So, did you get on the Stand-To! mailing list? No? Hmmm … we need to talk.

The US Army has provided the second part of their discussion of battle command. Again, I’ll help those that are asleep at the switch and haven’t seen today’s installment:

“What continued efforts does the Army have planned for the future? The Army continues to focus on the synchronization of operations, logistics and intelligence in order to provide Commanders and leaders with the most accurate information needed to conduct combat operations and achieve mission success. The Army will use the Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN) process to field robust Joint Network Battle Command capabilities to the units as they prepare and engage in combat operations. The Army will use these new Joint Networked Battle Command capabilities to leverage information from intelligence, logistics, operations and medical sources, improve analysis, enable greater collaboration, to synchronize efforts quicker and reduce Commander’s decision cycles in the execution of operations to include Force on Force, Stability and Security Operations (SASO) and Counter Insurgency (COINS). The Battle Command systems will connect more soldiers to the network, and provide increased throughput, improve security, enhance collaboration, provide situation awareness, unit readiness status and Command & Control analysis. Battle Command will move toward closer integration with Logistics, including the Movement Tracking System. This system automates tracking of continuous, distributed, and Joint focused logistics across the battle space. Battle Command will also add gateways to US Marine Corps, joint, and coalition tracking systems. As with Blue Force tracker, the result will be a better integrated common operational picture.

Why is this important to the Army? Battle Command is an essential Warfighter Mission Area operational capability for both our current and future joint operations. Joint fully networked Battle Command capabilities will bridge to the Future Force and enable the Joint Force Commander to conduct fully interdependent, network-centric warfare. The Army must continue to work with the Combatant Commanders, Joint Forces Command, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Network and Information Integration to identify, align and develop Joint Force capabilities relevant to joint operations. Battle Command will align with Joint ground combat capabilities while simultaneously spiraling in proven Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Information, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) technologies.”

Is this approach new to the US Army, or the US Military as a whole? No.

Is there something missing that no matter the good intentions of the US Army and the entire US Military Command Structure, this is all for naught? Yes.

To wage an effective campaign in this 5th Generation Warfare watershed, the media is an integral component to success. Without getting too down on the main stream media (I know, fish in a barrel) an effective holistic campaign can only be waged with communications not just inward but outward. The Milbloggers are behind you and already on board, but multiple media outlets are still not working effectively together with the war. This war on terror is lacking a primary component and we are sacrificing the high ground by not executing in this area.

One can see the net-effect difference by comparing Al Jazeera teamed up with al Qaida and the terrorists currently in the field of battle. In a 5th Generation Warfare command structure, communications between soldiers and communications to the support structure, like the people sacrificing their sons and daughters, results in a highly effective overall campaign. Terrorists have a lock on that, albeit they utilize tactics that should nullify any effort, but theirs works very effectively. We are not to accept or emulate their approach, but it is clear without an outward communications component, all effectiveness is diminished to an unbearable level.

It is a fact that the main stream media is refusing to support our military, our politicians are thrashing to keep their jobs, and the counter-media (Al Jazeera) utilizing propaganda to shift opinion and mold fact to fiction. All of this gives testament to the lack of the US Military’s ability to effectively execute a holistic campaign in the global war on terror. We have technology that dwarfs the competition, yet we cannot use true shock and awe because we all know we’d be set upon by our own media and politicians. It is a given that the European Union is against us, they always will be, so move on, nothing to see here. But the negative energy from within our own boarders is continuously aimed inward thereby reducing the overall effectiveness of waging a true campaign. In the end, it is impossible to be effective in a 5th Generation Warfare watershed until the entire battlefield is conflated. Therefore, our US Military Command Structure needs to gain the high ground on this primary objective, take this last hill and hold it, or we will never be able to effectively field a successful force in battle.

For review, here are my 5GW posts, in order from oldest to newest:

Seems the family has a rift
We Blew Through 4th Generation Warfare!
Boundaries for the Fourth Generation
Clues to the 5th: Shorter Chains?
Yeah, 5GW Means Squat, Right?

Again, any 5GW stuff you find, forward on to me.

Alright, there are a few of us in the blogosphere that follow this crazy stuff. Yeah, I know, we’re like those Area 51-types that see something not really there, just behind that door. And, no, we are NOT all hopped-up on “acid” or “Mary Jane”! Force utilization and the changes and strides made over time are very real, and something that makes some folks just sit up and wanna read more.

Now, when one gets a missive straight from the core area of development in regards to warfare, and the act of prosecuting a war, ya just gotta dig a little bit deeper. This morning, in my regularly scheduled morning memo from the US Army, my inbox gets a jolt! The team at Stand-To! are covering a very germane subject termed battle command. To those of us working and writing about generational warfare, and this aligns with my 5GW posts quite well, their first installment entitled Battle Command - Part One has been posted to those within the US Army command structure - and some of us that read their site and get their daily e-mails.

