Educating Officers in Information Operations: Is the U.S. Army Moving in the Right Direction?

Information Operations are becoming increasingly important in military operations. While many of the components that comprise Information Operations are not new the U.S. Army is attempting to better synchronize these components to increase their battlefield effects. To accomplish this aim the Army h...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Gregory, Thomas R
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
ARMY TRAINING
BATTLEFIELDS
BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA
CAREERS
EDUCATION
INFORMATION OPERATIONS
MILITARY DOCTRINE
MILITARY OPERATIONS
Military Operations, Strategy and Tactics
OFFICER PERSONNEL
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Summary:Information Operations are becoming increasingly important in military operations. While many of the components that comprise Information Operations are not new the U.S. Army is attempting to better synchronize these components to increase their battlefield effects. To accomplish this aim the Army has produced new doctrine for Information Operations and even created a new career field for commissioned officers (FA3O) to address Information Operations. This study examines the doctrine that exists to support Information Operations as well as how Information Operations is being incorporated into the Army's Officer Education System. The study begins by describing a current military operation where Information Operations was the main effort. This case study selected was an operation conducted in Bosnia Herzegovina titled, Operation Bosanova. The study next analyzes current and future U.S. Army doctrine for Information Operations. Next, the study addresses how Information Operations are taught as part of the current Officer Education System. The study concludes with a series of recommendations for how Information Operations should be taught as part of the Officer Education System. The conclusion of the study is that while sufficient doctrine currently exists within the U.S. Army to conduct Information Operations, there is an Army wide lack of any education in the discipline. While a concerted effort is being made to ensure that the Army has trained FA3O officers, no real training exists for the remainder of the officer corps to become educated in the fundamentals of Information Operations. It is this lack Information Operations education for all officers that is the biggest identified weakness of this study.