Fort Leonard Wood’s cellular infrastructure is getting an upgrade with the addition of a new cell tower and several cell sites across the installation.
According to Travis Day, a public relations specialist for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, the goal of the new 5G capable tower and other cell sites is to, “improve service in congested areas.”
The term 5G stands for fifth generation — the most current network offered by cellular companies.
Day said Fort Leonard Wood’s Exchange gained approval for the upgrades from garrison command in June 2022.
Armando Moncayo-Pallares, Fort Leonard Wood’s Main Exchange store manager, said a lot of work went in to bringing the upgrades to post.
“It started with site surveys, identification of network design needs and then seeking command approval. After that, the Directorate of Public Works issued the work orders,” Moncayo-Pallares said.
The AAFES Advanced Telecom group works closely with installation leaders to deliver the best telecommunication services possible, according to Day.
Day said reliable cellular reception is important to AAFES and is vital for both quality-of-life and mission readiness.
“The ability to stay connected is a force multiplier, allowing Soldiers and families to stay in touch and enjoy down time while also providing reliable access to emergency services and facilitating seamless conduct of daily business. This is especially important for installations in rural areas,” Day said.
Moncayo-Pallares agreed.
“Everybody uses their cellular devices these days for work, school, entertainment — staying connected. Some people may have issues getting service in certain areas and inside some buildings. We want to improve the quality of life for our warfighters and their families where we can. It is about making things better and improving our infrastructure,” he said.
According to Day, the tower and other cell sites are expected to become operational following an assessment by the Defense Information Systems Agency later this year.