Bridging the Gap: Enhancing SNA Within the Marine Corps Intelligence Community.

摘要

The United States Marine Corps and the Marine Corps intelligence community recognize that future adversaries are likely to be adaptive and complex. Both the Expeditionary Force 21 (EF 21) Capstone Concept and the Marine Corps Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Enterprise (MCISRE) Roadmap identify the need for advanced intelligence analysis. This thesis argues that social network analysis (SNA) is a worthwhile method, but one that is not currently used within the MCISRE. The purpose of this research is to determine the SNA knowledge level within the MCISRE and to recommend ways to bridge the gap between current knowledge with the knowledge required by the EF 21 and MCISRE Roadmap. A mixed-method approach combines a quantitative survey, meant to determine current SNA knowledge and proficiency, and qualitative interviews with various subject matter experts to determine corrective recommendations. Survey results and interviews indicate that Marine Corps intelligence personnel are not proficient in SNA and that SNA is often confused with other forms of intelligence analysis, such as link analysis and social media analysis (SMA). Causal factors for these deficiencies are discussed using the Doctrine, Organization, Training, materiel, Leadership/Education, Personnel, Facilities (DOTmLPF) pillars as a template, and recommendations are given to correct them. Recommendations requiring further research are also explored and discussed.