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Wavelengths
On making a difference
By Glenn Bischoff
May 9, 2008
A mentor once told me that bars are the best places for a journalist to
hang out. He said that you meet the most interesting people in bars, and
they tend to be a little less inhibited. And he was right. Over the
years I have written many columns and stories from notes scribbled onto
bar napkins.
So, when I learned that a connecting flight was going to be delayed for
a few hours due to a mechanical problem, I did my journalistic duty and
headed for the airport’s bar. (OK, I’ll admit that it also had
something to do with the Sunday night baseball game that was just about
to start on the giant platinum TV -- and the fact I like beer.)
After a while, a young man grabbed the seat next to mine. He was in
fantastic shape -- his arms were as thick as my neck. The bartender
checked his ID and after learning that he was active military, bought
him the first beer. That seemed like a dandy idea, so I bought his
second beer. A conversation ensued. I asked him why he enlisted. He said
money had something to do with it -- apparently the military still is
offering fantastic incentives to enlistees -- as did the breakup of a
relationship. But he also told me that just about everyone in his family
had served in the military at one time or another -- both grandfathers,
both grandmothers, his mother and his brother, everyone but his father.
It was in his blood, he said, and the sense of duty was too
overwhelming.
He told me that he had been deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan during
his tour. I asked him which he preferred, and without hesitation he said
“Afghanistan.” I asked why. He said, “Because I’d rather get
shot at than blown up.” He then explained about the problem the Army
is having in Iraq with insurgents using all sorts of wireless devices --
including garage-door openers -- to trigger roadside improvised
explosive devices (IEDs).
I told him that MRT recently published an article on this topic (“Army’s
jamming strategy blows up,” March). I explained to him that the
Army first had tried to eliminate the threat by jamming the
insurgents’ triggering devices, but found that the tactic was causing
interference to its own devices. I told him the article explained that
the Army now is moving in new directions to solve the problem, which
included designating “spectrum manager” as a military occupational
specialty, which will ensure that such specialists are more quickly
deployed to where they are needed. The Army also introduced an 11-week
course on electronic warfare practices.
He thought about that for a moment. Then he said he thought the
situation had improved, but still wasn’t good. I didn’t know what to
say to that, so I simply nodded. A few minutes later, it was time to
catch my flight. I wished him Godspeed. He thanked me for the beer.
When we’re young and full of hope and energy, we passionately want to
change the world. As the years unfold and hope gives way to reality and
the energy fades, our mindset changes and we settle for the goal of
making a difference while we’re in this life, leaving the world a
little better than how we found it.
Without question, my bar mate is making a difference. I like to think we
at MRT are making a difference. I like to think that the
information we provide and the insights we offer trigger something in
our readers that leads to a technological or strategic breakthrough that
will keep first responders and military personnel a little safer.
I suppose I’ll never really know whether we are making a difference.
But I do know this: it is soldiers like the one I met in the bar who
will keep me trying.
E-mail me at gbischoff@mrtmag.com
Correction: Two weeks ago, in the column "DHS making an impact on
interoperability," the name of one of the participating companies in the
demonstration was misspelled. The correct spelling is SyTech. We regret
the error.
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In the News
Speakers:
Smart meter sector needs help from regulators
By Glenn Bischoff
May 6, 2008
ORLANDO--Currently, smart meter penetration nationwide
is less than 5%, and use of the intelligent devices won’t
proliferate—and consumers won’t reap their full benefits—until
regulators change the way they think. So said two speakers yesterday at
the Utilities Telecom Council’s annual conference.
MA-COM
announces availability of high-power 4.9 GHz WiMAX solution
By Donny Jackson
May 6, 2008
Tyco Electronics’ M/A-COM yesterday announced the
availability of new high-power, 4.9 GHz WiMAX base stations and
subscriber stations that are designed to be used by utilities and
public-safety agencies.
Trilliant,
Motorola partner on wireless meter reading system
By Mary Rose Roberts
May 6, 2008
Trilliant, a provider of advanced metering
infrastructure (AMI) based on open standards, and Motorola announced
that they have co-developed an advanced meter communications solutions
for iDEN public and private utility customers.
Click here for more
news
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More News
Trident
to start demos of its interoperability solution
May 9, 2008
Team Simoco,
DX Radio to update IP network for Michigan utility alliance
May 9, 2008
Keithley
releases v6 of switching handbook
May 8, 2008
SkyPort
provides satellite-based communications to oil, gas clients
May 8, 2008
Ontario-based
university deploys Aruba wireless solution
May 8, 2008
Strix Systems
wireless system supports communications in sub-Sahara Africa
May 8, 2008
NeoTerra
released V3.1
May 6, 2008
Click here for more
news briefs
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