Ch. 3: Roles and Responsibilities in Info Operations

Roles, Responsibilities, Relationships, and Organizations

• Every member (commander, staff, IO officer) contributes to information operations (IO).
• IO support units and augmenting IO units are essential for mission success.
• Commanders are responsible for understanding threats, shaping the information environment, and exploiting or defeating them.
• Commanders rely on staff and IO officers to plan, execute, and assess IO.
• Commanders personally review information environment analysis, issue guidance on integrated response capabilities (IRCs), and direct adjustments.
• Every operation affects the information environment.
• IO planning is integral to operations from the start.
• Combat power optimization requires IO.
• Warfighting functions (movement, maneuver) produce information environment effects, intentional or otherwise.
• IO is vital for operational success at all levels, whether or not there is an assigned IO officer.
• All communication can have global, strategic consequences.
• Implementing IRCS has lead times and lag times.
• Alignment of words, deeds, and images is essential for trust.
• Prioritized intelligence support is necessary for IO.
• Information environment effects are not always predictable, and assessment is often difficult.
• U.S. IO operations are constrained by policy and law.

Staff Roles and Collaborations

• Staff sections collaborate with the IO officer for planning, synchronizing, supporting, and assessing IO.
• Representatives from G-2 (intelligence), G-3 (operations), G-5 (plans), G-6 (signal), G-9 (civil affairs) are core members of the IO working group.

Assistant Chief of Staff Roles

• G-1 (Personnel): designator of IO representatives, IO-focused instructions, and reviewing personnel support considerations.
• G-2 (Intelligence): part of the IO working group, provides intelligence briefings, IO-focused instructions, handles information requests, and coordinates with counterintelligence.
• G-3 (Operations): primary IO staff functions, integrates IO planning into the military decision-making process, and validates IO inputs, actions, and outputs.
• G-4 (Logistics): ensures IO resources, coordinates sustainment, and tracks operational readiness.
• G-5 (Plans): ensures IO affects future plans, collaborates with the IO officer, and incorporates IO objectives into plans and operations orders.
• G-6 (Signal): coordinates information management, provides representation to the IO working group, and provides training and resources.
• G-9 (Civil Affairs): provides representation to the IO working group, handles civil considerations, and provides IO-focused instruction.

IO Officer Responsibilities (focal point)

• Analyzes the information environment to determine effects, and to exploit opportunities.
• Identifies the most effective IRCS.
• Synchronizes IRCS.
• Assesses risk to mission and force.
• Provides input to IRC synchronization matrices.
• Identifies IRC capability gaps.
• Coordinates with other forces (Army, Service, joint) to address IRC capability shortfalls.
• Supports operation security (OPSEC).
• Supports military deception.
• Leads the IO working group.
• Assesses IRC effectiveness.

Information Operations Support Units (IO Support)

• The G-3 supports the integration of external IRCs.
• This includes the 1st Information Operations Command (Land), and reserve component theater information operations groups, which provide expertise, skills augmentation, and reachback
• These support units work with the IO officer.

Supporting Roles and Teams

• Vulnerability Assessment Team: identifies and resolves IO vulnerabilities.

• OPSEC Support Team: provides OPSEC training.

• Web OPSEC Support Team: manages web-based OPSEC.

• Field Support Team: provides IO subject matter expertise.

• Military Deception Support Detachment: plans, coordinates, executes, and assesses military deception.

• Reachback Teams: provide IO support, especially for deployed units.

• Theater Information Operations Groups: teams are important for IO planning, synchronization, and assessment across different Army echelons.

• Soldier & Leaders: essential to influencing adversaries, and foreign audiences.

General Information

• IO objectives and IRC tasks may be performed by non-commissioned officers where necessary if there is no IO officer. Such assignments would still be conducted according to established protocols.

This quiz covers the roles, responsibilities, and relationships involved in information operations (IO). It emphasizes the importance of IO in mission success and the critical role commanders and staff play in planning and executing these operations. Understand how combat power optimization and strategic communication interact within the information environment.