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Joint Forces Command Glossary

The following is an alphabetical listing of terms that are used on the U.S. Joint Forces Command Web site. If more information is available at other web sites, those links have been provided to better serve our users. To find a subject, select the first letter of the subject.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


A
Adaptive Joint Command and Control (AJC2) - The ability to adjust to a given situation and exercise authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached joint forces in the accomplishment of the mission.

Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) - A model of evaluation takes new or existing technologies and puts them in the field in a realistic environment to be used and tested outside the sterile conditions of a laboratory. Learn more about ACTDs by clicking here.

Assured Access (AA) - Access to the battlespace in all dimensions by US forces and allies contributes to the Joint Force Commander's freedom of action. This does not necessarily mean that the battlespace is accessible from any direction, but at least that sufficient air and sea lines of communications for movement of forces and sustainment packages exist and can be protected successfully from interdiction.

Asymmetric Warfare - The waging of unbalanced or un-proportioned armed or unarmed war against the enemy.

Augmentees - Additional personnel who enhance existing capabilities of the SJFHQ. Personnel could come from the supported CINC staff or components, and supporting CINC staff and components.

Automated Deep Operations Coordination System (ADOCS) - A situation awareness tool which integrates a broad number and type of service C4ISR systems, enabling horizontal and vertical integration and C2 actions. It makes the same information available to all users regardless of echelon and allows them to filter the information to their specific mission environment.

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B

Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) - The timely and accurate estimate of damage resulting from the application of military force, either lethal or non-lethal, against a predetermined objective. Battle damage assessment can be applied to the employment of all types of weapon systems (air, ground, naval, and special forces weapon systems) throughout the range of military operations. Battle damage assessment is primarily an intelligence responsibility with required inputs and coordination from the operators. Battle damage assessment is composed of physical damage assessment, functional damage assessment, and target system assessment. See also bomb damage assessment; combat assessment.

Boards - Formal, non-standing organizations with designated membership that meet as required to conduct their business. Boards provide input to centers and the commander of a joint task force.

Bomb Damage Assessment (BDA) - The determination of the effect of all air attacks on targets, e.g., bombs, rockets, or strafing. See also battle damage assessment; combat assessment.

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C

C2 - The exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission. Command and control functions are performed through an arrangement of personnel, equipment, communications, facilities, and procedures employed by a commander in planning, directing, coordinating, and controlling forces and operations in the accomplishment of the mission.

C4ISR - command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

Cascading Nature of Effects - Indirect effects can ripple through an enemy target system, often influencing other target systems as well. Typically this can influence nodes that are critical to multiple target systems. Most often this cascading of indirect effects flows from higher to lower levels of war. As an example, when destroying an enemy central headquarters, the effects cascade down through the enemy echelons to ultimately disrupt numerous tactical units on the battlefield.

Cells - Formal, non-standing, functionally-oriented organizations that meet on a regular basis to provide input to boards and centers.

Centers - Formal, standing organizations that meet and conduct major planning or operations business with the JTF headquarters on a regular basis. Once established, centers normally operate on a 24-hour basis.

Centers of excellence - Institutions possessing special knowledge or expertise in a particular area of concern and incorporated into the collaborative environment to facilitate development of the products supporting SJFHQ and JTF functions and operations, e.g., academia, industry, banking.

Centers of gravity - Those characteristics, capabilities, or localities from which a military force derives its freedom of action, physical strength, or will to fight. Critical capabilities are resources and means that support the center of gravity. From among these are identified critical vulnerabilities. They link to the center of gravity via casual links, such that destroying, degrading, or denying a critical vulnerability will cause a substantial degradation of one or more of the adversary's center of gravities.

CINC - commander in chief, now known as just commander. Currently, Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani serves as the commander in chief for U.S. Joint Forces Command.

Civil affairs - Designated active and reserve component forces and units organized, trained, and equipped specifically to conduct civil affairs activities and to support civil-military operations. See also civil affairs activities; civil-military operations.

Civil affairs activities - Activities performed or supported by civil affairs that (1) enhance the relationship between military forces and civil authorities in areas where military forces are present; and (2) involve application of civil affairs functional specialty skills, in areas normally the responsibility of civil government, to enhance conduct of civil-military operations.

