A Layered Approach to Training Battle Staffs within Digital Tactical Operations Centers

by Gary Lawrence

As the Army begins its transition from counterinsurgency (COIN) operations to unified land operations (ULO), combat training center (CTC) leaders and cadre have observed a lack of training proficiency in the application of basic doctrine to include mission command doctrine when conducting ULO. There are noted deficiencies in battalion through brigade-level staffs when planning, executing, and conducting mission command within digitally equipped command posts (CPs).

This article covers essential assets along with a layered approach for training battle staffs for ULO within a digital tactical operations center (TOC). The discussion includes:

• Integrating assets using a layered approach
• Home-station training
• Resources available
• Individual and collective training required for battle staff

Integrating Assets Using a Layered Approach: Techniques That Work

The following best practices are from commanders who regularly trained at home station by utilizing the Mission Command Training Centers (MCTCs) or taking advantage of field training exercises and gunneries to deploy and exercise their CPs and battle staffs using a layered approach with training, current doctrine, and the full suite of Army Battle Command Systems (ABCS). Below are techniques observed that can help enable a unit to begin using Command Post of the Future (CPOF) in conjunction with the other ABCS assets for operations within a time-constrained environment.

Having staff members immediately dive into data entry in their respective ABCS assets may not be the optimal approach to introducing staffs to digital systems. One simple technique is to require staff members to write their basic duty descriptions on five-by-eight-inch cards and then brief who they are and what they do as part of the CP team. This should cover:

• What products they produce
• What products they contribute to the common operating picture (COP)
• What information they provide to other staff members
• What information they need from other staff members

In this manner, staff members more readily comprehend what they do, what others do, and “how it all fits together” to accomplish the commander’s intent and provide the COP.

Once staff members understand their duties and can identify by name “who needs to know,” the practical application portion of training with ABCS assets can begin with the use of simple but effective ABCS products. Construction of ABCS products to enable mission command evolves and becomes more effective as staff knowledge increases and as the commander formulates and shares with his staff how best to provide him with the information that he needs (see Figure 1).

Home-Station Training

Units are required to track tank commander/gunner combinations on combat vehicles utilizing battle rosters and have a requirement to report them on the monthly unit status report (USR). ABCS systems should be tracked and treated the same way by utilizing a digital battle roster; this will allow the leadership in the command post to assign the most qualified personnel to the right positions. The digital roster can track who is qualified on what system, who has completed the Battle Staff NCO Course, who has completed the digital master gunner (DMG) course for their respective systems, and also track projected losses and gains (Figure 2). The bottom line is that digital systems should be viewed as and treated as a weapons system, not merely a computer.

ABCS skills are learned skills and as such are extremely perishable; primary and alternate operators require regular, individual, and collective sustainment training in garrison. Some units have taken the initiative and built their own garrison operations centers using ABCS assets in order to conduct proper 24/7 operations. These operations centers allow battle staff personnel optimal flexibility to train on their integrated systems while enabling mission command at home station (Installation as a Docking Station system). Not only does this practice build confidence in the ABCS systems, but it allows commanders to evolve their own information requirements regardless of the mission set, helps staffs in developing and maintaining individual and collective skill sets prior to deployment, and allows for the systems to be routinely maintained and patched. Something as simple as using CPOF to conduct commander update briefs in garrison can sustain CPOF skills.

Prior to a field exercise or operational deployment, units should plan for and rehearse movement of required ABCS assets from a previously established garrison-based operations center to the tactical field site. The skill sets learned in garrison will translate to the new environment because users will understand commander’s intent, be practiced on providing that information, (military decision-making process), and be cognizant of who needs to know what and when based on their functions. In this way, use of ABCS in garrison enables units to achieve higher levels of proficiency, use, and understanding than when in a field environment.

When establishing field sites, the use of the Mission Command Systems Integration Training (MCSIT) CP Handbook provides an excellent way to systemically both “build the CP” and “track” how the CP comes together.

Resources Available to Build Successful Battle Staffs for Execution of ULO in a Digital World

The “basic essentials” required by commanders to man, equip, and train mission-ready battle staffs include doctrine and training in the Army’s educational and training institutions. Details of each are described in the following paragraphs.

