Defining Civil Information Management in the Expeditionary Environment

Courtesy Photo | Civil information comprises multiple components, not least of which is the human factor, which focuses on the socio-cultural aspects of populations within U.S. operating environments. By further understanding people, in concert with associated processes and technologies, civil information supports information dominance in support of decision superiority.  

FORT STORY, VA, UNITED STATES

09.29.2010

Courtesy Story

Maritime Civil Affairs and Security Training Command

JOINT EXPEDITIONARY BASE LITTLE CREEK- FORT STORY, Va. – Maritime Civil Affairs and Security Training Command, the U.S. Navy’s newest expeditionary capability, has been making increasing contributions to the service’s maritime security mission through its offering of civil affairs and security force assistance capabilities.

To support the development of these capabilities, the command is also participating in the development of the processes and procedures to guide the collection, consolidation and sharing of information in support of maritime security. This Civil Information Management, is an emerging function of MCAST Command and supports stability and counterinsurgency operations and theater security cooperation efforts by creating a collaborative information environment and codifying approaches to assessing civil affairs and civil-military operations.

“CIM is vital to us because of the collaborative nature of the emerging operating environment,” said Lt. Geoff Weber, MCAST Command Intelligence officer, who is responsible for directing the development of the command’s civil information capacity. “Given the required partnerships with foreign governments and their security forces, as well as non-governmental organizations, it is vital we have a system of collecting and sharing relevant information to ensure everyone’s success.”

MCAST Command currently supports two defense CIM initiatives, Mapping the Human Terrain, a U.S. Central Command sponsored initiative, and Joint Civil Information Management, under the auspices of the Department of Defense Deputy Director, Air Warfare Division’s Joint Test and Evaluation program Office.

The Map-HT Joint Capability Technology Demonstration, which MCAST Command has been a signatory contributor since 2009, is an ongoing series of exercises focused on infusing the decision making process with appropriate socio-cultural cues that lead to a greater understanding of cognitive domain. J-CIM conversely directs its efforts on identifying the joint tactics, techniques and procedures necessary to standardize the collection, consolidation and sharing of civil information in the field. MCAST Command has been a participating member of J-CIM since its charter in 2008.

“It is important that we participate in these efforts not only as an end-user of civil information,” said Weber, “but also because of our civil reconnaissance capability in the field. We look at civil information everywhere we send our teams, whether that be in established theaters such as CJTF-HOA [Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa] or in new environments where our SFA teams deploy.”

Not to be confused with large ‘I’ Intelligence, civil information is an aspect of information dominance which facilitates a commander’s battlespace awareness. Proper management of civil information enhances that awareness and understanding and leads ultimately to decision superiority throughout operational planning, execution and assessment. MCAST Command defines its civil information requirements as including communications, collaboration, knowledgebase, analysis and visualization and interoperability in order to create a comprehensive system which brings together people, processes and technology.

“CIM is more than just information or technology,” said Weber, “it’s really focused on the process of planning, collecting, consolidating, analyzing, producing and sharing information in multiple environments. This is simply about information dominance to support decision superiority.”

MCAST Command was formed in 2009 from the merger of the former Maritime Civil Affairs Group and Expeditionary Training Command, under the guidance of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command and is homeported onboard Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, Va.

• Date Taken: 09.29.2010
• Date Posted: 09.29.2010 14:24
• Story ID: 57196
• Location: FORT STORY, VA, US