Introduction
The United States Army Signal Corps cultivates tests, offers, and controls communications and information systems sustenance for the command and management of joint armed forces. It was founded in 1860 from the idea of United States Army Major Albert J. Myer. It has had a significant task from the American Civil War throughout the present day. Over its history, it had the primary task for a number of tasks and novel technologies that are at present control by other organizations, comprising military intelligence, weather prediction, and aviation (Raine, p. 4).
Life History of Albert James Myer
Albert James Myer was born on September twentieth in the year 1828 in Newburgh, New York City. He was the son of Henry Beekman Myer and Eleanor Myer. Albert in his childhood days showed an interest for a military life. In his individual posture, he was every inch a tall, upright, and attentive soldier. He had an air of command in each appearance and every movement, which presumed ideal obedience. Whilst serving as a trainee with the Buffalo, New York Telegraph Company, he was able to familiarize himself with Alexander Bain’s electrochemical telegraph system. Before long he found himself resolute to acquire a sophomoric education. However he persisted to work on a part-time basis as a telegrapher with the Buffalo, New York Telegraph Company, during his collegiate years (Hageman).
Albert went through the requisite preliminary course and joined Geneva College in Geneva, New York. He attained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Geneva College in 1847, and four years afterward, in 1851, a Master of Arts degree from Geneva. After having taken the ordinary course of study at the Buffalo Medical College, he also attained his degree of Medicine at the age of twenty four. In the year 1852, Geneva College was renamed to Hobart College.
As a student, he was particularly renowned for the way in which he would take hold of a suggestion or opinion and pursue it to the later. To this attribute, without any hesitation he owed his accomplishment in life. His graduating thesis was a novel sign language which was meant to aid in understanding about those who do not hear. Throughout this time, his focus was called to the topic of signals for army and marine use. Communication by use of lights and a variety of symbols has been carried out from now and then. However, the systems were not easy and the gadget was normally difficult in character and awkward in form.
It shortly became an aspiration of Albert’s to develop a system, which ought to be distinguished by the easiness of its doctrines. In addition, the tools to be used in making the system ought to merge strength of materials with flimsiness of weight. This guaranteed the system to be carried with easiness and without any trouble. Throughout his leisure time he was constantly rotating in his mind a variety of systems for supplying certain and speedy communication, every time the distance could be covered with the eye.
After graduating, Dr. Myer set out into private practice in the state of Florida. After his short time in Florida, he opted to try surgery. He therefore joined the army surgeons fro training. He went with newly hired army personnel to Fort Duncan, Texas. At Texas, an order shortly shifted him to Fort Davis, in Jeff Davis County. He worked at Fort Davis from January of 1855 till he was shifted back to Fort Duncan later in the year. He stayed at Fort Duncan as the post doctor till July of the year 1857 and then went back to the East. In the year 1857, Albert obtained a bride, Miss. Catherine Walden. Eventually, they got married on August twenty four, in the year 1857 in Lakeview, New York City, and had six children together (Hageman).
Albert James Myer Invention of Signaling Mode
In the year1858, Albert got wind of what he had wished for. A panel was selected to scrutinize the values and tactics of the signaling mode of use in the ground and the course to be followed in initiating to the army. The signaling mode of use in the ground subsequently obtained the endorsement of a military board in the year 1859. Albert tested and advanced it, mainly in the New York harbor region. He tested and advanced the signaling model in the direction of the Secretary of War. In these experiments he was assisted by the first Lieutenant Walworth Jenkins, first Art., and 2nd Lieutenant Alexander, Corps of Engineers. The trials are believed to be extremely satisfactory. Consequently, the system won support of both the officers’ mentioned.
How James Myer attained the Rank of Signal Corp
In June of the year 1860 Albert attained the position of a major and the army’s first signal officer. This system was initially used between 1860 and 1861. The system used different type of signals for the day and night. The voyages were normally sent into Indian country. The signal corps comprised a major party of these voyages. Additionally, the voyages improved the projections of the organization by its efficient service.
In June of the year 1861, Major Albert Myer obtained orders to Washington, D.C. to arrange and authorize signal corps. During the first two years of the civil war, Myer performed both administrative and operational tasks. In addition he proselytized in Washington for the founding of the Signal Corps as a stable unit in the Army. He was brevetted as a lieutenant colonel on May 27 of the year 1862, for his service on the staff of the Army of the Potomac. At the same time he obtained a complete colonelcy due to the official founding of the Signal Corps on third March of the year 1863.
During the peninsular crusade he worked as chief signal officer to General George B. McClellan. His worked entailed partaking in all of the combats from Bull Run to Antietam. Afterward he went back to Washington, D.C. At Washington, D.C. he took control of the United States of America signal office on March third of the year 1863, with the rank of the colonel. During this time, he initiated the study of army signals at the United States military academy. In addition, he was an associate of the central panel of examination for admittance to the United States signal corps. Nevertheless, the consequence of the disagreement between Myer and the assistant secretary of war result led to his dismissal as the chief signal officer in November of 1863. The regulation of the military telegraphy was under the assistant of secretary of war In. December of the year 1863; he was allocated to reconnaissance on Mississippi river that is in between Cairo, Illinois, and Memphis, Tennessee. At this place, he labored on the setting up of a guidebook of signals for the United States of America military and navy. He was later promoted and became chief signal officer of the army division of West Mississippi under General Edward Canby. In his new post, he was charged with the responsibility of planning the terms of surrender of Fort Gaines. He was dismissed of his command at this particular moment by the secretary of war on the fact that his selection had not been established. His appointment as the chief signal officer was cancelled on July twenty one of the year 1864. Following his sacking from the military he went back to his home in Lakeview, New York. Consequently, he was reappointed as the colonel and chief signal officer on July twenty eight of the year 1866(Hageman).
An act of parliament of the United States of America, which was permitted on February ninth of the year1870, endorsed stipulation for taking meteorological observations at the army stations. The meteorological observations were to be undertaken in the remotest part of the United States of America and at other points. Moreover, the metrological observations were to issue warning on the northern lakes and seaboard by telegraph and signals of the coming and force of hurricanes. The implementation of this task was confided to General Myer. This is because he had been fascinated formerly in the topic of storm telegraphy. Myer eventually, obtained the brevet rank of brigadier general. However, he did not actually come into his own till July of the year 1866 when Congress restructured the Signal Corps. With the permanent grade of colonel, he yet again became chief signal officer. Myer led the Signal Corps from August twenty one of the year 1867 till his death at Buffalo, New York in the on August twenty four in the year 1880 (Thompson, p. 7).
Conclusion
Signal support includes all features of designing, setting up, sustaining, and controlling information networks. This is comprised of communication links, computers, and other parts of local and wide area networks. Signal forces designs, sets up, runs and sustains voice and data communications networks. These networks make use of single and multi-channel satellites. The satellites may be tropospheric scatter or switching type. However, other types have also evolved and are in use such as messaging and video-teleconferencing. The networks also make use of other accessories and other associated systems to aid in operation (Raines, p. 5).
References
- Hageman, Mark. Physician, Surgeon, Signal Corps Founder, Weather Service Founder. 2001.
- Raines, Rebecca. Getting the Message Through: A Branch History of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Washington, D.C.: Washington Publishing, 1999.
- Thompson, John. U.S. Army in World War II: The Technical Services, The Signal Corps: The Test. Washington, D.C.: Washington Publishing, 1957.