Doctrine

Listed below are a few of the latest doctrinal publications available to help commanders frame training for their staffs and should be mandatory reading for all officers and NCOs:

• Army Doctrine Publication (ADP) 6-0, Mission Command — http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/adp6_0_new.pdf (ADP 6-0 presents the Army’s guidance on command, control, and the mission command warfighting function. This publication concisely describes how commanders, supported by their staffs, combine the art of command and the science of control to understand situations, make decisions, direct action, and accomplish missions. See Figure 3 for a graphical overview of the exercise of mission command.).
• ADP 3-0, Unified Land Operations — http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/adp3_0.pdf
• ADP 3-90, Offense and Defense — http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/adp3_90.pdf
• ADP 4-0, Sustainment — http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/adp4_0.pdf
• ADP 5-0, Operations Process — http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/adp5_0.pdf
• ADP 7-0, Training Units and Developing Leaders — http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/adp7_0.pdf

Doctrine is used to help shape how we describe, conduct, and train for operations on the battlefield. Training (described next) combines both individual and collective tasks required to effectively execute battle staff operations.

Knowledge Management (KM)

KM is the process of enabling knowledge flow to enhance shared understanding, learning, and decision making. Knowledge flow refers to the ease of movement of knowledge within and among organizations. Knowledge must flow to be useful. The purpose of knowledge management is to create shared understanding through the alignment of people, processes, and tools within the organizational structure and culture in order to increase collaboration and interaction between leaders and subordinates. This results in better decisions and enables improved flexibility, adaptability, integration, and synchronization to achieve a position of relative advantage.

Utilizing a comprehensive SOP, a well-trained and experienced KM officer who adheres to and practices sound KM practices will:

• Enhance collaboration among personnel within the staff
• Ensure for rapid knowledge transfer between units and individuals
• Provide a reach-back capability to Army schools, centers of excellence, and other resources
• Improve leader and Soldier agility and adaptability during operations
• Assist in the development of doctrine
• Improve an organization’s ability to capture lessons learned throughout each force pool of the Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN) cycle

The effective and efficient use of knowledge in conducting operations and supporting organizational learning is an essential function of KM.

Individual and Collective Training

Successful commanders take the time to plan, resource, and execute home-station training programs that encompass an integrated approach for individual and collective skill sets.

One of the more important portions of this training involves planning and implementation of your program for the overall professional development of your NCOs and officers combined with available, established training programs that help build effective battle staff officers (BSOs) and NCOs.

NCO and Officer Professional Development Programs (NCOPD/OPDs)

NCOPDs and OPDs should focus on what information, doctrine, and tools are required by NCOs and officers to integrate the scope of their duties and responsibilities within the TOC.

Established training programs that help build effective battle staff officers and NCOs are described in the paragraphs below.

Battle Staff NCO Course (BSNCOC)

This course prepares staff sergeants through sergeants major for demanding staff positions. It provides the NCO with a course encompassing unified land and joint operations inherent in the day-to-day taskings of battalion- and brigade-level staffs. BSNCOC provides NCOs with an understanding of the processes of tactical planning and operations at the joint tactical level. The end result produces battle staff NCOs able to assist in accomplishing all facets of operations in a TOC.

This course is listed in the Army Training Requirements and Resources System (ATRRS) — https://www.atrrs.army.mil.

Mission Command Digital Master Gunner Course (CPOF DMG)

This course provides train-the-trainer instruction to personnel operating within a unit CP on how to leverage the knowledge and skills of each member of the staff to give the commander a complete COP of the area of operation. Students will learn to integrate CP mission command equipment; establish the network; conduct CP operations; configure CPOF architecture; conduct CPOF three-dimensional mission planning; implement two-dimensional tools for CPOF; establish CPOF share product collaboration; implement CPOF combined information data network exchange; use the Tactical Ground Reporting System; and develop the COP using the CPOF. Graduates are the commander’s subject matter experts (SMEs) regarding operation, maintenance, integration, and training on the CPOF and MCS in a unit’s integrated system-of-systems command post. Upon completing and meeting all of the requirements of this course, the student will receive an additional skill identifier of 5C.

This course is listed in ATRRS under course code 9E-SI/ASI5C/920-ASI5C(CT).