Civil-Military Operations - The activities of a commander that establish, maintain, influence, or exploit relations between military forces, governmental and nongovernmental civilian organizations and authorities, and the civilian populace in a friendly, neutral, or hostile operational area in order to facilitate military operations, to consolidate and achieve operational US objectives. Civil-military operations may include performance by military forces of activities and functions normally the responsibility of the local, regional, or national government. These activities may occur prior to, during, or subsequent to other military actions. They may also occur, if directed, in the absence of other military operations. Civil-military operations may be performed by designated civil affairs, by other military forces, or by a combination of civil affairs and other forces.

Collaborative Information Environment (CIE) - The information backbone that provides warfighters the ability to enhance organizational effectiveness and reduce hierarchical, serial planning timelines through information and idea sharing and parallel planning.

Collateral Nature of Effects (CNE) - Collateral effects are unintentional or incidental direct or indirect effects causing injury or damage to persons or objects. Evaluation for potential collateral effects should normally include a consideration of second- and third-order levels of damage, e.g., the collateral effects of jamming or destroying a communications facility that disrupts civilian air traffic control or disrupts power to a local hospital. Collateral effects can become a major factor in determining whether or not to attack a target. Collateral effects can be further defined as additional and collateral damage.

Combat Assessment (CA) - The determination of the overall effectiveness of force employment during military operations. Combat assessment is composed of three major components, battle damage assessment, munitions effects assessment, and reattack recommendation. The objective of combat assessment is to identify recommendations for the course of military operations.

Commander's Intent - The stated purpose or desired end state of a commander in the accomplishment of the assigned mission.

Common Operation Picture (COP) - A single identical display of relevant information shared by more than one command. A common operational picture facilitates collaborative planning and assists all echelons to achieve situational awareness.

Common Relevant Operational Picture (CROP) - A presentation of timely, fused, accurate, and relevant information that can be tailored to meet the requirements of the joint force commander and the joint force and is common to every organization and individual involved in a joint operation. Click here for more information regarding CROP.

Computer Network Attack - Operations to disrupt, deny, degrade, or destroy information resident in computers and computer networks, or the computers and networks themselves. Electronic attack (EA) can be used against a computer, but it is not CNA. CNA relies on the data stream to execute the attack while EA relies on the electromagnetic spectrum.

Computer Network Defense - Defensive measures to protect and defend information, computers, and networks from disruption, denial, degradation, or destruction.

Computer Network Exploitation - Intelligence collection and enabling operations to gather data from target adversary automated information systems (AIS) or networks

Computer Network Operations (CNO) - Comprised of Computer Network Attack (CNA), Computer Network Defense (CND), and Computer Network Exploit (CNE), collectively.

Concept of Operations Plan - A verbal or graphic statement, in broad outline, of a commander's assumptions or intent in regard to an operation or series of operations. The concept of operations is frequently embodied in campaign plans and operation plans; in the latter case, particularly when the plans cover a series of connected operations to be carried out simultaneously or in succession. The concept is designed to give an overall picture of the operation. It is included primarily for additional clarity of purpose. Also called commander's concept.

Course of Action (COA) - 1. Any sequence of activities that an individual or unit may follow. 2. A possible plan open to an individual or commander that would accomplish, or is related to the accomplishment of the mission. 3. The scheme adopted to accomplish a job or mission. 4. A line of conduct in an engagement. 5. A product of the Joint Operation Planning and Execution System concept development phase.

Cumulative Nature of Effects - Cumulative effects result from the aggregate of many direct or indirect effects. This may occur at the same or at different levels of war as the contributing lower-order effects are achieved. However, cumulative effects typically occur at higher levels of war. As an example, increased operational-level air superiority would be the cumulative effect of destroying numerous surface-to-air-missile (SAM) sites at the tactical level.

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D

Decision Superiority - The ability of the commander, based upon information superiority and situational understanding, to make effective decisions more rapidly than the adversary, thereby allowing one to dramatically increase the pace, coherence, and effectiveness of operations.

