Tactical Employment Considerations of HF Radios in the Cavalry Squadron
By Brigadier General Robert L. Edmonson, II, Brigadier General David S. Doyle, Lieutenant Colonel Ryan D. Seagreaves, Major Matthew G. Sherburne
| April 30, 2019
There are a few misconceptions about the use of High Frequency (HF) communications in the U.S. Army today, especially in a Decisive Action Training Environment (DATE). Based on the US military’s experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan with theater provided equipment, leaders assume that HF will provide the means to conduct a one-for-one exchange of a unit’s typical slate of FM nets to include Command, O&I, A&L and Fires that are each operated on a separate radio. Others assume that since putting an HF radio into operation is relatively easy, units should be able to put an HF network into operation with ease. The truth is that units only have enough HF radios to establish communications between key leaders. To put them into operation in an effective HF network requires a higher level of training and understanding than units currently have. The network is what is needed for effective Mission Command. This article records the observations of Cavalry Squadron’s HF use at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), illuminate why units struggle, and convey recommendations and resources for HF training at home station so units can take maximize their HF capabilities for employment in a DATE scenario and prepare for potential large-scale combat operations.
Tactical Employment Considerations of HF Radios in the Cavalry Squadron