# The rise of the sysop: every Marine squad will have one! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 11, 2018, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rise-of-the-sysop-every-marine-squad-will-have-one/815921 "2018-06-11T22:49:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rise-of-the-sysop-every-marine-squad-will-have-one/815921/1 "2018-06-11T22:49:57Z")
Having long been associated with computer networks, the omni-present role of the system administrator is part of the work environment. It appears that the sysop has reached to the furthest reaches of the world of work: every US Marine combat squad will have it’s own system operator (administrator). I am not sure what to make of this advance-except that technology and computers have pretty much reached everywhere. As an example of the many links on this subject: [https://taskandpurpose.com/marine-rifle-squad/](https://taskandpurpose.com/marine-rifle-squad/) The system operator will be in charge of the squad quadcopter, radios, computer networks, etc. Oh I gather he will carry a rifle as well… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rise-of-the-sysop-every-marine-squad-will-have-one/815921/2 "2018-06-11T22:58:34Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > Having long been associated with computer networks, the omni-present role of the system administrator is part of the work environment. It appears that the sysop has reached to the furthest reaches of the world of work: every US Marine combat squad will have it’s own system operator (administrator). I am not sure what to make of this advance-except that technology and computers have pretty much reached everywhere. > > As an example of the many links on this subject: > [https://taskandpurpose.com/marine-rifle-squad/](https://taskandpurpose.com/marine-rifle-squad/) > > The system operator will be in charge of the squad quadcopter, radios, computer networks, etc. Oh I gather he will carry a rifle as well… > 🙂 Man, if that had been around when I was in. Looks like it’ll just be another 0311. Not that they GAF what I think, but they should consider a secondary MOS for this job. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rise-of-the-sysop-every-marine-squad-will-have-one/815921/3 "2018-06-12T13:39:08Z")
My suspicion is that it won’t be a highly trained position in terms of the technological/sysop aspects, and that being a Marine systems operator isn’t going to buy you much when they transition into the civilian world. It’ll probably be something on the order of the Army’s Combat Lifesaver positions- trained, but not anyone’s primary specialty. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rise-of-the-sysop-every-marine-squad-will-have-one/815921/4 "2018-06-12T14:08:34Z")
> [@bump](#): > > My suspicion is that it won’t be a highly trained position in terms of the technological/sysop aspects, and that being a Marine systems operator isn’t going to buy you much when they transition into the civilian world. > > It’ll probably be something on the order of the Army’s Combat Lifesaver positions- trained, but not anyone’s primary specialty. Well, it is a named position in the squad, not a secondary training that some people get. But the name! The mental picture of the marine sysop charging over the hill, drones droning and radios blaring, well all those star trek posters on the walls of the computer systems room at work might be replaced with Marine recruiting posters… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rise-of-the-sysop-every-marine-squad-will-have-one/815921/5 "2018-06-12T22:30:23Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > Having long been associated with computer networks, the omni-present role of the system administrator is part of the work environment. It appears that the sysop has reached to the furthest reaches of the world of work: every US Marine combat squad will have it’s own system operator (administrator). Sorry, but a systems operator is not the equivalent of a systems administrator in any way. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rise-of-the-sysop-every-marine-squad-will-have-one/815921/6 "2018-06-12T22:36:07Z")
I used to work for the Navy back in the day when Marines thought this sort of thing was just silly. Time waits for no Marine … ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rise-of-the-sysop-every-marine-squad-will-have-one/815921/7 "2018-06-12T22:41:18Z")
It’s an expansion of the radioman’s role into a broader IT role. Tanks used to have a radioman/navigator and we might see that role come back in the form of a crewman who handles the tank’s drones, sensors, countermeasures and networked cooperation with other units. I also see that they’re switching to 3-man teams. I remember the SAS using 4-man teams in the Falklands and Seal Team 6 using 3-man teams for Bin Laden. What are the factors which would weigh towards one option or the other? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rise-of-the-sysop-every-marine-squad-will-have-one/815921/8 "2018-06-13T19:21:26Z")
A Sys Admin with a gun is a scary thought. I mean, they think nothing of terminating a file that misbehaves, what would they do to the Private who infected the network with a virus? :0 ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rise-of-the-sysop-every-marine-squad-will-have-one/815921/9 "2018-06-13T20:44:59Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > what would they do to the Private who infected the network with a virus? :0 Deploy [their knife hand at medium to high elevation](https://terminallance.com/2010/08/27/terminal-lance-59-knife-hand-anger-gauge/). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rise-of-the-sysop-every-marine-squad-will-have-one/815921/10 "2018-06-13T20:52:16Z")
Freaking love TL. If anyone who never served in a Marine Corps infantry unit is ever curious what day-to-day life is like, read through the Terminal Lance archives. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rise-of-the-sysop-every-marine-squad-will-have-one/815921/11 "2018-06-14T14:11:47Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Sorry, but a systems operator is not the equivalent of a systems administrator in any way. spoilsport. 🙂 I agree, though I know several sysadmin positions where the difference between operator and administrator is vanishingly small… Except in titles of course. They feel really special to be the administrator. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rise-of-the-sysop-every-marine-squad-will-have-one/815921/12 "2018-06-14T15:50:53Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > It’s an expansion of the radioman’s role into a broader IT role. That tracks with the way signals troops are evolving as well. A good friend spent a few years in the Army as a signals officer, and his role was essentially to be an IT manager for his unit. Most of what he did was network and computer related, with some small part having to do with actual radios. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rise-of-the-sysop-every-marine-squad-will-have-one/815921/13 "2018-06-14T21:52:28Z")
This just seems like a commo soldier/marine.