Decisive Operations - Those operations assigned to or undertaken by the US military in which there is a firm or conclusive resolution.

Defeat Mechanisms - The best arrangement of ways and means to destroy the adversary's coherency and achieve our Rapid Decisive Operations campaign objectives.

Deficiency Analysis - Analysis of the tools or means employed in effects-based operations.

Desired Effects - The damage or casualties to the enemy or material which a commander desires to achieve from a nuclear weapon detonation. Damage effects on material are classified as light, moderate, or severe. Casualty effects on personnel may be immediate, prompt, or delayed.

Desired Operational Capability (DOC) - A concept based statement of the ways and means to satisfy a JFC's capabilities requirements. A fully articulated DOC identifies subordinate tasks, associated conditions, and criteria for measurement.

Diplomatic, Information, Military and Economic (DIME) - Areas of national power that are leveraged in "effects-based" operations against an adversary's vulnerabilities identified by Operational Net Assessment, and targeted against his will and capability to conduct war.

Direct Effects - Direct effects are immediate, first-order effects, the results of military actions with no intervening effect or mechanism between act and outcome, and are usually easily recognizable.

Dominant Maneuver - The ability of joint forces to gain positional advantage with decisive speed and overwhelming operational tempo in the achievement of assigned military tasks. Widely dispersed joint air, land, sea, amphibious, special operations and space forces, capable of scaling and massing force or forces and the effects of fires as required for either combat or noncombat operations, will secure advantage across the range of military operations through the application of information, deception, engagement, mobility, and counter-mobility capabilities.

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E

Effect - The physical, functional, or psychological outcome, event, or consequence that results from specific military or non-military actions.

Effects Tasking Order (ETO) - Formalizes output of JTF virtual collaborative planning. It is the means to task and synchronize the actions and orders required to achieve the commander's intent. ETOs replace the current operations orders (OPORDs) and Fragmentary Orders (FRAGOs) issued as required to support current and future operations. They do not replace component execution planning and execution orders.

Effects Based Operations (EBO) - A process for obtaining a desired strategic outcome or "effect" on the enemy, through the synergistic, multiplicative, and cumulative application of the full range of military and nonmilitary capabilities at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels.

Effects Based Planning (EBP) - An operational planning process to conduct EBO within RDO. EBP is results-based vice attrition-based. EBP closely mirrors the current joint planning process, yet focuses upon the linkage of actions to effects to objectives. EBP changes the way we view the enemy, ourselves, and what is included and emphasized in the planning process. EBP uses a flexibly-structured battle rhythm that leverages a collaborative knowledge environment and capitalizes on the use of fewer formal joint boards. It employs virtual, near-simultaneous planning at all echelons of command.

Effects Based Strategy - The coherent application of national and alliance elements of power through effects-based processes to accomplish strategic objectives.

Effects Based Targeting - The focus of the targeting process is to produce COAs that will change the enemy's behaviors and compel him to comply with our will. The behavioral changes we attempt to create are the result of effects that flow from the employment of our lethal and nonlethal capabilities. Thus, effects-based targeting is distinguished by the ability to generate the type and extent of effects necessary to create outcomes that facilitate the realization of the commander's objectives.

Effects Based Warfare - The application of armed conflict to achieve desired strategic outcomes through the effects of military force.

Electronic Warfare - A component of Information Operations (IO). Any military action that involves the use of electromagnetic and directed energy to control the electromagnetic spectrum or to attack the adversary. The SJFHQ should ensure coordination among EW and other IO, intelligence, and communications support activities for maximum effect and to reduce electronic fratricide. This coordination is necessary to ensure effective exchange of information, eliminate undesirable duplication of effort, and provide mutual support.

End State - What the President of the United States and Secretary of Defense want the situation to be when operations conclude - both military operations as well as those where the military is in support of other instruments of national power.

Expeditionary Aerospace Force - The US Air Force concept of an expeditionary force capable of carrying out assigned air missions from forward deployed bases or long-range missions from home bases.

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F

Field Experiment - Wargames conducted in the actual environment with actual military units and equipment. As such, these experiments have the highest applicability of results to real situations. Good field experiments, like good military exercises, are the closet thing to real challenges of actual operations; the ability to isolate the true cause of any detected change will suffer.

