A JTF Staff Structure for the New Millenium: Leaner, Faster, and More Responsive

Abstract

Our military future will likely be radically different from our past. Consequently, military personnel can prepare for this future by investigating ways to adapt to novel challenges posed by new weapons, or new theories, or new organizations. This paper explores the problem of how joint task force staffs should reorganize to improve future command and control, in order to meet demands of the most likely future environment. The research methodology consisted of a literature search from a broad body of evidence. Sources included business literature, studies by organizations such as the Center for Naval Analyses, and research papers produced by other students. Several key changes envisioned for the military provide a foundation for the project and introduce future operational and environmental complexities. These changes include emerging international and national trends, such as increased MOOTW and growing military pressures to shrink but remain effective. Another trend, the revolution in military affairs, includes aspects like a system of systems and dominant battlespace awareness. Additionally, Joint Vision 2010 offers a conceptual view of future battlespace activities that are portrayed as markedly different from today s activities. Against this backdrop of change, two primary reasons for using military staffs information management and decision-making open a path to the heart of the paper and serve as a frame of reference for new organizational designs. Two metaphors offer vivid conceptual staff images. First, the ?Spider Plant? metaphor depicts a multifaceted organization with a core structure and many outlying satellite organizations; illustrating the potential for semi-autonomous operations. Second, the ?Brain? metaphor captures the essence of relationships between key organizational elements and shows natural applications of decentralized decisionmaking.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1998
Accession Number
ADA398698

Entities

People

  • Lisa A. Row

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Brain
  • Command And Control
  • Communication Systems
  • Health Services
  • Information Exchange
  • Information Processing
  • Information Systems
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Personnel
  • National Security
  • Network Centric Warfare
  • Organizational Structure
  • Task Forces
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

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