MAJ Brian Mayer served with the 59th Signal Battalion out of Fort Richardson, Alaska and as planning officer and battalion S6 with 2-377th PFAR at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Kalsu during 2006 and 2007 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). In this April 2011 interview, MAJ Mayer discusses his duties as a signal officer in the setting up and maintenance of communications in Alaska, his role as a planning officer and the circumstances surrounding his change of duty. MAJ Mayer concludes his interview with the observation, "Signal is often, like you said, the unsung hero and when it doesn't work it becomes the 800-pound gorilla in the room. When it does work nobody really gives it a second thought. I believe there is an education process and the senior leadership of the Army, especially with the establishment of the Cyber Command, they're realizing what Signal brings to the warfighter. At some point we need to realize that Signal needs to be out there -- I'm a firm believer that Signal Soldiers need to be on the front lines in the patrols; not just the radio telephone operator (RTO) with the commander."

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