Fall 2006 - Air & Space Power Chronicle - Air Force Link

THE AIR FORCE’S NEW GROUND WAR 47ControlCoordinationBase CommanderDefense-Force Commander(may appoint a BDOC officer in chargeto manage daily operations if required)Liaisons(e.g., Host Nation,Maneuver Units, etc. )Base-Tenant-UnitLiaisonsIntelligence-Fusion Cell(S-2)Future-Operations Cell Current-Operations Cell Mission-Specific(S-5)(S-3)Capability CellsMissionSupportAnalysisCollectionManagementFigure 4. Typical BDOC organization. (Adapted from Air Force Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures3-10.2, “Integrated Base Defense Command and Control,” draft [topline coordination copy], 1 April 2006, 14.)courses of action and position forces to reactswiftly to enemy forces not deterred or defeatedby the proactive effort. As we transformthe expeditionary BDOC, we can benchmarksome lessons from the AOC’s battle-provenprocesses and methods.Within the transformed BDOC organization,an intelligence-fusion cell will provide the basedefenseforce with analyzed, vetted all-sourceinformation that drives effective force-protectiondecisions and operations. Inherently multidisciplined,the cell need not possess all capabilitieslocally since theater and strategicreachback provide many of them. Designed toequip the defense-force commander with a capabilityto arrive at courses of action based oncontinuous intelligence preparation/analysisof the battlespace, the intelligence-fusion cellmust have situational awareness of eventsthroughout the base’s area of interest (thatarea where tactical intelligence must be immediatelyavailable to the base-defense forceso it can effectively counter enemy coursesof action). 12This all-source threat information enablesthe BDOC’s future-operations cell to performa function similar to that of an AOC’s Strategyand Combat Plans Divisions—but for tacticallevelbase defense. Using the intelligence-fusioncell’s analysis, the future-operations cell devisesa strategy to counter enemy activities proactivelyfor the next 24 hours and beyond.This strategy becomes a BSZ ground taskingorder (GTO)—a fires-and-effects integrationmatrix for the BSZ—that postures and deconflictsforces to provide an executable “playbook”for operations. The GTO must integrate,deconflict, and document all plannedactivities of friendly forces within the BSZ, includingthose planned by other functionalcomponents or host-nation forces. When constructinga BSZ’s GTO, the BDOC will coordinatewith the special-operations and landcomponentforces operating in the areas