Warfighters and Humanitarians: Integrating Technology to Save Lives

Abstract

The Department of Defense (DoD) and civilian relief agencies (nongovernmental organizations, or NGOs) have not effectively integrated communication and data system technologies into their combined humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. Future humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions will require DoD forces to integrate with NGOs. Voice and data communications, critical at all levels, are most challenging at the tactical level. The tactical Civil-Military Operations Center (CMOC) has developed into a binding organization between the military and NGOs. Operations Provide Comfort, Sea Angel, Restore Hope, and Support Hope provided four common themes concerning tactical level military-NGO communications: daily face-to-face meetings have been the most effective means of communication; NGOs do not have the capability to provide themselves robust communications capabilities; military commanders often desire to support NGOs' communication efforts, allowing for improved military-NGO relief efforts; and NGOs must have a need to communicate with the CMOC. Today's communications interfaces can take three forms: meetings, single channel radio (SCR) communications, and host nation infrastructure use. Military-NGO meetings must be tailored to emphasize relief, vice warfighting, and provide the NGOs utility. These meetings will continue to be crucial for CMOC functionality. SCR has inherent advantages and disadvantages; for each operation the use of SCR must be considered as a coordination tool between the military and NGOs. The fundamental advantage of SCR is timeliness, while its disadvantages include security (equipment and personnel), legal issues, and NGOs' logistic and fiscal supportability. Analysis of host nation infrastructure capabilities for radio, telephone, and data systems integration must be accomplished before each operation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1997
Accession Number
ADA482158

Entities

People

  • Ronald M. Zich

Organizations

  • United States Marine Corps

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Command And Control
  • Communication Systems
  • Data Transmission
  • Department Of State
  • Digital Communications
  • Disasters
  • Electronic Mail
  • Emergency Response
  • Humanitarian Assistance
  • Interagency Coordination
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Radio Communications
  • Radio Equipment
  • United States European Command
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Software Engineering.