(Ret.) In conjunction with well-vetted and practiced SOPs written specifically by owning units, Army-wide mission command information systems (MCISs) are used as a way to create a vital common operational picture with which commanders at all levels can successfully exercise mission command.3 When used properly, MCISs allow soldiers to obtain an automated view of friendly activity and movement, plan fires, receive situation and intelligence reports, view airspace, and receive automatically disseminated weather reports. "A command post is the commander's desk, and your desk looks different from my desk," said Christopher Manning, acting director of the Communications Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) Command Power & Integration Directorate, which has developed several expeditionary command post prototypes for evaluation at NIE and AWA. For the entirety of Army Warfighter Exercise 21-2, 4ID deployed a main command post (MCP), a TAC, and a support area command post (SACP). -webkit-text-fill-color: #15397f; /* Will override color (regardless of order) */ Second, without a fully operational TAC, the main command post must simultaneously control both the close fight and shape the deep area. Members of the 4th Infantry Division tactical command post (TAC) conduct a seven-minute drill in preparation for a handoff to the division main command post (MCP) November 2020 at Fort. .col-sm-10 {padding: 0;} Military, Aircraft, WW2. For those unfamiliar with the as-a-service model, aaS is a disruptive business approach that outsources the burden of ownership-based sustainment that requires the functional expertise and infrastructure to operate and maintain. Vote. Ukrainian attacks on command posts across the country have led to stunning attrition among senior Russian military leaders.7 This reflects a programmatic approach to striking at the capability and will of the Russian forces by removing their source of purpose, motivation, and direction. What happens if a corps, division, or brigade commander arrives, takes control of any command post, and receives the capability of the appropriate echelon with a push of a button? By not clearly defining an LNOs specific role, units miss opportunities to integrate LNOs into the military decision-making process and battle rhythm events, diminishing the benefits of a fully synchronized parallel planning process and the ability to share information. As an example, within the U.S. Armys training program, the combat training centers evaluated the command posts of brigade combat teams for nearly two decades using a rubric that promoted a comprehensive and process-driven approach to targeting that previously existed only at the division level or above. } Army Publishing Directorate 9301 Chapek Road., Bldg.1458 Fort Belvoir, VA 22060 (703) 614-3727 Email: usarmy . h1 + h4, h2 + h4 {margin: 25px 0 15px 0;} Command posts must also be capable of masking their signature to complicate an adversarys targeting by concealing their visual, thermal, electronic, acoustic, and soon, their quantum signatures.37 Ultimately, if we can reduce the size and structure of command posts at all echelons to a few tactical armored vehicles, the extraordinary signature of our high-tactical and operational command posts will fade into the normalized electromagnetic spectrum and background clutter of a battlefield where armored vehicles are ubiquitous. Back to Top border-color: #204d74; As they move through locations and phases of an operation, commanders can transition warfighting functions between home station and deployed command post elements according to the operational situation. Between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time on Wednesday, the Ukrainian military shelled Donetsk city 16 times, the mayor said citing the Joint Center for Command and Control of the DPR. The design of CPI2 enables a division headquarters to be scalable, modular, and agile while reducing the physical area required of tactical operations. The SACPs current operations and fires cell enabled the deputy commanding general for support to control the rear area fight. .h1-stroke { h4 {margin: 5px 0 3 0;} They have also assessed enabling technologies such as the Command Post Computing Environment (CP CE), which converts the unique warfighting systems crowding today's command posts onto a common digital framework to deliver a common operating picture from a common server. The current state of the art for tent-based command posts requires hours of setup, including thousands of feet of copper wiring, which delays network availability and results in a dangerous lack of situational . "And they require different tools.". Thus, during the WFX, units are unable to effectively provide mission command while accurately battle tracking throughout the course of the operation. The U.S. Army and the West must respond to the lessons of Chornobaivka with a sense of urgency, leadership, and unity of purpose on the modernization of our command-and-control system and command posts. 