Anyone military remember CEOI's?

[ABNAK]

"Communications-Electronics Operation Instructions" It was a little "code book" with all the unit's challenges and passwords and daily radio frequencies. It was to be signed in and out and was considered a "sensitive item", right up there with a weapon, so don't dare lose one! IIRC you had to have a "Secret" security clearance to sign one out (which back then meant E-5 and above).

Yeah, it was in ancient times (see sigline). Do they still have these? I kind of feel like if I asked some young PFC today about it he'd look at me like I had three eyes and a dick growing out of my forehead!

Hell, the most advanced commo I encountered as a grunt was the "Vincent"!

[Averageman]

Yes I remember the CEOI.
Man, they HAVE to still have them on one level or another. Otherwise the young guys would never have the joy of spending 10 minutes decoding "Eat A D*CK" on New Years Eve an Staff Duty.

[ABNAK]

We were told that for actual combat use there were unissued, untouched, brand-new CEOI's sitting in a safe at BN HQ, i.e. the old dog-eared ones we always took to the field were not the ones we'd use if the balloon went up.

[chuckman]

I heard them called something else...SOI maybe? I can't recall.

[Averageman]

I heard them called something else...SOI maybe? I can't recall.

Same Thing.
If you were on the German Border those things were HUGE. You had one for each unit and support unit behind them.

SOI was Signal Operating Instuctions. CEOI was Communications Electronic Operating Instructions.

[ABNAK]

Same Thing.
If you were on the German Border those things were HUGE. You had one for each unit and support unit behind them.

SOI was Signal Operating Instuctions. CEOI was Communications Electronic Operating Instructions.

Yes, but I'm not sure how far down the unit level it was different......was it each BN, BDE, DIV? I was in an Infantry BDE in Panama, and to my knowledge our BN had it's own, but I could be wrong. I would think that you'd want some compatibility with sister units to prevent fratricide and to be able to hear calls for help or warnings of enemy activities (?).

To be clear, none of this is 2024 OPSEC as the period I'm referring to was approximately 40 years ago. We carried Springfield Trapdoor muskets for a time reference.

[Averageman]

Yes, but I'm not sure how far down the unit level it was different......was it each BN, BDE, DIV? I was in an Infantry BDE in Panama, and to my knowledge our BN had it's own, but I could be wrong. I would think that you'd want some compatibility with sister units to prevent fratricide and to be able to hear calls for help or warnings of enemy activities (?).

To be clear, none of this is 2024 OPSEC as the period I'm referring to was approximately 40 years ago. We carried Springfield Trapdoor muskets for a time reference.

Well, if I remember correctly it Starts at BDE and goes down to the Company Plt Sgt's.
It Broke it down to Companies and then you got a two Letter designation and a two digit number from Co to Plt Sgts.
So the A Company CO might be AO12 and his 3rd Plt Sgt might be A340.

[ABNAK]

Well, if I remember correctly it Starts at BDE and goes down to the Company Plt Sgt's.
It Broke it down to Companies and then you got a two Letter designation and a two digit number from Co to Plt Sgts.
So the A Company CO might be AO12 and his 3rd Plt Sgt might be A340.

Okay, that rings a bell. It's been a long time!

[LoboTBL]

Yes, I remember them. Used them quite a bit. You meant Vinson equipment right? Secure FM comms that predated SINCGARS. When I went through AIT at Gordon they even trained us on the old Nestor equipment even though it was being phased out.

[Red*Lion]

We used them down to the individual tank level in Germany and during Desert Storm.