The Role of Battle Captains in Brigade and Battalion Tactical Operations Centers.

This study investigates the role of the battle captain in brigade and battalion combat arms tactical operations centers. Current Army command and control doctrine serves as a vehicle for defining the battle captain’s usefulness, duties, and responsibilities, both today and forward toward Army After Next. A cause and effect methodology examines the current state of command and control doctrine to determine its effect on the commander, staff, and information management at brigade and battalion level. The brigade and battalion combat arms tactical operations centers are the first echelons to control and employ Army fighting elements for mission achievement. This study emphasizes the commanders use of the command and control process to rapidly make decisions based upon accurate and timely information. This study explains the Army’s philosophy of control and reliance on command and control tools instead of staff and soldier development. This study promotes better integration of digitalization while examining its impact upon the battle captain. The battle captain serves to mitigate the command and control problems centralized within the battalion and brigade tactical operations center. In the future, the battle captain can provide the necessary link to integrate digitalization into a doctrinally redeveloped command and control process.