Command And General Staff College: A Case Study

Whether she knew it or not, Mother Theresa was talking about the Joint Planning Process. She best describes this process as teamwork. The use of teamwork, or the Joint Planning Process, by leaders of the Armed Forces during Operation Anaconda allowed for planning considerations critical to the success of the operation. This paper will explain the seven steps of the Joint Planning Process, and how these steps or the lack of these steps will dictate mission success or failure as seen in Operation Anaconda.

In support of my capstone project, I assessed and will submit a redesigned proposal with developmental recommendations for reformation of a solid POI for the SPCC that takes place at the Army Logistics University. In this, I have identified the foremost purpose for this redesign as the following: The investment in the education and training of rising leadership is vital to the long-term success of our sustainment support staff and the services provided. With this course providing training in modular force operations for newly selected command designees that enables them to function effectively throughout their command tour it is very important to make sure that the training is substantive. Therefore the main focus is to assure that training is current and emerging sustainment doctrine and leadership topics for commanders on the National Guard, Reservist and Active Duty levels is most essential.

1. (15 pts) Review the Operational Approach Student Aid Slide #7 for this question. Operational Design and the Operational Approach is a process of iterative understanding and problem framing that supports commanders and staffs in their application of operational art with tools and a methodology to conceive of and construct viable approaches to operations and campaigns.” (JP 5-0, III-1). In the context of the Mediterranean/North Africa Theater of Operations (M/NATO), using the contextual background notes and material provided for this exam in Parts 2 and 3, apply operational design thinking as described in JP 5-0 chapter III to answer the following.

Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) is a nonprofit university that offers exemplary undergraduate and graduate education in the liberal arts and professional disciplines. During my time at SCSU, I am fortunate to have worked as a student worker and currently I work as a graduate assistant for the Community Alliance for Research and Engagement (CARE) program. Being able to serve as a graduate assistant in a nonprofit university encompasses a great deal of responsibilities and reward. For instance, I work with New haven residents to identify and tackle social and health issues identified by the community. I also work alongside the resident partners to build relationships with other neighborhood leaders and community organizations who have diverse knowledge, expertise, and skills. In addition, I help to create health activities with community residents, conduct outreach about neighborhood-level projects, and assist with research-related activities.

LTC (P) Owens first challenge is to frame the problem set and develop an initial vision for the 4th ABCT. By using the Army design methodology alongside with the Kotter model LTC (P) Owens will be able to more easily apply critical and creative thinking to develop a plan of action to address the problems facing the 4th ABCT. This plan of action will translate into his vision for the unit and become the driving force of change.

At the close of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the US military ended with varied to questionable results. This is because US policymakers and military leaders did not adjust to the emergence of new conditions due to their dependence on medium structure problem framing. The Army Design Methodology (ADM) is a tool military organizations should use in adaptive environments to develop solutions for complex problems. To understand why the ADM is a critical tool for military organizations, military professionals need to understand the impacts of ill-structured problems on planning and execution and the potential influence the ADM will have on their organization. Once military professionals understand the influence the ADM has on ill-structured problems, they can begin to consider how to integrate the ADM into planning.

The position of strength that the Army has is that everyone has seen over the last ten years what our Army has done, and is capable of. Lots of people want to put the Army in a box. They want to say this is what the Army can do -- they can do this little thing over here. I am here to tell them that the Army is probably the most flexible, adaptable organization across all the services, and that we can respond and be capable anywhere any time to support any Combatant

After reviewing The AOC, TP 525-3-1, which describes how the United States Army will employ forces and capabilities in complex

The core concept behind ‘Design Thinking’ revolves around attaining a goal rather than simply fixing a problem at hand. Since focusing on an objective already helps address any unmet needs, goal-oriented solutions lay the groundwork for other improvements including future ‘Design Thinking’ solutions. As such, solutions of this nature need to be socially fluid, tangible in nature, and broadminded in approach.

Joint operations and the six joint functions allow commanders to integrate military capabilities for the achievement of desired goals. Operation Husky presents an opportunity to assess the joint functions of command and control and the integration of the other joint functions at the operational level. Specifically, this paper evaluates command and control using the three attributes of mission command, and then, integration of some of the joint functions as defined in Joint Publication 1, Doctrine for the Armed Forces of the United States. Operation Husky provides multiple examples of the challenges associated with joint operations and the struggles leaders must deal with to succeed at the strategic and operational levels of war. Command and control establishes the base upon which the remaining joint functions are integrated to achieve unity of effort and mission success. The remaining joint functions provide the military capabilities for battlefield success. Commanders adept at integrating and synchronizing the joint functions in joint operations will achieve unity of effort and mission accomplishment.

Pick an assumption that, if proven false, would have the greatest impact on your COA and provide two changes to your air approach in order to adequately address this issue. Discuss how this changes the overall risk assessment of the operation for the combined force commander.

The US Central Command’s planning for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) was not the all-inclusive plan that joint operations require. Joint operations are no longer limited to major combat operations, but encompass a wide range of actions. Planning for joint operations requires input from many sources to produce a successful campaign plan to meet the desired end state. Operational design provides a concept and a construction framework that underpins a campaign and its execution. (JP GL13). Evaluating the planning process by using the operational design identifies some of CENTCOM’s shortfalls. US military planners’ lack of understanding of the operational environment led to an inadequately defined problem that resulted in a faulty operational approach. CENTCOM’s approach did not have the right assessment to gauge the effectiveness of the plan such as alerting planners when and if the plan needed modification. Current joint planning policy incorporates several of CENTCOM’s shortfalls in an attempt to provide a better planning process for future joint operations.

MDMP is an “iterative planning methodology to understand the situation and mission, develop a course of action, and produce an operational plan or order”. MDMP consists of Mission analysis, course of action (COA) development, COA analysis (War Gaming), COA Comparison, COA approval and order/plan drafting. According to ADRP 5-0, a Commander may choose to pursue design methodologies in parallel with MDMP, before MDMP, or indeed after. The sequencing of these planning activities is Commander/leadership-dependent and ADRP 5-0, for a doctrinal publication, is replete with mentions of flexibility, adaptability, and critical and creative thinking; these attributes and capabilities being required for the effective Commander and planning staff.

Accordingly, the Army’s theory of warfare, Unified Land Operations (ULO), provides a framework, inherently supported by operational art that enables the United States to maintain a position of advantage. First, ULO and operational art

This step analyzes each of the COAs developed in the previous step. "The heart of COA analysis is the war-gaming process . . . ." (Artillerization, n.d., "Step 4: Course of Action Analysis" section, ¶ 1). During this step, staff members come up with possible scenarios that could take place during the execution of the mission. The author's contribution to the war-gaming was what would happen if a piece of C3 equipment or capability were rendered unusable due to either malfunction or enemy action.