If you don’t have the time to wander on over to Stand-To!, please take a moment and read their latest sidebar article:

“What is it? Battle Command is the art and science of applying leadership and decision making to achieve mission success. Battle Command leverages technology to achieve information and decision superiority. Battle Command systems enable leaders to gain knowledge to enhance the speed and accuracy of decision making. Battle Command provides Commanders and Leaders with the ability to see first, understand first, act first, and finish decisively.

What has the Army done? Recent combat operations highlight the criticality of beyond line of sight mobile communications, enhanced situation awareness, and synchronization of force application. Battle Command provides improved information systems to make visible actionable information and reduce the cycle time on key commander decisions. The Army has created a better common operational picture with enhancements made to Blue Force Tracking and Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2). With Joint Intelligence Operations Capability - Iraq (JIOC-I) the Army has integrated and fused intelligence that is relevant and timely within a specific geospatial area of operation for Commander’s and Leaders. Also, the Army has integrated unmanned Aerial Systems and their imagery feeds, and we have added Biometric enhancements to our Human Intelligence (HUMIT) data collection. The Army’s Joint Battle Command network has increased connectivity with JNN, putting more soldiers on the network with higher throughput, so that they are able to push more Command & Control information to Battalion. The Army also has experimented with collaboration tools such as Information Dissemination Management - Tactical (IDM-T) and Command Post of the Future (CPoF), and information systems similar to Combined Information Network Data Exchange (CIDNE) and FusionNet, which provide valuable information to Commanders. The Army has accelerated the fielding of critical Battle Command systems to standardize capabilities, ensuring interoperability of operational and tactical organizations. These capabilities improve joint interdependency as well as horizontal and vertical situational awareness to the platoon level. The Army continues to work with DOD agencies to bring the Joint community closer to a shared common operational picture.”

Now, what interests me very much is the threading together, within the major FBCB2 (Blue Force Tracking and Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below), of joint intelligence, information dissemination, and overall coordination within the command structure. This is where I have been leading us all in my 5GW posts. We are doing a better job and have made significant strides in these areas, but how does our use of 5GW differ from those of our enemy? In fact, how much of what we have done is being borrowed, or emulated, by our enemy. My next few posts are now going to be focused on those two very important questions.

For review, here are my 5GW posts, in order from oldest to newest:

Seems the family has a rift
We Blew Through 4th Generation Warfare!
Boundaries for the Fourth Generation
Clues to the 5th: Shorter Chains?

And, please check out as many resources that you can find where this subject, generational warfare, are being written about, and send on to me. I am a major consumer of this subject - a hobby ya might say.

Without passion, we have no path. Without commitment, we have no honor. Without conviction, we have lost our way. Without faith, we have surrendered our soul. Without duty, we have forfeited our “six”. Without reverence, we have no passion.

So ask yourselves, without these, what have you? And, what will become of our great country, The United States of America?

[Thanks, Amy and Johnny, for the muse - the words just fell out.]

“Atlas doesn’t shrug, Atlas heaves with cries of agony at our myopia.”

Every time I hear and see Madeline Albright on the TV, I just have to laugh out loud! I cannot believe that her cute stories are taken for great diplomacy! Everyone in the Clinton’s Camp Runamuk thinks they had the tiger by the tail when it comes to Hamas, North Korea, China, and yes, Iraq. Yet their brand of appeasement actually got them nothing but sneers, the bombing of the World Trade Center (the first time) and the USS Cole, and machinations behind their backs that proves they were lost.

Want some proof? Keep on readin’ folks!

I found a little gem, an off-handed remark, hidden deep within the Foreign Military Studies Office, Joint Reserve Intelligence Center - Operation Iraqi Freedom Documents. Saddam Hussein and Tariq Aziz are talking about the situation in the UN Security Council around Iraq’s hiding information about their chemical and biological weapons program. As they are sizing up the alliances in the Security Council, Tariq Aziz makes the following comment regarding the US, Argentina, and Madeline Albright:

The Ambassador of Chile appears to be an educated, wonderful person according to his representation. According to my observation, he is fair, imperial and has modern ideas and ahhh … if you will allow me to say, unlike the dog, the Argentinean, who used to be Albright’s servant.

Now, if I were the Ambassador from Argentina, and I were called, “Albright’s servant”, I think I’d be a bit tweaked. You? I mean, that there is some “head buttin’ fuel” wouldn’t you say?