Flexible Deterrent Option (FDO) - A planning construct intended to facilitate early decision by laying out a wide range of interrelated response paths that begin with deterrent-oriented options carefully tailored to send the right signal. The flexible deterrent option is the means by which the various deterrent options available to a commander (such as economic, diplomatic, apolitical, and military measures) are implemented into the planning process.

Focus Area - That area of the CINC's AOR identified by the commander for the SJFHQ to focus their efforts in ONA development, based on ambiguous indications of potential crisis.

Focused Logistics - The ability to provide the joint force the right personnel, equipment, and supplies in the right place, at the right time, and in the right quantity, across the full range of military operations.

Force Health Protection - The health and medical portion of agile sustainment operations.

Fragmentary Order (FRAGO) - An abbreviated form of an operation order, usually issued on a day-to-day basis, which eliminates the need for restating information contained in a basic operation order. It may be issued in sections.

Full Dimensional Protection - The ability of the joint force to protect its personnel and other assets required to decisively execute assigned tasks. Full dimensional protection is achieved through the tailored selection and application of multilayered active and passive measures, within the domains of air, land, sea, space, and information across the range of military operations with an acceptable degree of risk.

Full Spectrum Dominance - The ability of US forces, operating unilaterally or in combination with multinational and interagency partners, to defeat any adversary and control any situation across the full range of military operations.

Functional Components - Composed of two or more military departments that may be established across the range of military operations to perform particular operational missions that may be of short duration or may extend over a period of time.

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G

Global Information Grid (GIG) - The worldwide information network currently being developed by the US that will link all data and communications networks together in a seamless environment. The globally interconnected, end-to-end set of information capabilities, associated processes, and personnel for collecting, processing, storing, disseminating, and managing information on demand to warfighters, policy makers, and support personnel.

H

Hierarchy of Experimentation - Shows the general hierarchical flow as a warfighting concept moves from inception to maturity.

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I

Indirect Effects - Indirect effects are second- and third-order systemic effects that are the results created through an intermediate effect or mechanism to produce the final outcome, which may be physical or psychological in nature. Indirect effects tend to be delayed and may be difficult to recognize and are often a cumulative or cascading result of many combined direct effects.

Information - 1. Facts, data, or instructions in any medium or form. 2. The meaning that a human assigns to data by means of the known conventions used in their representation.

Information Environment - The aggregate of individuals, organizations, or systems that collect, process, or disseminate information; also included is the information itself.

Information Operations - Those actions taken to affect an adversary's information and information systems while defending one's own information and information systems.

Information Superiority - That degree of dominance in the information domain, which permits the conduct of operations without effective opposition. The capability to collect, process, and disseminate an uninterrupted flow of information while exploiting or denying an adversary's ability to do the same.

Information Superiority Campaign - The desired outcome of the information superiority (IS) campaign is to create an imbalance of knowledge in our favor, in order to understand the adversary while denying him the ability to gather and exploit information on friendly forces.

Information Superiority Group - The group responsible for coordinating activities that contribute to building information and knowledge superiority within the JTF, enabling informed decision-making. The group conducts an initial assessment of the information environment and the ability to achieve and maintain information superiority.

Information System - The entire infrastructure, organization, and components that collect, process, store, transmit, display, disseminate, and act on information.

Information Workspace (IWS) Version 2.5 - A virtual collaborative tool engineered for groups that work in multiple locations. It is based on a virtual environment. Each virtual building can represent an actual location or group of users. Within each building are floors which contain several rooms. These rooms can be organized as required to facilitate access to information and people. Part of the Collaborative Information Environment (CIE).

Integration Matrix - Part of an Effects Tasking Order that synchronizes component and Interagency Community actions in time, space and outcome.

Intelligence - The product resulting from the collection, processing, integration, analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of available information concerning foreign countries or areas. Also, information and knowledge about an adversary obtained through observation, investigation, analysis, or understanding. Captain Darryl J. Fengya acts as the director of intelligence for U.S. Joint Forces Command.

