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Sustaining the “New Norm” of Jointness JFQ 81, 2Nd Quarter 2016 U.S

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Sustaining the “New Norm” of Jointness JFQ 81, 2Nd Quarter 2016 U.S Sailor and Marine with 3rd Marine Regiment brace as CH-53E Super Stallion with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 366 takes off from Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, July 2015 (U.S. Marine Corps/Owen Kimbrel) n May 25, 2011, a platoon from the U.S. Army’s 1st Battalion, Sustaining the “New O 133nd Infantry Regiment, was ambushed near the village of Do Ab, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan. An Norm” of Jointness estimated force of more than 300 Taliban engaged the small unit. As By Case Cunningham, Patrick Donahoe, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades Mike Jernigan, and Michael Riggins exploded around the Americans, two U.S. Air Force joint terminal attack controllers (JTACs) contacted a U.S. Air Force MC-12 tactical reconnaissance air- Today’s Joint Force is a highly experienced, battle-tested body of men craft to relay requests for air support to other aircraft. While the Soldiers fought and women, with a decade of practical, focused warfighting knowledge. the Taliban, who outnumbered them . We must learn and properly place in context key lessons of the last decade roughly five to one, the JTACs directed fires from Air Force F-16s, F-15Es, and of war and in doing so, we will prepare our leaders for what is ahead.1 AC-130s; Navy F/A-18s; and Army —GENERAL MARTIN E. DEMPSEY AH-64s and OH-58s. The battle raged 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2012 for 12 hours before the Taliban aban- doned their attempts to overrun the platoon. More than 250 enemy forces were killed during the engagement. No American lives were lost.2 This short vignette is just one of Colonel Case Cunningham, USAF, is Commander of the 432nd Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. many examples of the power of joint Colonel Patrick Donahoe, USA, is Chief of Staff at the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, cooperation in combat operations. Georgia. Colonel Mike Jernigan, USMC, is Engineer and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Branch Head at Headquarters Marine Corps. Captain Michael Riggins, USN, is assigned to the Office of the Commander, Whether through the synergistic employ- Tenth Fleet, N5, Navy Plans and Policy. ment of Service capabilities, as a result JFQ 81, 2nd Quarter 2016 Cunningham et al. 43 Sailors direct F/A-18C Hornet from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 83 on flight deck of USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in Arabian Gulf, February 2016 (U.S. Navy/Lindsay A. Preston) of individual augmentee assignments invasion of Grenada. Following these a solution: “I can have the F-16s supporting another Service’s efforts, two events, Congress took action with ‘sparkle’ the intersections where the or through experience serving on joint the Goldwater-Nichols Department of unit needs to turn and we can walk the warfighting staffs, the officers of today’s Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 and patrol into the target—turn by turn.” American military are arguably more joint created requirements for joint education, The ability of the aircraft to illuminate than in any other time in the Nation’s qualification, and cooperation. each intersection with an infrared beam history. With U.S. forces in Afghanistan visible to the patrol under night vision drawing down substantially, the best way The New Norm goggles is an example of the types of to sustain this “new norm” of jointness Over the last 13 years, U.S. Service- capabilities that should be understood is to bring these lessons to the junior members have come to recognize the at the lowest echelon before combat, officer and company-grade professional capabilities that each Service brings not learned during it. We now have the development programs of each Service. to the battlefield. In Iraq, the tactical opportunity to formalize an educational This article argues that giving junior of- implications of joint enablers often were approach to ensure the next generation ficers more joint experience, education, not readily apparent to platoon leaders learns this lesson in a classroom or an and training opportunities earlier in their and company commanders on the exercise rather than having to relearn careers will accelerate this joint experience ground. This shortcoming was brought it the next time the capability can be endowment and increase the combat ef- home to one unit while conducting brought to bear in combat. fectiveness of the joint force. operations in a small town southwest In each Service, the first tour of duty The current American tradition of of Baghdad in early 2006. As the patrol for a company-grade or junior officer joint warfare came about as a direct attempted to negotiate the warren of is spent learning the foundational skills result of the failed rescue attempt in twists and turns in a village along the of his or her trade, whether that of a 1980 of 53 Americans held hostage Euphrates, it continually made wrong pilot, platoon commander, ship driver, in