Description:
The JNAT program combines Joint, US Marine Corps, and US Army Network Engagement doctrine and further incorporates the essential elements and techniques from the Joint Concept of Human Aspects of Military Operations (JC-HAMO) which provides students with the expedient application of techniques to analyze complex operational environments and adaptive human networks. The JNAT truly integrates the aspects of kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities as they may be applied for both deliberate and dynamic targeting. This produces students that can assist command staffs in moving beyond basic maneuver warfare aspects and set conditions to exploit the aspects within complex environments such as Great Power Competition and the Future Operating Environment (FOE). The techniques within the JNAT have been packaged for application at all levels of warfare and naturally expand on existing staff processes to provide commander’s a competitive advantage. Graduates of the JNAT will enhance their skills in:
• Critical Thinking
• Problem Solving
• Advanced Analysis for Planning and Targeting
• Focused Assessments of Operations
Prerequisites:
• US DOD, DOS, or US Interagency Personnel Only
• Rank: E-3 / O-2
Program Syllabus/Curriculum:
• Understand the Operational Environment
• Analyze Networks
• Engage Networks
• Assessments
Joint Network Analysis and Targeting Course (JNAT)
Obsidian Solutions Group (OSG) offers the JNAT from a combined team of experts and original authors of Joint, Marine Corps and Army doctrine on the subject of Network Engagement and the leaders in the implementation of the Joint Concept of Human Aspects of Military Operations (JC-HAMO). This is the only program of its type within the Department of Defense (DoD) that incorporates the essential elements and techniques that allow expedient application of techniques to analyze complex operational environments and adaptive human networks.
What is in it for me and my command?
Future operations will always be conducted in competitive environments that require military practitioners to expand their application of common staff processes that are limited to basic maneuver warfare aspects and set conditions to exploit the aspects within complex environments. The techniques within the JNAT have been packaged for application at all levels of warfare and naturally expand on existing staff processes to provide commander’s a competitive advantage. Graduates of the JNAT will enhance the skills of:
• Critical Thinking
• Problem Solving
• Advanced Analysis for Planning and Targeting
• Focused Assessments of Operations
Currently, there is no comprehensive training program within the DoD that addresses this significant shortfall to prepare our force for the competitive environment of the future. Many programs simply rely on processes that are antiquated and have failed to adapt to the competitive nature of warfare. The JNAT provides the necessary training to address these essential requirements, as others attempt to determine the future need.
The JNAT Modules - Understand the Operational Environment
This is the ‘cornerstone’ of network engagement. The relevant human networks to be analyzed and engaged are part of the operational environment.
Understanding and achieving the conditions that must be established in the OE are essential to meeting the commander’s intent and the ability to the integration of physical and informational power to achieve desired conditions in the information environment.
METT-T is used for mission analysis and the PMESII/ASCOPE crosshatch to analyze and organize information of the operational environment. Refined analysis of this information results in the identification of critical variables, which define the current and desired conditions. The JNAT techniques provide a streamlined method that directly supports the Joint Operations Planning Process (JOPP), Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) and Marine Corps Planning Process (MCPP), which are not currently provided in any Professional Military Education (PME) courses.
Analyze Networks
Fundamentals of network formation, structures, functions, terminology, and analytical methods comprise this module. Students gain an understanding of how networks form and adapt to conditions within the evolving OE – from an essential aspect of critical thinking that does not rely upon automated systems. Our focus is to help our graduates to critically think about the adaptive, inter-related human networks that exist in complex operational environments……then leverage that knowledge to advance their planning, targeting and assessments of operations.
The application of the techniques identifies the range of relevant actors and variety of associated social, cultural, political, economic, or other relevant networks and anticipated behaviors. CFA is a variant of COG analysis for networks and is expanded upon the version available in JP 3-25, Countering Threat Networks. Network analysis is essential for comprehensively targeting and engaging relevant actors or target audiences, regardless of network type or operation.
Engage Networks
The output from previous network engagement methods is used to comprehensively target and engage relevant actors or key nodes for the purpose of generating desired lethal and nonlethal effects. The focus of these effects’ ties directly to the desired conditions defined in the critical variables for the commander’s mission and ultimate intent.
The JNAT truly integrates the aspects of kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities as they may be applied for both deliberate and dynamic targeting. The majority of courses available will only address deliberate or dynamic targeting, which limits the full application of capabilities required for success in the complex operational environments of the future. The OSG JNAT breaks down these conventional cold-war aspects of staff processes that act as barriers to provide practitioners with techniques to provide essential advantages in the operations of the future.
The essence of targeting is to generate effects that ultimately achieve the commander’s intent….so how does this actually happen? It starts with proper analysis of the operational environment and mission, then incorporates the essential understanding of the networks that must be engaged and targeted. Through those efforts, practitioners must clearly identify the effects that must be generated, which is overlooked in the majority of current PME. The JNAT fulfills that essential gap that must be addressed in the future of competition and warfare.
Assessments
The ability to understand if success is being achieved is one of the most challenging and least trained skills within service PME. The JNAT leverages the critical variables defined in the Understand the Operational Environment Module and 1st, 2nd and 3rd order effects identified in the Engage Networks Module to support the development of assessment criteria. Approximately 95% of students who have our training have never received this level of training on assessments. Graduates of the JNAT provide commanders with the essential skills necessary to support the development of assessment plans that can provide essential feedback necessary for decision making. The skillsets of the OSG team affords an environment for practitioners to advance their skills, which may be immediately applied in any type of operation.
The JNAT program that is being offered is a modification of a former Marine Corps program that was eliminated due to budgetary constraints. The previous program has successfully trained both DoD and inter-agency members in the essential skills necessary to analyze and understand adaptive human networks within complex operational environment. Obsidian Solutions Group is committed to leverage the experts in this field to provide our forces with essential training to succeed in future fights. We look forward to advancing the skills of our warfighters!
Program Registration and Contact Information:
Course Refunds available until 30 Days prior to course start date then we can only take substitutions as the course date will be locked in at that time. Substitutions are welcome up until the first day of the course.
PoC:
Jamie Farrelly - OSG Course Coordinator
jfarrelly@obsidiansg.com
910.340.1143