Interagency Communities (IAC) - Overall term applied to those appropriate government and non-government organizations that are critical to conducting "effects-based operations" from deliberate planning to execution operations and transition operations. These interagency organizations would be part of the CINC (Commander) and SJFHQ "collaborative environment."

Intermediate Staging and Support Base (ISSB) - A temporary location used to both stage forces and to locate sustainment and maintenance support when anti-access conditions and/or infrastructure in the JOA preclude early entry.

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J

Joint Effects Area - An area of land, sea, airspace defined by a geographic combatant commander or subordinate unified commander, in which a JTF Commander (JFC) integrates the military actions required to conduct the full range of Diplomatic, Information, Military, and Economic (DIME) actions necessary to achieve the effects required to achieve a specific operational mission. The JFC does not have to own an asset to exploit its employment within the JEA, i.e., have command authority or operational control. Operations by forces and capabilities assigned to the JFC are informed by, and inform, those actions conducted by non-assigned organizations or agencies operating within the JEA to achieve the same operational mission. A Primary Area of Military Operations (PAMO) may be established within the JEA to define and confine the area of primary military action w/o restricting the actions required outside this area to achieve the commander's intent and mission.

Joint Experimentation - Application of scientific experimentation procedures to assess the effectiveness of proposed (hypothesized) joint warfighting concept elements to ascertain whether elements of a joint warfighting concept cause changes in military effectiveness.

Joint Force Commander - A general term applied to a combatant commander, subunified commander, or joint task force commander (CJTF) authorized to exercise combatant command (command authority) or operational control over a force.

Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace - The analytical process used by joint intelligence organizations to produce intelligence assessment, estimates and other intelligence products in support of the joint force commander's decision making process. It is a continuous process that includes defining the total battlespace environment; describing the battlespace's effects; evaluating the adversary; and determining and describing adversary potential courses of action.

Joint Interactive Planning (JIP) - Planning between the different service commanders in a joint environment that takes place through the utilization of multiple electronic or communications systems in which responses are direct and continual.

Joint Mission Force - That military force that shares a common mission or goal that will allow for the overall attainment or success in completion of the assigned task.

Joint Network Control Officer (JNCO) - A member of the SJFHQ Information/Knowledge Management Group who establishes the systems architecture to support RDO, based on the JTF commander's operational architecture. The JNCO is also responsible for coordinating network management activities for the SJFHQ.

Joint Support Base (JSB) - A tailorable, temporary location on land or sea, designated by the JFC, used for the staging, sustainment, succor or maintenance of forces inserting into, extracting from, or conducting operations in a designated area.

Joint Tactical Actions (JTA) - Specific actions or engagements planned and executed by a joint force commander intended to achieve an effect that requires the capabilities of more than one service or agency. JTAs are executed by mission-tailored joint force packages normally formed as short-term formations.

Joint Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (JTTP) - The actions and methods that implement joint doctrine and describe how forces will be employed in joint operations. They will be promulgated by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in coordination with the combatant commands, services, and Joint Staff.

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K

Key Enabler - That crucial element that supplies the means, knowledge, or opportunity that allows for the success of an assigned task or mission.

Knowledge - 1. Familiarity, awareness, or understanding gained through experience or study. 2. The sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned.

Knowledge Network - A set of concepts related to providing critical information to the warfighter. It enables the most effective use of the information in a collaborative manner to conduct multi-level planning, execution, and assessment of military operations. It includes the Common Relevant Operational Picture (CROP), Joint Interactive Planning (JIP), and Adaptive Joint Command and Control (AJC2) concepts.

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L

Leveraged Events - A leveraged event is an experiment, exercise, or demonstration "owned" by some other organization. Service or CINC experiments, training exercises, or wargames frequently provide these opportunities. While the event owner's objectives are always the primary event driver, there frequently are opportunities within those events to address JFCOM's experimental objective.

Liaisons - Personnel responsible for maintaining contact or intercommunication between elements of military forces or other agencies to ensure mutual understanding and unity or purpose and action. Liaisons may be provided from and to government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, international organizations, and coalition partners or allies.

Low-Fidelity Experiments - A low-fidelity experiment is one where there is an unknown or little-trusted knowledge level in the execution or outcome of the experiment.

