Command control and communications system evaluation of DoD.

Abstract

This work evaluates the Department of Defense as a command, control, and communications (C3) system. The DoD is considered as the black box into which input is received from the President and the output is the actions taken by the nested C3 systems, such as the Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Services, and the operational commands. To evaluate the DoD, the evolution of the DoD, the current organization, and earlier reorganizational studies were researched. The DoD was examined to determine if the weak points stated within the studies still exist and, if so, what should be done. In order to design and field C3 systems adequately for the DoD, it must be designed so its lines of command and communications are clear and distinct and the nested systems are combined in the most effective way. A well-designed DoD will reduce the costs and the time to field a C3 system. The conclusion of the paper is that the DoD needs to be reorganized. A plan is presented which provides an organizational structure to eliminate the weak points within the DoD.