance changed the battlefield, requiring fewer personal on the ground, while having a larger view of a location. Communication has changed the battlefield, by requiring less weight in communication equipment, addition of visual communication and a contingency line for communication. The planning within the Army has evolved the most with these improvements, combining what is learned from the surveillance while allowing for the simultaneous updates throughout military