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M

Measure of Effectiveness (MOE) - Measures of effectiveness are most often subjective indicators that the outcomes of the "tactical actions" have achieved, or contributed to achieving the desired effect. MOE articulate where to look and what to measure in order to determine if the desired effect has been achieved.

Measure of Performance (MOP) - The objective metrics of the "outcomes" of "tactical actions," MOP are assessed at the component level as a result of the "tactical actions" performed to achieve a desired effect, i.e., were the targets hit and what level of damage was achieved.

Military Deception - A component of Information Operations. Actions executed to deliberately mislead adversary military decision makers as to friendly military capabilities, intentions, and operations, thereby causing the adversary to take specific actions (or inactions) that will contribute to the accomplishment of the friendly mission.

Mission - 1. The responsibility of the component commander assigned by the ETO as the supported commander, who in coordination with supporting component commanders, will conduct operations to achieve the JFC's intent and desired effect. 2. The task, together with the purpose, that clearly indicates the action to be taken and the reason therefore. The component commander assigns his tactical units joint tactical actions in coordination with the tactical units of the supporting component commanders.

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N

Non-Contiguous Operations - Operations where one or more of the subordinate operations do not share a common boundary.

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O

Objective - The physical object of the actions taken, e.g., a definite tactical feature, the seizure of holding of which is essential to the commander's plan. For purposes of RDO and the description of effects-based philosophy, the term objective is used in the broader sense of end state rather than physical objective.

Objective Force - The strategically responsive force that will result from the Army's transformation process. The objective force, capable of dominating at every point on the spectrum of conflict, will be characterized by its responsiveness, deployability, agility, versatility, lethality, survivability, and sustainability.

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) - Information of potential intelligence value that is available to the general public. See also intelligence.

Operational Level of War - The level of war at which campaigns and major operations are planned, conducted, and sustained to accomplish strategic objectives within theaters or areas of operations. Activities at this level link tactics and strategy by establishing operational objectives needed to accomplish the strategic objectives, sequencing events to achieve the operational objectives, initiating actions, and applying resources to bring about and sustain these events. These activities imply a broader dimension of time or space than do tactics; they ensure the logistic and administrative support of tactical forces, and provide the means by which tactical successes are exploited to achieve strategic objectives. See also strategic level of war; tactical level of war.

Operational Net Assessment (ONA) - A continuously updated operational support tool that provides a JTF commander visibility of effects-to-task linkages based on a "system-of-systems" analysis of a potential adversary's political, military, economic, social, infrastructure, and information (PMESII) war-making capabilities. The ONA informs decision-makers from strategic to tactical levels regarding the complementary effects and supporting missions and tasks that can be considered when applying the full range of diplomatic, information, military and economic (DIME) actions to achieve specific effects on an adversary's will and capability in support of national objectives. ONA is a critical enabler for achieving rapid decisive operations. It is an integrated, collaborative product of Department of Defense and other appropriate government and non-government organizations. Its purpose is to identify key links and nodes within the adversary's systems and to propose methods that will influence, neutralize or destroy them and achieve a desired effect or outcome. Click here for more information on ONA.

Operational-Level Effects - Operational effects influence activities at the operational level of war and focus on campaigns and operational objectives.

Operations Order (OPORD) - A directive issued by the commander to subordinate commanders for the purpose of affecting the coordinated execution of an operation.

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P

Physical Attack - Physical attack refers to the use of "hard kill" weapons against designated information related targets as an element of an integrated IO effort

Plug - A cell of personnel that provide a specific mission capability not organic to the SJFHQ.

Political, Military, Economic, Social, Infrastructure, and Information (PMESII) - Vulnerabilities identified by the ONA. These are researched as "systems of systems" networks that can be exploited by effects-based operations to affect an adversary's war-making/ warfighting will and capability.

Precision Engagement - The ability of joint forces to locate, surveil, discern, and track objectives or targets; select, organize, and use the correct systems; generate desired effects; assess results; and reengage with decisive speed and overwhelming operational tempo as required, throughout the full range of military operations.

Primary Area of Military Operations (PAMO) - An area defined and confined as that area in which primary military action is conducted without restricting the actions required outside this area to achieve the commander's intent and mission.