This file store is chock full of amazing insight regarding Iraq’s political process. The way that Saddam’s team sized up their alliances, paid for some, negotiated some to stronger bonds, and ignored some. Obviously, those having tighter ties with the US and Britain were ignored or hopefully played into a tighter corner. Let me drop some comments on ya:

Tariq Aziz to Saddam on South Korea

TARIQ ‘AZIZ: … the meetings were good in general [ INTERRUPTED]
SADDAM: Except Korea
TARIQ ‘AZIZ: South Korea … The Ambassador of South Korea, we know each other, came and told me, I am here to visit you and to visit Baghdad. He appears to be one of the people who keep up with the bilateral relations and he said that we have an interest in Iraq and lifting the sanctions off Iraq and he said we want to buy oil from you. From the beginning, he has been supporting a company that is part of the Oil Ministry and he said, we are ready to pay you a down payment of $50 million dollars if you sign this contract … [INTERRUPTED]
MV ?: A Hundred Sir …
TARIQ ‘AZIZ: It is a hundred now! My information is outdated. Anyway, the possibility of this country being concerned about Iraq and lifting the sanctions, is because they have an interest in it [Iraq]. Ultimately, we can reverse the situation.

Tariq Aziz to Saddam on Eqypt

TARIQ ‘AZIZ: Sir, the new assembly for the Security Council next year, is clearly better than the current assembly is. I mean, Egypt will enter [the assembly], they report with us and you know, your Excellency, Egypt’s politics are much better. Their Ambassador, Nabeel Al-Arabi, is truly a good man, I mean, in the midst of the crisis, he used to come over and visit me years ago, for example, at my residence. By the way, he is also the brother-in-law of Hikeel, they are relatives and friends, I mean, and his demeanor as a human is good. I mean, his staff came over and they met … Dr. ‘Amir has told me that they all arrived, sat and prepared themselves to negotiate, which means that they are taking the issues very seriously, in a helpful way. Al-Arabi is the new replacement.

Tariq Aziz to Saddam on Guinea Bissau

TARIQ ‘AZIZ: When Guinea Bissau arrived, they said, “we are among the people who honor our relation with Iraq, and we remember when you helped us in our time of need”. When I asked them if they have close ties with France, their reply was yes.

Tariq Aziz to Saddam on France

TARIQ ‘AZIZ: After the General Assembly, when meeting with the French Prime Minister in private, I asked him, “how is your relation with Guinea Bissau?” He replied, “very good”. Thereafter, I told him, “I would like you to take care of that … that is to say, for them to take our side. Therefore, he promises to do just that. We are expecting the atmosphere in the Security Council to change relatively from last year, to our advantage, especially if we achieve greater progress with Ekeus’s file. The French, was reserved [firm] in regards to Ekeus or to the issue of Resolution 986, that is to say, he has a firm attitude. He told me, “when you go to Paris you can discuss the issues”. Thereafter, when I arrived in Paris, two days before the official meeting, I observed through my discussion with their Ambassador and [UNINTELLIGIBLE] which they are our close friends from the French Foreign Ministry, that the atmosphere in France is firm, that is to say, it is firm with us … I told my friend, which is the person who we communicate through, to setup a secret meeting with Jacques Chirac, so we finish … [INTERRUPTED] … They said that it could be difficult. I told them to talk to him and see, at any rate, if he could not see me, let us talk on the phone … By God, the next day he contacted me and said, I am coming to see you right now, ahhh … meaning, I am on my way right now. He brought a phone with him when he came. However, Sir, this happened because of the stipulations on us to …
SADDAM: [Yes]
TARIQ ‘AZIZ: Your Excellency, I must tell you this to complete the picture, he brought the phone with him and I talked with the President [Jacques Chirac] At the beginning, he started by saying, I want to help you. You are … [INTERRUPTED] Truthfully, I told him in so many words ahhh … what these issues require and what we are now asking. I also told him that we have not met for eleven months; we need to meet so we can provide you with information about Ekeus. He [Ekeus] will not present his report unless you apply pressure against the American pressure, which is the past Italian pressure. I explained other points to him and honestly, without hesitation, he said, “I will give instructions to the Foreign Ministry now to be completely open with you and to exchange and analyze the information, we will help you. We will call to give instructions to our Ambassador in New York to work in complete coordination with you in regards to this specific issue”. When I met with the Prime Minister on the evening of the next day, after my meeting with the Foreign Minister, during the private interview, he said, … I said, I ahhh … I mean, this issue was … I mean, when I met with the Foreign Minister, he was excited, I mean, not bad … [Laughing] … Foreign Minister? This is what we need from you, to pressure Ekeus, scrutinize him, and ask him when he will be finished and to tell him that this is what Iraq has provided, also for your Ambassador in New York to do whatever he is able to do. He told me yes, especially at the time when the Foreign Relations are warm, and the leadership is cold. Now it is the opposite, the situation has been reversed, the leadership is warm, and the Foreign Relations are cold, however, he told me that this has been solved. Chirac met with me today and told me to take the procedures and tell the Minister and the Ambassador and assure them that this issue has been solved. Therefore, the man was sure of his promise over the phone and put the Prime Minister in charge of giving the instructions. The Foreign Minister was friendly and serious at the meeting. We know the Minister, we met him before, however, we reached a level of understanding and he followed the instructions. I mean, at the end, when I was leaving, he assured me of his support, encouraged me, and said, if you are able, even by phone, call me and inform me if anything should happen. I mean, he encourages quick communications. Therefore, if they did not have the will for teamwork and cooperation, I believe, after my visit to Paris, the French position has been restored.