Mission Command Staff Integrators Course (MCSIC)

The MCSIC is three weeks in length and will equip Soldiers with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to coordinate the connectivity and configuration of digital command and control (C2) systems in a TOC and to display information needed for the COP. Students in this course will learn the capabilities, limitations, and configuration of each battle command system within a brigade combat team (BCT) TOC. Periods of instruction cover: the responsibilities of the S6; the responsibilities of the battle command systems integrator; and the capabilities and functions of the Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2), the Global Command and Control System-Army (GCCS-A), the Command and Control Personal Computer (C2PC), the Common Ground System-Army, Battle Command System Publish and Subscribe Services (PASS), the Sustainment Support System, and the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS), among others. Students will also conduct a digital communication exercise and assist with the development of battle drills and SOPs within a CP to enable individual DMGs and the BSO/NCO to orchestrate the contributions to and display of the COP. Upon completing and meeting all of the requirements of the MCSIC, the student will receive an additional skill identifier of 5E.

This course is listed in ATRRS under course code 9E-SI/ASI5E/920-ASI5E(CT).

Mission Command Staff Integrators Course (MCSIC)

S-DMG was designed to fill a training void with current, changing, and new emerging digital systems in the Army. The S-DMG is responsible for the configuration and installation of ABCS, battle command common services, digital TOC components, and the tactical local area network.

S-DMG students will gain a knowledge base that allows them to coordinate with the MCSIC Soldier in the TOC regarding network integration of ABCS systems that contribute to the digital display of the COP. The S-DMG is responsible for coordinating the installation, planning, and management of BCT/battalion signal communications.

Graduates of the S-DMG are the commander’s SMEs on the signal flow, architecture, and operations of communications network systems integration, leading to the COP development and display in the digital TOC.

This course is listed in ATRRS under course code TSD-SDMG. Soldiers can also contact the course manager at (706) 791-3419 or the deputy course manager at (706) 791-3711.

Tactical Airspace Integration System Digital Master Gunner (TAIS-DMG)

This course was developed based on guidance from the Combined Arms Center – Training (CAC-T), Fort Leavenworth, Kan. It is an Aviation proponent functional system course that has an assigned military occupational speciality (MOS) or career management field (CMF) requirement to train 15P and 15Q enlisted Soldiers, 150A warrant officers, and Aviation officers. The TAIS-DMG course is also open to U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) and Army National Guard (ARNG) enlisted, warrant officers, and officers with duties as or assigned to an airspace C2 (AC2) staff position directly related to the use of the TAIS. Students attending this course will receive advanced level training on an AN/FSQ-211 TAIS. The training will focus on AC2 operations involving the data controller, workstation software applications training, internal/external setup, Collaboration (Net meeting), PASS/data distribution service (DDS) configuration functions, as well as communications and networking functions to include troubleshooting. Students will also be provided the necessary multi-echelon architectural training concerning the TAIS and its interoperability role with other ABCS systems. Graduates of the TAIS-DMG course will take away the importance of this training as the commander’s TAIS SME armed with the abilities, skill set, and working technical knowledge to expertly employ, integrate, and aid in the configuration and interoperability of the TAIS Airspace Work Station into the TOC digital architecture.

This course is listed in ATRRS under course code 2G-F106/222-F1 (CT).

Sustainment Digital Master Gunner Course

To provide select personnel with the requisite training to perform as a sustainment DMG with scientific and technical expertise in all aspects of Battle Command Sustainment Support System (BCS3) operations to include various interfaces and inter-operations. By the end of the course, the Soldier will be able to manage BCS3 to optimize logistics capabilities and serve as a principal advisor to the sustainment commander for operability, training, maintaining, and reporting of BCS3 readiness capabilities. The training spearheads positions in support operations office and operation cells that directly interact with BCS3 at the battalion level and above. These positions have been identified as requiring functional understanding of BCS3 applications and the focus of the training prepares Soldiers for such positions. Soldiers will also receive training on the ABCS architecture, interoperability, data transmission/exchange, and the business systems generating and providing the source data (to include specific components of CPOF.)

This course is listed in ATRRS under course code 551-F31.

Maneuver Digital Master Gunners Course

This course is designed to train sergeants through sergeants first class on the science of battle command using FBCB2 and CPOF on staffs at battalion through corps levels. This course is designed to make the FBCB2 user a technical expert on the employment of the system. Students will master presenting, developing, and refining technical and tactical skills needed to effectively and efficiently use the systems at battalion through corps levels.

This course is listed in ATRRS under course code 920-F22 (CT).