Psychological Operations - A component of Information Operations. PSYOP are actions taken to convey selected information and indicators to foreign audiences. They are designed to influence emotions, motives, reasoning, and ultimately, the behavior of the adversary. Examples of PSYOP include distribution of leaflets, loud-speaker broadcasts, radio and television broadcasts, and other means of transmitting information that encourages adversary forces to defect, desert, flee, or surrender.

Public Affairs (PA) - Those public information, command information, and community relations activities directed toward both the external and internal publics with interest in the Department of Defense. PA activities expedite the flow of accurate and timely information to the internal audience (the SJFHQ and the JTF) and the external audience (the public). Increasing availability of this information to these audiences may have a significant effect on national will, political direction, and national security objectives and policy. PA activities will not be used in support of military deception capability or to provide disinformation to either audience.

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Q

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R

Relevant Information - The full range of necessary information about friendly forces, the enemy, the battlespace, and anything else that affects operational decision-making.

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S

SharePoint Portal Server (SPPS) - An enhanced information management tool, part of the virtual Collaborative Information Environment (CIE), streamlining document management for the JTF.

Ship-to-Objective Maneuver (STOM) - The concept of maneuvering landing forces directly to objectives ashore in order to avoid the necessity of establishing a beachhead and avoiding enemy defensive efforts.

Standing Joint Force Headquarters (SJFHQ) - Intended to provide each warfighting joint theater CINC with a trained and equipped standing, Joint Command and Control (C2) capability specifically organized to reduce the lag time involved in setting up a JTF headquarters ready to rapidly and decisively conduct operations in small-scale contingencies. Click here for more information on the SJFHQ.

Strategic-Level Effects - Strategic effects influence activities at the strategic level of war and focus on national and multinational military objectives. Rarely will attacking a single target directly result in the desired strategic effect. The limited exceptions to this rule involved such exceptional circumstances as a successful action against a uniquely irreplaceable center of gravity.

System - Any organized assembly of resources and procedures united and regulated by interaction or interdependence to accomplish a set of specific functions.

System of Systems - A grouping of organized assemblies of resources, methods, and procedures regulated by interaction or interdependence to accomplish a set of specific functions. For example, a "system of systems" could include the economic entities in a nation such as the banking system, production system, etc.

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T

Tactical-Level Effects - Tactical effects influence activities at the tactical level of war and focus on battles and engagements to accomplish military objectives.

Target - An area, complex, installation, force, equipment, capability, function or behavior identified for possible action to support the commander's objectives, guidance, and intent.

Targeting - The process to detect, select, and prioritize targets; match the appropriate action; and assess the resulting effects based on the commander's objective, guidance, and intent. Targeting is both a joint- and component-level command function that selects targets, which meet military objectives; determines desired effects, and selects or tasks the means to achieve those effects.

Technologies - 1. The application of science, especially to industrial or commercial objectives. 2. The scientific method and material used to achieve a commercial or industrial objective.

Time-Phased Force and Deployment Data (TPFDD) - Units to be deployed to support the operation plan with a priority indicating the desired sequence for their arrival at the port of debarkation.

Time-Sensitive Targets (TST) - Those targets which require immediate response because they pose (or will soon pose) a clear and present danger to friendly forces or are highly lucrative, fleeting targets of opportunity.

Transformation - The creation of a force that is dominant across the full spectrum of military operations - persuasive in peace, decisive in war, preeminent in any form of conflict.

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U

Unified Vision 01 (UV 01) - UV 01 was a major concept-refinement experiment run by the Joint Experimentation Directorate, US Joint Forces Command JWFC in May of 2001. Click here for more information about UV 01.

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V

Virtual Simulation - Virtual experiments employ human-in-the-loop simulations. The prototype virtual simulation is the flight simulator. In a command and control virtual simulation experiment, a sensor operator might receive real-time simulated sensor inputs and makes real-time decisions to launch simulated weapons against simulated targets.

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W

Working Group - Informal, non-standing organizations that are mission-tailored for a specific event or action. Working Groups provide input to Centers, Boards, and Cells.

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