0545Z: Callaghan (Roll On-Roll Off ship) arrives Jacksonville, Florida, to load equipment from 101st Airborne Division. There is some artistic license in this story, but it is based on the 3rd BCT, 101st Airborne Division "Rakkasans" command post architecture deployed to JRTC in March 2019, deliberately aimed at grappling with one of the great challenges in the BCT experience at the Army's combat training centers: our ability to conduct mission command on the multi-domain battlefield is hampered by our . Publishing Disclaimer: In all of its publications and products, Military Review presents professional information. Such attacks have affected Russian command and control, disrupting its troops' ability to operate. An M1087 Expandable Van Shelter houses the Command Post Integrated Infrastructure System under operational test by the 2nd Infantry Divisions 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. margin: 2em 0px; "We're learning a lot of lessons regarding feedback from Soldiers on how things are useful and what things to change," said Manning, whose CERDEC team tweaked each of its expeditionary command post designs following NIE 16.1 results. Endurance, defined as the ability to persevere over time throughout the depth of an operational environment, is the next critical tenet of MDO.36 While more capable and agile command posts provide apparent benefits toward endurance, preserving that command-and-control capability over time will occur in the harshest and most-lethal conditions imaginable. Sensor-to-shooter chains and hypersonic missiles will enable ever-quicker strikes against enemy command centers. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Middle East studies and Arabic from the University of Kentucky, a Master of Science in organizational leadership from Columbus State University, and a Master of Science in policy management from Georgetown University. Units struggle to integrate NCOs into staff processes at the brigade level. .download-pdf {margin: 10px 0;} Appendix A of FM 5-0 describes the types of SOPs needed for conducting command post operations. a CPCE Increment 0 IOT&E in November 2018. Combined Arms Battalion Mobile Tactical Command Posts, or CAB Mobile TAC, is a M1068 tracked vehicle with integrated mission command and radio capabilities, allowing commanders to "command from the hatch." FM 6-0 describes the tactical command post as a facility containing a tailored portion of a unit headquarters designed to control portions of an operation for a limited time. Additionally, Increment 1 will comprise the integration of a unified voice management system, secure wireless mesh remote endpoint, advanced medium mobile power source, command post display screen, advanced field artillery tactical data system, USB taclink, KGV-72s, and various radios, among others, Shepherd Media wrote, citing the draft request for proposal. color: #004a5c;"} The loss of effective command and control sapped Russian momentum and prevented consolidation of gains, which ultimately led to their expulsion. As such, they are very difficult to form, train, and maintain to a high degree of proficiency, much less expertise, given the demands of manning cycles and garrison activities aligned against them. "The Russian military then connects its CPs to the closest point in the civilian network via extended ground-laid telecommunications cables.". They can also "jump" command post locations more quickly and seamlessly to keep up with the fight. If successful, it could be an interim solution to help bridge the gap between current capabilities and the Command Post Support Vehicle platform of the future. Army photo After years of work to make the Army's mobile command posts more survivable, service leaders say they are on track to field two major updates to their systems during fiscal year 2023. It's basically a mobile command post with the bde CDR in it. With this lack of experience, units fail to effectively develop MCIS architectures and maintain the equipment, specifically during the first few days of a WFX when soldiers have to relearn how to operate their systems. The MCPs primary role was to empower the division commander to manage the deep fight. He is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College, and his civil schooling includes a bachelors degree in history and political science from Michigan State University and an MBA from Eastern Michigan University. A recent overhead image of a command post taken by a UAV at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California, during a training exercise. At the same time, the Army must stay focused on the future. "With [the common server] I have the possibility to reduce my footprint by three trucks, one generator and two trailers," said Maj. Robert Richardson, brigade intelligence officer with the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat team, 1st Armored Division (2/1 AD), who evaluated CP CE at the NIE 16.2 in May. The second near-term project, known as Command Post Platform-Improved, attempts to streamline the two vehicles that support the Army's legacy command post program of record into a single vehicle with less load to carry. Thus, the importance of the human dimension and psychology in command and control during large-scale combat operations cannot be overstated. Commanders employ the tactical CP as an extension of the main CP to help control the execution of an operation or a specific task, such as a gap crossing, a passage of lines, or an air assault operation.3 Typically, when the TAC is not providing command and control at a critical event, it moves into a cold status, and its personnel are absorbed into the main command post. From its original occupation in February to its