Conflicting Guidance: Analyzing the Roles and Responsibilities of the Air Force Nuclear Command, Control and Communications Center (AFNC3C)

Abstract

The Air Force Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications Center (AFNC3C) activated on 1 October 2016 as a provisional Primary Subordinate Unit (PSU) to Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). Per the direction of Program Action Directive (PAD) 16-01, the AFNC3C was to have oversight and responsibility for the organize, train, and equip (OT and E) mission of AFNC3 and the NC3 Weapon System for the AF while serving under the authority of the AFGSC/A6 Director. However, on 3 April 2017, the AFNC3C stood up under a different organizational construct. The commander of AFGSC, General Robin Rand gave Command of the AFNC3C to Colonel Mark Jablow with the understanding that the AFNC3C would be the focal point for Air Force NC3. The idea was clear, but fully executing that order has been challenging. Examination of the guidance in PAD 16-01, AFGSC Capstone Concept of Operations (CONOPS), AFGSC Instruction 10-602, General Rand, and the AFNC3C, found that none of these agree as to who should own what AFNC3 roles and responsibilities within the command. One could assume it belongs to the AFNC3C; however, the guidance assessed in this study suggests that others do not share this assumption. Through a comparative analysis, the author provides a chronological description of the problem highlighting the divergence in guidance and how each divergence has manifested into confusion in roles and responsibilities within AFGSC and tensions between the AFGSC A-Staff and the AFNC3C. Supported by additional Air Force Instructions and personal interviews across AFGSC and the AFNC3C, the author shows that clearly written guidance matters. For without clearly written guidance, the mission could fail, and failure of the NC3 mission is not an option.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2018
Accession Number
AD1079469

Entities

People

  • Benjamin R. Burdette

Organizations

  • Air University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Counter WMD
  • Cyber
  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Command And Control
  • Electronic Mail
  • Employment
  • Instructions
  • Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • United States
  • United States Strategic Command
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare
  • Weapons

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.

Technology Areas

  • Fully Networked C3
  • Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control