C2 in the Information Age: Will Operational Command Echelons Become Unnecessary?
Abstract
C2 is at the very heart of debates about the U.S. military's future. The current wide-ranging dialogue has brought a number of compelling issues to the fore. Amid discussions of the "way forward," advocates of Network-Centric Warfare have suggested that U.S. military forces must adapt to a business-based "flat" organizational model because the traditional hierarchical structure will not keep pace with the tempo of future warfare. The utility of this concept in the military context remains to be seen. Current discussions of the benefits of a networked system are decidedly oriented toward the tactical level where the emphasis is on action and rapid decision-making. This does not do justice to the responsibilities of an operational commander. Even more disconcerting, the desire to export network-based organizational concepts beyond the tactical level may prompt decision-makers to consider flattening the U.S. military C2 structure by eliminating operational command echelons. This option is untenable. Preserving these intermediate echelons is vital to maintaining the organizational balance and flexible command style needed to deal with the complexity of future challenges.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 05, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA363259
Entities
People
- Kriten J. Dolan
Organizations
- Naval War College