liberation in November, Ukrainian strikes rained down with a precision and lethality rarely seen in war and allowed a scrappy defender to take down a regional leviathan.3 Patriotic enthusiasm aside, closer inspection of this hard-won victory reveals that lurking beneath the wreckage of Russian ambitions in the Kherson Oblast is a warning about the vulnerability of legacy command posts that the United States and its allies would do well to heed. The acquisition and requirements team has sought and received operational feedback from the XVIII Airborne Co Department of Defense Warrior Games kicks off next week in San Diego, Transcript: ACOET media roundtable with 21st TSC, May 19, 2023, OCIO hosts CGSC Information Advantage Scholar Program students, Meet the winners of the 2023 Armys Best Medic Competition, Transcript: Media roundtable with Mr. Douglas R. Bush, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Acquisition Logistics & Technology on By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Over the succeeding thirteen years following the invasion of Afghanistan, command posts progressively diverged further and further from a suitable model for large-scale combat operations. This construct is markedly different from the Armys traditional employment of a TAC. Michael Greenberg, Its Time to Fix the Command Post: Optimizing Headquarters Mobility, Survivability, and Interoperability for the Future Fight, Modern War Institute at West Point, 19 August 2020, accessed 14 March 2023, John F. Price Jr., Napoleons Shadow: Facing Organizational Design Challenges in the U.S. Military,. Employing three enduring command nodes assisted the division commander with simultaneously fighting the deep, close, and support areas (see figure). Tom Nagorski and Joshua Keating, Ukraine Mystery: Why Have So Many Russian Generals Been Killed?, Grid News, 7 April 2022, accessed 14 March 2023. However, implementation of the recommendations in this article will decrease the trade-off, resulting in redundant command post capability that retains both effectiveness and the agility and protection to ensure survivability. "We want building blocks that are modular, interoperable and scalable, fitting with formation type.". However, the views expressed therein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Army University, the Department of the Army, or any other agency of the U.S. government. Furthermore, the Ukrainians are achieving these effects without the benefit of a substantial air force or extensive long-range fires.10 Limiting this problem to failures in Russian military leadership ignores the fact that technologies and capabilities exist today that can enable and deliver devasting effects on command and control. 14, This graphic represents the current necessary trade-offs between CP effectiveness and CP survivability, dependent on the threat level. -webkit-text-stroke-color: #c15130; U.S. Army Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL). A robust, secure, intuitive network is a key enabler for an agile, expeditionary Force 2025, providing operational flexibility and enhancing leaders' situational awareness in support of . vertical-align: middle; COMMAND POST ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS: Unit Of Issue(s) EBOOK PDF: Pub/Form Proponent: TRADOC: Pub/Form Status: ACTIVE: Prescribed Forms/Prescribing Directive : Footnotes: . For example, the TAC controlled the close fight while the division transitioned to defensive operations. If we envision our command posts as less of a place or a thing and more as a service, it may be possible to vastly increase our agility. Federico Clemente Clemente, Jan Willem Streefkerk, and Marcel Scherrenburg, Nick, Mordowanec, Intelligence Report Reveals 3 Intrinsic Russian Tactical Unit Weaknesses,, John Antal, Sooner Than We Think: Command Post Survivability and Future Threats, 4 August 2022, in. A common observation with brigades, including my own unit at the NTC, is a lack of SOPs that clearly define roles, responsibilities, and purposes for the main and tactical command posts. Paragraphs 1-4 to 1-7 introduce Army doctrine and policy publications to support SOP standardization and recordkeeping. The U.S. Army Program Executive Office Command, Control and Communications-Tactical develops, acquires, fields and supports the Army's mission command network to ensure force readiness. III Corps deployed an Expeditionary Tactical (ETAC) Command Post on 28 and 29 March via CH-47 sling load in support of Warfighter 17-04. . The C2V is a tracked, armored vehicle designed to provide an automated tactical command post for mobile armored operations. During the OA, the unit has completed multiple jumpsincluding several in one dayto test the CPI2 systems mobility and ease of setup and teardown. position: relative; Operational assessments with two of the units this summer and fall will allow developers to gather feedback on the design across five brigade combat teams. Authority to the Program Executive Officer, Command Control Communications - Tactical. January 25, 2023, $84 million contract awarded for Excalibur replenishment, Command Sgt. These SOPs should require battalions to provide commander-approved LNOs that will best represent their organization in the brigade command post. If our adversaries can detect our command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, then they can