Specialty Summary: Provides command and control (C2) capabilities through installation, maintenance, fault isolation, and reconstitution of fixed cable and wireless distribution systems, local area networks (LAN), and wide area networks (WAN) in support of tactical and strategic operations. Monitors and analyzes performance of underground, buried, and aerial cable and antenna networks. Related DoD Occupational Subgroup: 162100.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Installs, maintains, reconstitutes, removes, and modifies copper core, coaxial, waveguide, and fiber optic cable and antenna systems. Climbs antenna support structures and wooden poles to various heights for maintenance and installation actions on cable and antenna systems. Installs and maintains dedicated local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) media distribution systems, including distribution system interior wiring. Uses drawings, task lists, instructions, and technical data to work on copper core, coaxial, waveguide, fiber optic cable and antenna systems. Installs distribution equipment. Terminates copper core and fiber optic cables on main distribution frames and interface equipment. Operates and performs maintenance on tools, test equipment, auxiliary equipment, and vehicles such as backhoes, trenchers, cable trailers, cable reel trucks, and antenna construction vehicles.
Locates, repairs, and replaces faulty closures in copper core, waveguide, coaxial, and fiber optic cable systems. Performs pneumatic troubleshooting to locate faulty splice closures and demivalve assemblies. Excavates and backfills splice pits. Seals cables, repairs demivalves, and adjusts pressure transmitters and contactors. Installs and maintains aerial cable support structures such as pole line and suspension strands. Installs underground cable, uses duct rods, cleans cable duct systems, prepares pulling apparatus, and pulls in and temporarily bonds cable. Installs, maintains, and marks path of buried cable systems.
Monitors, analyzes, and troubleshoots copper core, waveguide, coaxial, and fiber optic cable systems. Determines cause of signal deterioration in cable carrying audio, video, digital, and data transmission. Troubleshoots, repairs, and replaces T-carrier equipment, fiber optic modems, and components. Interprets compressor meter readings and adjusts controls. Installs, maintains, and repairs or replaces damaged pneumatic and electrical components in cable air dryers. Uses test equipment to identify copper conductors and optic fibers in cables. Locates and traces buried cable. Locates and traces leaks in pressurized cable system. Performs operational checks and preventive maintenance inspections.
Maintains communications and computer systems installation records (CSIRs), maintenance and inspection cable records, and technical orders.
Supervises, plans, organizes, and directs cable and antenna installation and maintenance activities. Develops and improves work methods and procedures related to installation and maintenance of all cable and antenna systems.
Specialty Qualifications:
Knowledge. Knowledge is mandatory of installation and maintenance management functions; wire transmission principles; electrical and lightwave communications on aerial, buried and underground cable systems; hardened missile cable pressure and alarm systems; antenna and obstruction systems rectifiers, power supplies, motors, generators and servomechanisms; antenna fundamentals, including antenna theory and principles of rotators, amplifiers and control cables; antenna installation procedures, including radio frequency cable, waveguide splicing, and repair and maintenance techniques of radomes; operation and theory of cable pressurization, alarm systems, locating cable faults, identifying causes of deterioration in cable systems, cable testing procedures and methods of sealing cables; safety precautions related to oxygen deficiency, oxygen enrichment, toxic and explosive gases, working aloft, rescue procedures for aerial and underground environments, basic first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation; use and limitations of test set operations; corrosion prevention and control procedures; and capabilities, limitations, operations and functional use of basic cable and antenna systems and associated hardware.
Education. For entry into this specialty, completion of high school with courses in analytical mathematics is desirable.
Training. For award of AFSC 2E632, completion of the basic communications cable and antenna systems
course is mandatory.
