Command and Control Organizations for Network Enabled Warfare

Abstract : The current US Army command and control headquarters organizations are based upon staff structures that have been in use since the beginning of the 20th Century. These organizations are relatively duplicative and rigid in order to be survivable before robust and redundant communications were the norm. Current Command and Control (C2) systems and technologies have been overlaid on these legacy organizations without altering the fundamentals of their operation. Business practices show that "horizontal organizations" can produce high performing teams that rapidly solve problems and vastly decrease decision cycles for business organizations. Military organizations have a unique problem set, but it is possible to bring the applicable parts of horizontal organizations into the military structure to gain the same advantages provided by networked systems Moving to a more networked structure will require a carefully developed strategy to overcome natural caution and resistance to change A well formulated strategy with well placed leadership support can produce organizations that are flexible, adaptive and responsive to meet the command and control needs of the 21st century army