Information Operations - Where Are We?
Information Operations – Where are We?
Today, over three years after the issuance of the Strategy for Operations in the Information Environment (SOIE: June 2016), we remain perpetually reactive, under invested, woefully behind, fixated on kinetic solutions and continue to operate in our “Titanium Cylinders of Sub-Excellence” ©
I recently retired from the Federal Government, after thirty-plus years in the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense. This was a purposeful move, as I find the IC and DoD are losing significant opportunity and throwing away potential advantage to drive proactive influence operations and predictive analysis in the Information Environment (IE) – that could offer major advantages to US global position, enhance our coalitions, and significantly enhance our national security posture now and generations into the future.
The Strategy for Operations in the Information Environment (SOIE) https://toinformistoinfluence.com/2016/06/27/dod-strategy-for-operations-in-the-information-environement/.
From my read, this is a well laid out document with a coherent and reasonable set of objectives and tasks. But why, after over three-years, have we see so little of these objectives implemented? Some may argue on the pace and implementation – but let me ask directly – where are the investments, education, training, policy changes, coalitions, etc.?
There are efforts underway across the DoD, Department of State, and Intelligence Community – but there is no “whole of government” orchestration, nor cohesive priorities or implementation strategy in the critically enabling Cognitive Domain. I would offer anyone to read the SOIE and detail specific progress. We remain culturally tied to kinetic solutions, industrial age processes and structures, and feeble in addressing the policy and authorities necessary to operate proactively or other in the IE.
Over the last several years, focusing on this arena while working in the Army G2 across a “whole of government” collaborative Community of Interest that consisted of over 100+ IC, DoD and Federal organizations and over 650 plus senior members – we brought the Cognitive Domain, Gray Zone, IE and Information Operations regularly into the forum for education, discussion and to drive synergy within and between the varied involved elements – against their individual priorities and actions.
What I ascertained was a tremendous amount of support for efforts in this arena, but that is lacks any top-down leadership – that is leadership not to control, own, etc, but to enable, facilitate, foster and advance efforts across the federal enterprise, against key priorities. Yes there are leaders taking action.
However, when we have multiple players, driving multiple strategies against multiple priorities – without a broader cohesive architecture (e.g., ends, ways and means), investment roadmap, and national set of priorities – there is no strategy!
The importance of operations in the Cognitive Domain are multiple and critical.
• Avoiding Direct Kinetic Conflict: The key being that unless we move from perpetually reactive posture to proactive influence, the potential for a major kinetic conflict will continue to rise.
• Advancing National Priorities: If we drive proactive influence operations in the Cognitive Domain we move from a reactive to proactive posture – and advance ability to drive outcomes beneficial to our priorities and interests.
• Advancing Humanity, Freedom and Independence: Let’s not kid ourselves. We are in the midst of a cognitive war that will last a millennia or longer. Our national strategy must begin to reflect long-term goals and objectives that transcend administrations, party affiliations, and speak to the broader ideals and ideology upon which our nation was founded, and that we continue to cherish. Given the ever decreasing world we live in – we must broaden the SOIE and such efforts into a national strategy for operations in the Cognitive Domain, of which the IE is one aspect.
Immediate and continued action is required. The DoD’s SOIE is a start, but we must move quickly to a “whole of government” approach. To achieve such, there are some basic steps that must occur, driven top-down via the Executive Branch and enabled, supported, overseen and funded by the Legislative Branch. Two immediate key next steps include:
1. NSC – Create a Cognitive Domain PC/DC: Having the National Security Council immediately establish a Principals and Deputies Committee to address the Cognitive Domain, and drive develop an immediate “Whole of Government” set or regional priorities (near, mid and far; 2021-2025; 2026-2036; 2046-2051) along with an commensurate implementation and investment roadmap (ends, ways and means).
2. Executive/Legislative Branches – Establish Bi-Partisan Strategic (e.g., long-term 10, 30 and 50 year) Priorities and Funding Investment Roadmap: Executive and Legislative Branch collaboration/ hearings to foster development of a bi-partisan set of national priorities, by region, that can transcend administrations, overcome the cultural bias on solely kinetic solutions, and develop a long-term investment strategy and funding to educate, train, build capacity and capability via varied pilots -- leveraging focused, synergistic “whole of government” construct.
This blog is one means by which I intend to drive action, solution, and efforts in the Cognitive Domain. By no means do I suggest these comments and suggested solutions are definitive and absolute. My comments and objective are intended to drive real action, debate and discussions – as true solutions require diverse expertise and opinions.
