Cell Phone Usage In the Military

[Rexedgar]

There have been reports from Ukraine that state Ukraine has monitored Russian troops using their phone to talk to parents and friends at home in Russia. What are the regulations in the active military here in the US? How are regulations enforced, if there are any?

 

[Oozlefinch]

There have been reports from Ukraine that state Ukraine has monitored Russian troops using their phone to talk to parents and friends at home in Russia. What are the regulations in the active military here in the US? How are regulations enforced, if there are any?

There really are none, nor are there overseas. The only restrictions are in certain high security areas, and following proper OPSEC.

 

[SayMyName]

There have been reports from Ukraine that state Ukraine has monitored Russian troops using their phone to talk to parents and friends at home in Russia. What are the regulations in the active military here in the US? How are regulations enforced, if there are any?

I had to chuckle when I first read this. The first memory that came to mind was in the early days all we had was one barracks phone. You would have to get in the queue during off duty hours to use it. How things changed over the years.

 

[BirdinHand]

In all fairness, what would it matter?

Do you think anyone with a high enough clearance/rank to know something vulnerable would be talking about it on an insecure line in the US military? Or do you think Russia can hack secure lines of US soldiers (or China, etc)?


I don’t put Ukraine or Russia soldiers at nearly the level of respect I hold for US soldiers…but I’m biased (hold in utmost respect due to plenty of friends and family having served). Perhaps I’m naive?


(not to mention, US soldier “war” deployments in the past several decades have, I am guessing, been predominantly in areas served by satellite phones/internet connection vs. typical cell phone/internet that you see currently in Ukraine….someone correct me if I’m wrong. Which is that much MORE difficult to hack/access)

 

[EnigmaO01]

Its been a long time since I was in the military and I never served in combat. But I would think in an active combat zone if I was a commander I would confiscate all cell phones before they even got to the field as they an facilitate your location by the enemy. There would be severe penalties if a solider was caught with one. Allegedly that is how some high level Russian commanders were located and killed as they using their cell phones for combat communication because their own encripyted communication wasn't working. In one case they did it themselves by taking out a tower.

 

[Oozlefinch]

But I would think in an active combat zone if I was a commander I would confiscate all cell phones before they even got to the field as they an facilitate your location by the enemy.

Actually, there is damned near no real ability to use cell phones in a "combat zone". First of all, you have to be in an area with active cell phone towers, and service with a company that operates them. And that does not happen very often.

Most of my time deployed, the most we had was using VOIP over the wi-fi that was offered on the camp. For myself and several others that ultimately meant buying a Playstation Portable and using Skype on it.

And most times, before "leaving the wire" turning off or over cell phones is just SOP. But so long as a cell phone is turned off there is no chance of anybody locating you with it. They are more likely to locate you with the Mark I Eyeball than to find you through a cell phone.