range them with physical munitions and/or cyber and electronic attack. Any casual visitor to the Armys National Training Center these days, with a watchful eye on the Ukrainian war through their Twitter feed, can attest that U.S. Army command posts are going to struggle in that environment. Finally, in assessing future command posts against the remaining operational tenet, depth, we can measure the ability of command posts to extend our operations in time, space or (cognitive) purpose.39 In the expanded multidomain operational framework, this suggests a command-and -control node that optimizes its effectiveness to exploit or create opportunities in a way that offsets the hyperactive nature of large scale combat operations to give the commander a comparative advantage. The Army's Command Post 2025 vision, approved in the fall of 2015, emphasizes the burdens posed by cumbersome, complex legacy command posts that require hundreds of feet of wires and cables, a deluge of transit cases and tents, and an entire day and a platoon of Soldiers to assemble. This small, thirty-person command-and-control node is comprised of both Army and Air Force personnel and liaison elements executing a variety of functions. A commanders need for control and knowledge across all these areas created a demand for human and technical decision-support tools. "Our command posts have mutated away from the lean, mean, killing machines we need and are instead fat and ponderous," three American officers said in an essay in Military Review, the Army's professional journal. .table { (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army). Potential adversaries, including China, have made attacking our command-and-control systems a stated objective.11 Specifically, command posts are targeted because they have become easily targetable. In this way, we may deny the enemy the ability to discern priority and high-value targets, a valuable skill in an environment that may be characterized at times by a shortage of precision munitions. U.S. Army | PEO C3T | Program Executive Office Command Control Communications-Tactical 6590 Reconnaissance St, Bldg 6010 APG-North, MD 21005-1848 Command Post Integrated Infrastructure. They provide a rapidly deployable sheltering solutions that facilitate decision-making and coordination. AUP Privacy and Security Policy | AUP User Terms of Agreement | Army University | Web Policy | Information Quality | Plain Writing | Privacy Program | No FEAR Act | FOIA | Open GOV | Strategic Plan | USA.gov, An official website of the United States government, https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/NOCASE-FM_6-0-002-WEB-6.pdf, https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/fm3_94.pdf, New Extended Battlefield - Multi-Domain Operations, France 44: The Wet Gap Crossings at Nancy, Battles of the Korean War Virtual Staff Rides, Future Warfare Writing Program Submission Guidelines, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Gen. Jason C. Slider, U.S. Army, is the director of the U.S. Armys Mission Command Center of Excellence. .body-lr-indent { Inevitably, the commander and staff become consumed with the close fight instead of shaping the fight beyond the coordinated fire line or setting the conditions for the next phase of the operation. Maintaining a functioning TAC for the entirety of a warfighter not only provided survivability but also enabled the division commander and division staff to focus throughout the entirety of the divisions battlespace. Unsurprisingly, China has focused on disrupting US command-and-control capabilities. These actions allowed the MCP to focus on developing the deep fight. Stay up to date with what you want to know. During large-scale combat operations, these command posts can be easily seen by an ever-expanding array of sensors and just as easily struck by complementary effects throughout the depth and breadth of the battlefield. By Kathryn Bailey and Karen Danfelt, PEO C3T Public AffairsJune 15, 2021. (Photo by Staff Sgt. This includes communications (CaaS), radios (Raas), and especially, knowledge (KaaS). To preclude stovepiping the close, deep, and support area fights, the division had to implement a more disciplined battle rhythm and more rigid systems and processes, and rely on personal relationships to overcome the friction associated with dispersion. However, units often arrive at WFXs with little to no experience using MCISs and are unable to maximize their contributions while maintaining accuracy and redundant backups with analog products. The Enroute Mission Command Capability, which began fielding to the Global Response Force at Fort Bragg, N.C., in 2015, is a transport-plane integrated communications package providing military Internet access and mission command capability for in-flight Soldiers. From a morale and motivational standpoint, leaders, especially in the land domain, must be seen to share the hardships and danger of those they lead. .col-sm-5{padding: 0;} Army TAC abbreviation meaning defined here. Contemporary tented command postswith their radio frequency emitting antennas, dozens of generators and vehicles, and extensive support requirementsare easily targetable to even the untrained eye. He holds a master's in political science. What if command posts at higher tactical echelons were truly fungible based on connectivity and accessibility of data?