Today, over three years after the issuance of the Strategy for Operations in the Information Environment (SOIE: June 2016), we remain perpetually reactive, under invested, woefully behind, fixated on kinetic solutions and continue to operate in our “Titanium Cylinders of Sub-Excellence” ©
I recently retired from the Federal Government, after thirty-plus years in the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense. This was a purposeful move, as I find the IC and DoD are losing significant opportunity and throwing away potential advantage to drive proactive influence operations and predictive analysis in the Information Environment (IE) – that could offer major advantages to US global position, enhance our coalitions, and significantly enhance our national security posture now and generations into the future.
The Strategy for Operations in the Information Environment (SOIE) https://toinformistoinfluence.com/2016/06/27/dod-strategy-for-operations-in-the-information-environement/.
From my read, this is a well laid out document with a coherent and reasonable set of objectives and tasks. But why, after over three-years, have we see so little of these objectives implemented? Some may argue on the pace and implementation – but let me ask directly – where are the investments, education, training, policy changes, coalitions, etc.?
There are efforts underway across the DoD, Department of State, and Intelligence Community – but there is no “whole of government” orchestration, nor cohesive priorities or implementation strategy in the critically enabling Cognitive Domain. I would offer anyone to read the SOIE and detail specific progress. We remain culturally tied to kinetic solutions, industrial age processes and structures, and feeble in addressing the policy and authorities necessary to operate proactively or other in the IE.
Over the last several years, focusing on this arena while working in the Army G2 across a “whole of government” collaborative Community of Interest that consisted of over 100+ IC, DoD and Federal organizations and over 650 plus senior members – we brought the Cognitive Domain, Gray Zone, IE and Information Operations regularly into the forum for education, discussion and to drive synergy within and between the varied involved elements – against their individual priorities and actions.
What I ascertained was a tremendous amount of support for efforts in this arena, but that is lacks any top-down leadership – that is leadership not to control, own, etc, but to enable, facilitate, foster and advance efforts across the federal enterprise, against key priorities. Yes there are leaders taking action.
However, when we have multiple players, driving multiple strategies against multiple priorities – without a broader cohesive architecture (e.g., ends, ways and means), investment roadmap, and national set of priorities – there is no strategy!
The importance of operations in the Cognitive Domain are multiple and critical.
• Avoiding Direct Kinetic Conflict: The key being that unless we move from perpetually reactive posture to proactive influence, the potential for a major kinetic conflict will continue to rise.
• Advancing National Priorities: If we drive proactive influence operations in the Cognitive Domain we move from a reactive to proactive posture – and advance ability to drive outcomes beneficial to our priorities and interests.
• Advancing Humanity, Freedom and Independence: Let’s not kid ourselves. We are in the midst of a cognitive war that will last a millennia or longer. Our national strategy must begin to reflect long-term goals and objectives that transcend administrations, party affiliations, and speak to the broader ideals and ideology upon which our nation was founded, and that we continue to cherish. Given the ever decreasing world we live in – we must broaden the SOIE and such efforts into a national strategy for operations in the Cognitive Domain, of which the IE is one aspect.
Immediate and continued action is required. The DoD’s SOIE is a start, but we must move quickly to a “whole of government” approach. To achieve such, there are some basic steps that must occur, driven top-down via the Executive Branch and enabled, supported, overseen and funded by the Legislative Branch. Two immediate key next steps include:
1. NSC – Create a Cognitive Domain PC/DC: Having the National Security Council immediately establish a Principals and Deputies Committee to address the Cognitive Domain, and drive develop an immediate “Whole of Government” set or regional priorities (near, mid and far; 2021-2025; 2026-2036; 2046-2051) along with an commensurate implementation and investment roadmap (ends, ways and means).
2. Executive/Legislative Branches – Establish Bi-Partisan Strategic (e.g., long-term 10, 30 and 50 year) Priorities and Funding Investment Roadmap: Executive and Legislative Branch collaboration/ hearings to foster development of a bi-partisan set of national priorities, by region, that can transcend administrations, overcome the cultural bias on solely kinetic solutions, and develop a long-term investment strategy and funding to educate, train, build capacity and capability via varied pilots -- leveraging focused, synergistic “whole of government” construct.
This blog is one means by which I intend to drive action, solution, and efforts in the Cognitive Domain. By no means do I suggest these comments and suggested solutions are definitive and absolute. My comments and objective are intended to drive real action, debate and discussions – as true solutions require diverse expertise and opinions.
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