Q&A: Gregory F. Knapp

JOINT TRAINING ENABLER:
Building a More Realistic and Cost-Effective
Joint Training Environment



Interview with
Gregory F. Knapp
Executive Director
U.S. Joint Forces Command’s Joint Warfighting
Center and Joint Training Directorate (J7)

Gregory F. Knapp is the Executive Director, U.S. Joint Forces Command’s Joint Warfighting Center and Joint Training Directorate (J7), Suffolk, Va. As a member of the Senior Executive Service his responsibilities include overall program direction and support to the Joint Training Enterprise. Knapp has over 27 years of government and civilian experience as an innovator in submarine combat systems and developed the first commercial-of-the-shelf (COTS) combat training system for the U.S. Department of Defense. As the head engineer, he developed the first major warfare training center and is the architect for the first national distributed training capability, now known as the Joint National Training Capability (JNTC).

Gregory Knapp was interviewed by MT2 editor Marty Kauchak.

Editor’s Note for Background: The JNTC became operational in 2004 to improve communication and decision-making across the strategic, operational and tactical levels of military operations through changing the way joint training is conducted by linking service and joint training programs. Two prominent aspects of the effort: 1) establish a permanent global technology infrastructure to improve warfighter access to training and more effectively integrate multinational, interagency and other partners into the training process; and 2) strengthen the services’ joint training activities. The JNTC mission specifically states the initiative will “provide realistic joint training by linking forces, credible opposing forces, joint command and control elements, and high-quality feedback to ensure joint forces train the way they fight.” This capability is one of three legs of DoD’s Training Transformation [T2] program—a second initiative is the Joint Knowledge Development & Distribution Capability (JKDDC). U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) through the Joint Warfighting Center (JWFC) executes the JNTC and JKDDC initiatives.

Q: What were the significant successes for implementing JNTC in 2007? What are the program goals for 2008?

A: The success of implementing JNTC centers on having an entirely new framework for warfighter training. The global network architecture, advanced modeling and simulations technology, and networks that link services and combatant commander [COCOM] training programs all work together to set the conditions for increased joint standards and joint content in the warfighter training environment. We’ve been able to bring together joint requirements with services’ requirements in order to provide just-in-time training opportunities that include joint tactics, techniques and procedures in the various ways we operate.

Three of the most important successes in 2007 were extending the Joint Training and Experimentation Network (JTEN) to our first coalition partner; expanding interagency partners’ participation in our joint exercises; and further developing joint context during training exercises.

In May, we opened a temporary node in Australia during joint exercise Talisman Saber. This access demonstrated the importance of coalition forces training together and having access to the same data simultaneously. The Australian forces worked directly with U.S. pilots in a mission rehearsal scenario requiring joint close air support. Without the access, the training participants would have worked through secondary, non-direct methods rather than the procedures they used two days after assumption of responsibilities in Afghanistan to call in live U.S. air against targets. While security policy and systems issues must still be addressed before JTEN access can be given to our allies on a permanent basis, this test was a successful starting point. During 2008, we have reestablished the link to Australia for an upcoming exercise and have successfully tested the connection to the United Kingdom for a May 2008 mission rehearsal with British soldiers preparing to go to Afghanistan.

We have made progress toward integrating the Joint Warfighting Center’s joint training events across the whole of the federal government. Through support to the U.S. Northern Command’s exercise programs, we have integrated planning efforts into the National Exercise Program and since 2003 have integrated 12 state governments and over 40 federal departments and agencies. In an upcoming national level exercise, federal departments and agencies will provide personnel for a response cell. U.S. Agency for International Development has participated in events to further develop joint training context for stability and reconstruction initiatives.

The primary goals for 2008 are to move forward in the context of the recently published T2 principles which call for a training enterprise focus across the services and the COCOMs. We are putting more attention toward “Decrease Risk” training areas such as irregular warfare [IW], information operations [IO], strategic communication, and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive [CBRNE] incidents. Future joint training events must transform toward more functional training in order to meet today’s operational environment. The T2 principles will help us stay focused on desired outcomes.

Training Transformation Joint Enterprise Principles

• Enable relevant innovation that takes advantage of other developmental efforts,
  
• Implement a learning organization, with the right people doing the right jobs, that senses change and adapts rapidly to new environments,
  
• Sustain open and transparent processes with checks and balances that align resources to required outcomes (not organizations), and
  
• Create a culture that is interdependent, enterprise-centric, and outcome-focused.

In 2008, we will continue to increase the transparency of how joint training dollars entrusted to us are used. Our desire is to put every dollar possible toward direct support to service and COCOMs joint training requirements. We are changing business processes to better integrate the various training transformation efforts to leverage limited resources. Overall, we want to ensure that our support is timely and relevant, which means more attention is being given to looking into the future in order to do a better job of anticipating requirements.

Q: Describe how the joint training environment has been reshaped due to JNTC developments. What are the key benefits to the services and combatant command training programs?

A: Today’s joint training environment offers warfighters a more realistic and cost-effective experience due to JNTC. We don’t build things, but we make things joint. We link together multiple services and COCOMs to create joint training opportunities rather than creating new joint exercise requirements. By linking sites on a persistent basis, commanders have more flexibility on timing and options for using live, virtual and constructive components. With the new environment, they can better tailor their training to meet specific mission-oriented requirements. U.S. military personnel and partners around the world can now train together with a common operating picture and data from their location in real time. Prior to the implementation of JNTC, the services and COCOMs didn’t have the capability to conduct this type of joint training because of the lack of architectures or standards and insufficient definition of joint tasks.

