Personal networking node for tactical operations and communications

A tactical network includes a radio that provides communications and situational awareness for a given user. The radio includes a screen, a communications module for linking the user with a network server, a knowledge management (KM) module for receiving alerts from the server and the communications module, and a map application that displays menu options for the user and receives the alerts from the server through the KM module. A communications interface initiates communications with the network server through the communications module, and sends information to the server from the map application. A user location module sends data corresponding to the user's location and targets identified by the user to the communications module for forwarding to the network server, and provides data originating from the server to the map application to show the locations of other radio users, their availability to exchange messages, and any targets they identify.