Quote:
Originally Posted by Brush Okie
Native speakers is one of the area your reserve CA/MISO can be an asset. We have several native speakers. The last CA course I was involved in teaching actually had a native Russian speaker. As for time before a computer it does not take a lot of time. The soldier doing the work can check in a few minutes throughout the day using a smart phone if they need to. Start taking a look at reserve assets more than you do. While many times they may not be as tactically proficient they may have a skill set you need. It used to be that to get into CA you had to bring something to the table. I got in due to my medical training, Combat engineer MOS and I used to work with my grandfather drilling wells. That sadly is not the case anymore.
As for communicating on line it is another tool in the box. You still need to walk and talk, drop leaflets for the MISO and other ways of communicating. I think the Army and even SOF has lost the point that people are the key. We have always been good at kicking in doors and shooting bad guys in the face we forget that communicating with PEOPLE, be they civilians, HN officials or even the enemy has many benefits. SN is just another way to enact that principal.
An example I would like to use is from the book SAS Secret war. Required reading at the British War College. They were operating in Oman in a COIN operation. Long story short they were doing a MEDCAP mission and they allowed one of the guerrillas to watch the mission. He was openly an insurgent. They knew etc and under ROE could have taken him prisoner. They didn't. They allowed him to watch and talked to him. A few days later he came over to their side bringing someone else with him.
Here is a link to the book. Very good info and like I said used to be required reading for the Brits. May still be on their list.
http://www.amazon.com/SAS-Secret-War.../dp/0004708997 |
Well that maybe the reserve component, yet on the active side we don't have many native speakers. Yet even with native speakers how many do you have? Yes he can check his SM network feeds or pages, etc. But how many in a day. Just like with any kind of intelligence disciplines, Its about the differences in Tasking, Collection, Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination.
SM is OSINT and Open Source is anything overtly, legally gathered that is published both traditional and electronic. So no matter how many of the collection tools, analytical processes and objectives there are. I feel you still have look the same way as other disciplines and vary for tactical, operational and strategic uses. Human factor or not. Critical elements in SM include the human terrain and contextual aspects of available information collected from online sources. Emerging technology has opened the aperture on what is knowable and enables planners for preparation of operations.
The SAS are IMO the master of how to properly execute a COIN operation. From the secret war to rhodesian SAS, they all get it and have the freedom to operate.