Filling the Gaps: New Information Sources for Operational Commanders in Third World Countries.

摘要

United States operational commanders have been increasingly tasked to conduct operations in Third World countries since the end of the Cold War in 1990. Despite this increased operational tempo, the U.S. Intelligence Community has had to realign its limited resources to higher priority countries and regions. The result of these two facts is increased intelligence gaps for commanders conducting their Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace (JIPB) for Third World operations. Commanders place their forces at greater risk if basing plans on an incomplete JIPB. United States Government agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations can provide relevant, open source, information to assist commanders in Third World military operations. These organizations are an unexploited source of easily accessed, relevant information. This available information can assist operational commanders in filling the gaps identified in the JIPB process. By filling these gaps, a more thorough intelligence estimate is prepared, a more suitable course of action is developed, and a more efficient military operation is conducted. The end result of utilizing open source information for operational commanders is increased operational efficiency and reduced risk to deploying forces.