New IO course expands technology knowledge

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jason Lake
  • Air University Public Affairs
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFPN) --  Recent studies indicate more than one billion people worldwide digest information through the Internet alone.

The Air Force Doctrine Development and Education Center brought together 12 flag officers from across the defense department and governmental agencies Nov. 6 through 9 to learn how to harness the power of the Internet, television, radio and other modern technologies for information operations on the battlefield.

The Senior Joint Information Operations Applications Course shared experience from retired generals and subject matter experts with flag officers who are taking an increased command responsibility.

For decades technology development was driven by government research, which inheritably gave the military an advantage in information operations. However, in the most recent decade, private industry has seized that initiative causing the military to become more reactive, explained retired Lt. Gen. Eugene D. Santarelli, former Pacific Air Forces commander and senior mentor for the SJIOAC class.

"There has been an evolution over time," General Santarelli said. "During the Cold War, we kept classic military strategy separate from strategic communication ... we always thought of psychological operations as secondary to the battle strategy. But with today's speed of force-on-force fight and speed of news reporting, the capability has increased significantly from days to hours -- or minutes." 

General Santarelli said the advent of 24-hour television news reporting and assimilation of the Internet into mainstream global culture has changed the depth of the battlefield dramatically.

"The value of information operations has taken on greater and greater importance, particularly in this war where we are fighting to influence people ... the fight is with the minds of the people," he said. "Information operations helps us convey the purpose of the conflicts we are engaged in now with the hopes of preventing terrorists from being born."

The Air Force took another evolutionary step forward last November when Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne announced the creation of a new Cyberspace Command at the 8th Air Force, at Barksdale Air Force Base, La.

"This was a natural step to prepare Airmen who organize and train other Airmen to function in cyberspace just as we have done in the past with air and space, it's a natural evolution," he said. "There's a war going on in cyberspace today and we must be prepared."

While the course brought flag officers from all military branches, returning to Maxwell AFB was a special occasion for one particular officer.

Brig. Gen. Randall D. "Randy" Fullhart, deputy chief of Central Security Service for the National Security Agency, served in 2004 as the commander of College of Aerospace Doctrine, Research and Education (recently reorganized to form the AFDDEC) and laid some of the groundwork for strategic courses like SJOIAC.

"The course helped us understand various capabilities that we and other governmental agencies can bring to the fight at the strategic, operational and tactical levels," he said. "The staff here has done a tremendous job bringing together speakers who bring rich and up-to-date perspectives on how we will conduct information operations in the future. I'm very proud having been a former commander here and now seeing the power of partnering doctrine with education." 

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