Joint Warfighter Support

Abstract

The Joint Warfighter Support Program is planned and executed by the Directorate for Warfighter Interface--the Missile Defense Agency`s principal interface to the Warfighter (i.e., the Combatant Commands and their Functional/Service Components; the Joint Staff; and the Military Services). The Directorate for Warfighter Interface transitions MDA developed capabilities to the Military Services for employment in support of Combatant Commander priorities in order to achieve effective ballistic missile defense of the homeland, deployed regional forces and allies. In addition, the Directorate serves as the principal MDA interface to the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands and Services on BMD capabilities development and operational issues. Joint Warfighter Support is comprised of seven primary functions/responsibilities/tasks: 1) Warfighter Interface Management and Combatant Commander (COCOM) Support; 2) Joint Staff, Service and COCOM Integration; 3) BMDS Materiel Readiness; 4) Operations Support; 5) Exercises and Wargames; 6) BMDS Training and Education; 7) Plans and Capability Delivery. Warfighter Interface Management and Combatant Commander (COCOM) Support The Directorate for Warfighter Interface consists of an overall management function and accomplishes its mission through three Divisions: the Warfighter Support Center; the Joint Staff, Service, COCOM Integration Division; and the Materiel Readiness Division. The Warfighter Support Center (located in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center (MDIOC)), the Joint Staff, Service and COCOM Integration Division (located in the National Capital Region (NCR)), and the Materiel Readiness Division (located in Huntsville, Alabama) were created through an intensive reengineering effort from legacy organizations, funding, manpower, and processes. The Joint Warfighter Support Program enables the Warfighter to: define, test, deploy and employ new missile defense capabilities; train to maintain proficiency with current capabilities; and provide feedback and support involvement in MDA`s BMDS development process. As MDA transitions/transfers programs to the Lead Services (through Hybrid Program Offices and/or Service Transition and Transfer Cells), many of the Joint Warfighter Support responsibilities will move as well. Joint Staff, Service and COCOM Integration The Developer-Warfighter Interface is critically important to the effective and efficient fielding of BMDS capabilities worldwide. To this end, the Directorate for Warfighter Interface maintains a Joint Staff, Service and COCOM Integration Division. BMDS Materiel Readiness The Materiel Readiness Division performs life cycle Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) readiness policy, planning, analysis and assessment in support of the Materiel function of the Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership, Personnel and Facilities (DOTMLPF). This division develops Materiel Readiness Policies for the BMDS, provides readiness Surge Team support to the elements, oversight to ensure elements adhere with Acquisition, Technology and Logistics` Item Unique Identifier policy, provides training, mentoring, and leadership of the logistics workforce. Exercises and Wargames Conducting exercises and wargames enables end-user mission training, qualification, certification and rehearsal of mission operations, strengthens user confidence in the current system and shapes development of the future BMDS. This activity enables the Warfighter to build missile defense plans and Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for the near term BMDS, and then tests execution of those plans via high fidelity simulations. It also incorporates system engineering and interoperability test activities, when possible, to leverage MDA materiel development events by providing real-world training to operators. This activity provides analysis support, as required, for each wargame and exercise to conduct data collection and analysis, and prepares and publishes an event After Action Assessment Report. Finally, exercises and wargames create the conditions for continued, in-depth foreign and/or international participation in BMDS operations and development. Geographic Combatant Commander Support enables key Warfighters to participate in selected MDA activities, wargames and exercises to obtain their input and feedback on the BMDS developmental processes. Every year BMDS overlays are incorporated into Combatant Command Tier 1 Exercises to enable end-user mission rehearsal and sustainment training, qualification and certification of BMDS operations. The yearly, or in some cases every other year, exercises are necessary for both familiarization of the user, but also to ensure capability upgrades accomplished in each BMDS capability upgrade are added to the exercise and training scenarios. By involving participating Combatant Commands in building coherent missile defense plans and Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for the near term BMDS, and then testing cohesive execution of those plans via high fidelity simulations, this effort optimizes BMDS operational effectiveness. BMDS Training and Education This activity develops and maintains BMDS Training and Education at the system level that is not conducted by the Services. Courses for Joint Warfighters, Department of Defense officials and the Services provide critical knowledge on BMDS capabilities and system operation. A key part of this activity includes developing BMDS educational courses and conducting education and training of select BMDS stakeholders, staffs and organizations on emerging BMDS capabilities development. As new BMDS capabilities are transitioned to the field, upgrades and improvements will be incorporated to maintain the requisite level of training. Plans and Capability Delivery These functions enable effective operation of emerging and future BMDS material capabilities and technologies. These activities result in Warfighter development of new BMDS employment constructs and Concepts of Operation. They also serve MDA as the vehicle for the Warfighter Involvement Process which seeks user feedback and guidance to shape future capability development of the BMDS and serves as the lead for the conduct of operational readiness assessments and Military Utility Assessments for the BMDS and is the integration point for the Warfighter Requests for Information and Requests for Analyses.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2011
• Source ID: MD03_0603898C_4_0400_PB_2011

Tags

Readers

• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
• Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
• Missile Defense Systems.