The Fleet Marine Force entered the 1990s with a mixture of old and new equipment and communication organizations that had not been substantially changed in the nearly two decades since the end of the Vietnam War. Its communication personnel were adequately trained, with many of the officers and staff NCOs having experience in both aviation and ground units. Duty with joint and other service commands had also served to broaden the horizons of more senior communication officers. Modern digital communications equipment was on its way to the FMF that promised to increase both the flexibility and the capacity of units to effectively support field commanders in the contemporary joint operations environment.