Information Operations as a Core Competency (Joint Force Quarterly)

The United States fields the most capable military the world has seen. Some are concerned that the Nation will settle into complacency and wait for the historic norm--for the high cost of military failure to stimulate change. Such repose would be inconsistent with the record of innovation the Armed Forces have realized over the past two decades and with the goals of current Department of Defense (DoD) leadership. Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and senior military leaders are intent on transforming U.S. forces to better prepare for 21st century challenges. Among other things, according to the DoD Transformation Planning Guidance of April 2003, pursuing transformation means "the Department must align itself with the information revolution not just by exploiting information technology, but by developing information-enabled organizational relationships and operating concepts." Put differently, the emerging American way of war means fighting first for information dominance.