Iran and the difficulties realized turns. In the Battalion Tactical Opera- or signals officer. These formal courses in joint operations during the 1983 tions Center, an Air Force JTAC offered traditionally focus on Service capability 44 JPME Today / Sustaining the “New Norm” of Jointness JFQ 81, 2nd Quarter 2016 U.S. Army Warrant Officer presents team findings during Warrant Officer Solarium at Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, January 2016 (DOD/David Vergun) but should also incorporate elements Chairman’s instruction continues: “ser- the Chairman’s guidance. Beginning with of joint training and education. As the vice schools that have programs centered the Army, the Captains Career Course “sparkle” above illustrates, it is less likely on pay grade O-3 officers will foster an states that its mission is to: that optimum force can be applied to understanding of joint warfighting neces- an enemy at a decisive point if leaders in sary for success at this level.” Even more [provide] captains with the tactical, basic maneuver formations do not under- specifically, appendix B to enclosure E of technical and leader knowledge and skills stand the capabilities of the joint force. the instruction states that the joint em- needed to lead company-size units and The U.S. military’s asymmetric advantage phasis of instruction in branch, warfare, serve on battalion and brigade staffs. The in combat stems from the strength of un- staff specialty schools, and primary pro- course emphasizes the development of leader paralleled experience in joint warfighting. fessional military education courses must competencies while integrating recent Even at the basic levels, Service schools prepare “officers for service in joint task operational experiences of the students with must train to fundamental joint capabili- forces (JTFs) where a thorough introduc- quality institutional training. It facilitates ties to effectively employ the force. tion in joint warfighting is required,” to lifelong learning through an emphasis on Career-level school for Army captains include “the fundamentals of joint war- self-development. The curriculum includes and Navy lieutenants (O3 level) in each fare, JTF organization and the combatant common core subjects, branch-specific of the Services is another opportunity to command structure, the characteristics of tactical and technical instruction, and instill the efficacy of joint warfighting. a joint campaign, how national and joint branch-immaterial staff officer training.4 The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of systems support tactical-level operations, Staff Instruction on Officer Professional and the capabilities of the relevant sys- Note that a focus on education in the Military Education defines this level tems of the other services.”3 synergistic employment of joint capa- of schooling as “primary education.” A quick survey of the mission bilities is missing in action in the above While these schools focus on “preparing statements of the primary education insti- definition. junior officers to serve in their assigned tutions of each of the Services, however, Moving to the Air Force, the branch, warfare, or staff specialty,” the shows a less-than-enthusiastic embrace of Squadron Officer School’s stated purpose JFQ 81, 2nd Quarter 2016 Cunningham et al. 45 Marine assigned to 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit coordinates landing of MV-22 Osprey on San Clemente Island, California, September 2015 (U.S. Marine Corps/Alvin Pujols) is to “educate, motivate, and men- the exchange of practical experiences, schools that are only three weeks in length. tor captains as current and future Air and reinforced with extensive practi- More joint familiarization is good, and the Force leaders.”5 But as with the Army, cal application and numerous planning younger in a career it occurs [the] better. there is no mention of joint leaders. exercises.”8 In just one example of Navy Joint is how we fight now.10 Furthermore, the school aims to have primary education, the Surface Warfare “officers step out of their specialties and Officers School’s stated mission is “to broaden their focus on essential leader- provide a continuum of professional edu- Vision for Joint Officer ship competencies . in Officership, cation and training in support of Surface Development Leadership, Problem Solving, Core Navy requirements that prepares officers The Chairman’s Vision for Joint Officer Values, and the Air Force as an institution and enlisted engineers to serve at sea.”9 Development lays out a structure for in the profession of arms.”6 According to As these examples show, all of the a joint learning continuum with four the written goals of the school, “educated Services’ junior officer–level courses pillars: joint individual training (JIT), students will value their unique role as have gaps in following the Chairman’s joint professional military education Air Force officers by applying airpower guidance and are missing opportunities (JPME), joint experience, and self- leadership to effectively execute military to create the next generation of warfight- development.11 The Army has built missions, and valuing the warrior-leader ers who think jointly.
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