Other Training Support Assets

Many installations have MTCs (Mission Training Centers) with ABCS instructors and facilities available for units. Instructors at the MTCs can work with units to tailor ABCS instruction to meet the needs of the units by utilizing programs such as the Mission Command Staff Trainer (MCST). Units may also request ABCS instruction through their digital systems engineer (DSE). DSEs are located at brigade and higher level headquarters and assist in management of ABCS support. The following paragraphs describe training assets available to units upon request.

MTCs

This effort represents a fusion of the simulation and mission command training capabilities at major installations. Under the Army’s “hub and spoke” strategy, mission command training capabilities are the centerpiece of an installation’s digital training support strategy and are responsible for supporting all individual, staff, leader, and collective digital training within the installation and across all associated spokes. This support is provided to active and Reserve component forces as well as to other government agencies as required. Just as the active component of the Army has its MTCs, the ARNG has two MTCs (Fort Leavenworth and Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.). USAR utilizes mobile MTCs. Lastly, both ARNG and USAR have the capability to utilize the Camp Dodge, Iowa, virtual MC training capability.

MCST

MCST is a tool used to train battle command staff officers in operations of the mission command system-of-systems in a pre-deployment environment.

MCST Capabilities:

• MCST stimulates ABCS warfighter mission area (WMA) systems with situation awareness data and tactical messages that add realism to staff training drills
• MCST supports multiple data exchange protocols
• MCST communicates with WMA systems through a unit’s ABCS tactical network during staff training
• MCST is Microsoft Windows-based and runs on readily available commercial over-the-counter (COTS) computers
• MCST provides low overhead, garrison-based ABCS system-of-systems training without the need for large-scale simulation exercises
• MCST is fielded from battalion through division to deploying active, ARNG, and USAR units via unit set fielding (USF), as well as to regional MCTCs
• Units or training centers may use MCST to train, sustain, or rehearse collective battle staff or ABCS operator skills

MCST helps to:

• Train battle staffs (battalion through corps)
• Refresh and sustain operator skills
• Maintain proficiency of highly perishable ABCS skills (supports Battle Command as a Weapon System)
• Rehearse staff coordination
• Train for exercises and events
• Train for specific tasks and battle drills
• Establish ARNG and USAR battle rhythms

Mission Command Staff Integration Trainers (MCSITs)

The MCSIT supports the integration of the unit command post as a mission command system (personnel, networks, information systems, processes and procedures, facilities and equipment) to ensure the staff is confident establishing and employing the system to support the commander’s decision making.

Key Tasks:

• Attend USF synchronization conferences (Phase I and unit equipping and reuse conferences) to conduct MCSI brief, schedule MCSI information brief, and schedule MCSI
• Provide MCSI information brief, review MCSI requirements and schedule MCSI in-progress reviews (IPRs)
• Execute MCSI via a holistic approach that introduces the art and sustains the science of mission command
• Support unit’s culminating training event (i.e., mission rehearsal exercise [MRX] or CTC)
• Support the integration of emerging technologies and capabilities into the command post

Mission Command Training Program (MCTP)

MCTP (formerly Battle Command Training Program) conducts or supports combined arms training that replicates joint- interagency-intergovernmental-multinational operations in a full spectrum contemporary operational environment, at worldwide locations, in accordance with the ARFORGEN model for brigades, divisions, corps, Army Service Component Commands (ASCCs), joint force land component commander, and joint task forces (JTFs) in order to create training experiences that enable the Army’s senior commanders to develop current, relevant, campaign-quality, joint, and expeditionary mission command instincts and skills.

MCTP Mission Tasks:

• Conduct brigade warfighter exercises and MRXs
• Conduct or support tactical or operation-level division/corps WFXs and MRXs
• Conduct embedded support unit warfighter exercises and staff mission rehearsals
• Conduct MC seminars for BCTs, divisions, corps, support brigades, and designated function/theater units
• Conduct COIN seminars for divisions/corps
• Support Joint Warfighting Center in conducting JTF exercises for divisions/corps
• Support Forces Command-designated ASCC exercises with observer trainers/AARs

Summary

Commanders who take the time to develop a well-defined and properly resourced training plan have laid the foundation for their battle staffs to successfully accomplish any assigned tasks and missions on today’s battlefield.

Gary Lawrence, a retired command sergeant major, is currently serving as a military analyst with TRADOC Capability Manager-Mission Command at Fort Leavenworth. He previously served as an instructor with the Command and General Staff College. His active duty assignments included serving as command sergeant major for the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; Office of the Chief of Armor sergeant major at Fort Knox, Ky.; and operations sergeant major for the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood.