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The Georgia Army National Guard this month activated the U.S. Army’s first electromagnetic warfare company.
“Today we activate the 111th Electronic Warfare Company, a unit that will be at the forefront of our capabilities in the electromagnetic spectrum,” said Lt. Col. Luke Gurley, the commander of its parent command, the 221st Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion.
The ceremony, held June 7 at the Fort Gillem Enclave in Georgia, also included Capt. Caleb Rogers assuming command of the company.
Rogers told Task & Purpose that the 111th EW will have three primary roles that distinguish the unit from others: intercepting and tracking military and tactical data from enemy forces, conducting cyberattacks on the enemy and countering remote-controlled drones.
The forward-thinking approach of the 221st advances the Army’s goal of modernizing its national security capabilities, according to a Georgia Guard release.
Gurley noted in his remarks that the activation reflects the philosophy of rapid modernization of Gen. Randy A. George, the Army chief of staff.
“Given the world we are talking about, from my perspective, what America expects us to do is be as ready as we can be,” George told the audience at the 146th NGAUS General Conference & Exhibition in Detroit last August.
“We have to figure out how we will adapt to the modern battlefield,” he added. “As leaders, we’ve got to figure out how we solve these problems.”
Brig. Gen. Theodore Scott III, the commander of the 78th Troop Command and former commander of the 221st IEW, said the battalion is “always out front” in evolving with the changing nature of warfighting.
The 221st IEW has a lengthy operational history with Soldiers being deployed to several nations in the Middle East, as well as Kosovo, Cuba and the southern border. It also has provided support to U.S. Central Command and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
Rogers, the newly appointed commander, acknowledged the unique challenges and opportunities associated with leading the pioneering unit.
He said he is charged with coordinating with relevant schools and units to train on developing systems as the Army continues to identify and finalize the necessary training for the unit's capabilities.
“No Soldier in the 111th ended up here through recruiting,” Rogers said. “They knew what they wanted when they came to the 111th. They knew that they wanted to rebuild Army EW.”
The company will provide division commanders with four platoons of electromagnetic warfare teams, with a total of more than 80 Soldiers, he said.
─ By Jennifer Hickey, with reporting from Charles Emmons