Tariq Aziz to Saddam on Russia

TARIQ ‘AZIZ: … The Russian position remains the same, it is a generous position, I mean, and I have not seen hesitation or coldness in all the issues that we have discussed between him and me, at all. He welcomed and greeted comrade ‘Amir Al-Sa’di. They paid attention to our information that … [INTERRUPTED]
SADDAM: He does not have a position change. Meaning? …
TARIQ ‘AZIZ: Negative.
SADDAM: Are you meaning that he does not have a negative change?
TARIQ ‘AZIZ: Yes.
SADDAM: Do you mean that he was positive?
TARIQ ‘AZIZ: Positive.
SADDAM: Hmmm [good]

And, speaking of Russia, in another file the Security Council issue and Russia gets pretty intense. In a conversation between Saddam and Lt. General ‘Amir, I found this teensy-weensy little bit of, graft:

LT GENERAL ‘AMIR: Sir, truthfully now [UNINTELLIGIBLE] we have put a defense plan in place and your Excellency was aware of the full picture, where the confidence of the success level is seventy percent and fifty percent, depending on the UN paragraphs. Truthfully, we have worked on it [the plan], but now sir, our effort is solely focused on the subject of the Biological Program. In addition there is a special team of inspectors in which all of their efforts are now concentrated on the Biological Program and the passing time during these few weeks has given them the chance to collect and examine the information. I mean, are we neglecting here …? [INTERRUPTED]
SADDAM: Are you talking about the Biological Program or are you talking [rambling] about another subject?
LT GENERAL ‘AMIR: No sir … sorry, it is not that, if I may say?
SADDAM: Yes.
LT GENERAL ‘AMIR: There are grounds for that, but there are no credible grounds left for the Chemical Program and missiles. However, there are grounds for the Biological Program. Sir … one could be suspicious of it [the Biological Program] if we concentrate on it [UNINTELLIGIBLE] and the trafficking effort and dodging everything in regards to it. Therefore … if one does not have anything or have anything left, for example, one should concentrate on their efforts to achieve results. Now, there is a strong ground for achievement on the subject of the Biological Program. Now, sir, the subject of the Biological Program has become a subject that was adopted by [UNINTELLIGIBLE] I mean I am sorry to say that we are responsible for this subject, I mean, we want to succeed. We have succeeded in a few of the UN paragraphs, we have won Russia, ahhh … we have convinced Russia by way of generous accounts [payoffs] in which, you remember how and why it happened … [INTERRUPTED]
SADDAM: Have you asked the Russians if they have any new information?
LT GENERAL ‘AMIR: Yes sir, I will answer that now sir … God bless you and keep you … The only hope we have in our present dilemma, is to extract the technical event to prevent the implementation of UN paragraph 22, I mean, [UNINTELLIGIBLE]. Sir, getting back to the subject of the difficulties that your Excellency has mentioned, I mean, without exaggeration it is consuming us day and night, I mean … it is choking and disturbing us and if we are late for our main work, it could be … Sir, this subject, I mean, it is causing us an effect and a cost … cost. Such a possibility could result in a positive outcome with a high percentage … not bad … it could be seventy or eighty percent. Sir, we must sit down with your Excellency and maybe we will be able to calculate and organize this effort. However sir, without doing this, the possibility to succeed in UN paragraph 22 will be zero and this is what they would like to see happen.

Did ya catch that, the bit about a payoff?

Uh-huh, the reason ALL these documents are not being released is the pure embarrassment that will befall all those that have either paid Saddam or were paid by Saddam. The alliances are thick and the UN is not the place to settle chemical and bilogical weapons issues with Iraq.

I’m still searching these archives for information on transportation of weapons out of Iraq. I have, however, found lots of great stuff regarding biological and chemical weapons development from 1995 to 2003. And, all roads are leading to Iran, I gotta tell ya …

FMSO OIF REFERENCE MATERIAL

1. ISGQ-2003-M0004694-JCOA-HT.pdf

2. ISGQ-2003-M0004667-JCOA-HT.pdf

Stand-To! Carries Us Again! HOOAH!