With the creation of JNTC, the training environment changed. JNTC entirely changes the way DoD operates. The services and COCOMs have direct involvement with JWFC to identify joint training needs for JNTC funding support. A unique, open business model is employed through a JNTC Joint Management Office to collect, merge and validate requirements and to ensure transparency in the use of resources. JNTC successes are measureable: we saved millions of dollars on travel and in set-up and tear-down of networks; these savings allow us to maintain million of lines of software code and standards for the nation’s training infrastructure.

A program-centric approach to transform service and COCOM training at the program level instead of focusing on specific events strengthens the integrity and standardization of joint preparedness. An accredited environment means the program has the capability to conduct training on an appropriate set of joint tasks, providing the training audience a realistic joint environment. Certification means that training sites and systems are compliant with specified DoD and JNTC architectures, configurations and standards required to create and maintain realistic joint training environments.

Q: Describe U.S. military training shortfalls from either Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom that the JWFC is helping to correct.

A: Shortfalls identified during the USJFCOM Unified Endeavor series, [Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom mission rehearsal exercises’ [MRX]] accreditation and certification reviews, as well as feedback from the Joint Center for Operational Analysis, are critical for improvements in the next MRX. As Major General Kamiya, commander, Joint Warfighting Center, stated in his June 2007 article in this publication, “the [MRX] program is designed to prepare designated service headquarters to assume the role of Multi-national Corps-Iraq [MNC-I], Combined Joint Task Force-76 [CJTF-76] in Afghanistan or CJTF-Horn of Africa [HOA] in Djibouti. It includes robust academic training, command post exercises, and follow-on in-theater staff assistance visits.” Based upon shortfalls, we expanded our requirements for additional training support in the areas of IO, improvised explosive device [IED] training, opposition forces [OPFOR] training, initial development of non-kinetic simulations, and interagency participation. As Major General Kamiya discussed, an important part of the current operations feedback process is interaction of our senior mentors and onsite staff assistance cells during training events and periodic staff visits for greater one-on-one focused training. Emphasis is placed on all elements of national power [diplomatic, intelligence, military and economic] that can be brought to bear upon the operational environment described in political, military, economic, social, infrastructure and information terms. These types of actions have greatly enhanced the joint context of joint training by introducing real-world capabilities and tactics, techniques and procedures into the joint training exercises’ capabilities and infrastructure.

Q: Discuss how the JWFC is strengthening partnerships with joint forces, interagency partners, multinational forces, industry and academia to better enable DoD to conduct unified action.

A: Strong partnerships with joint forces, interagency partners and multinational forces are imperative in today’s operations. USJFCOM’s relationship with NATO Allied Command Transformation in the areas of training and doctrine is particularly vital. As Major General Kamiya stated “we are striving to develop a transatlantic railroad of combined, joint training capabilities across the Atlantic that will connect JWFC with our a counterpart organization, the Joint Warfare Center in Stavanger, Norway. Simply put, the JWFC is to the U.S. Armed Forces as what the Joint Warfare Center is to the armed forces of NATO.” Our support to these relationships is grounded on warfighter requirements and national guidance such as the Unified Command Plan and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs’ exercise program.

Along with working closely with military personnel, the JWFC continually works to help U.S. agencies better understand the military’s operational environment and how they might best engage in joint training. Ideally, the training experience is designed to benefit both the military and non-military training objectives and processes. These agency partners are also involved in the review of applicable joint doctrine to ensure the relationships and operational processes are appropriately incorporated into operational planning and engagement actions.

Efforts to strengthen partnerships with multinational partners currently focus on developing methods to more effectively share information without breaching security requirements, as was discussed in reference to Talisman Saber.

In terms of partnerships with industry and academia, our efforts focus on improvements to the realism and relevance of models and simulations. The three main methods for engaging industry and academia are conferences, competitive solicitations, and industry partnerships for cooperative research and development initiatives.

Q: Explain how the experimentation and testing communities are integrated into joint training through JNTC activity. What is being done to more fully integrate the three communities’ missions?

A: We encourage planners to incorporate tests and experimental ideas into the training environment. It’s important to get into the planning process early so the experience produces the most positive, effective outcomes. The purpose is to get new ideas and products to warfighters quicker and to provide early feedback to system developers for changes to the tests and experimental ideas. We also want to share technologies in the modeling and simulation [M&S] environment; we are realigning the M&S research and development capabilities of USJFCOM’s Joint Trainer and Joint Concept Development and Experimentation Directorates. The M&S experts will work together for experiments and exercises and use experiments to validate new warfighter capabilities.

We’re working with U.S. Pacific Command and the Office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop a DoD-wide experimentation and test integration into joint training and exercises process. The new process is envisioned as broad guidance to the COCOMs, services and test communities on identifying and coordinating participation in appropriate joint training events. We work closely with the director, Operational Test and Evaluation, and the Joint Mission Environment Test Capability in sharing and cooperating in new technologies for networks, OPFOR, simulations and architectures. By working together, we save costs and make the environment common between the two communities

Q: What progress has been made to establish a persistent Live, Virtual, Constructive [LVC] training environment that allows DoD units to train anytime, anywhere? What challenges remain?

A: We built the equivalent of the Internet for training, created international applications for training and introduced “just-in-time training”. These capabilities were not possible without the same engineering principles, architectures and standards, which were developed for the internet. It was a brilliant strategy. Given its transformation and joint training missions, experience and areas of expertise, USJFCOM was poised to bring together the other COCOMs and services into the Joint Force Training community. The next leap is to further extend the joint context and technology infrastructure to our partners.

JTEN provides bandwidth and connectivity needed for a distributed LVC joint training environment. By leveraging existing service, DoD and multinational networks, the JTEN expansion allows trainers to focus more on actual training, rather than on establishing infrastructure. The JTEN enables individuals, even in the most remote locations, to have a high quality training experience. Advancements in instrumentation and tracking systems provide an around-the-clock, real-time picture of the battlespace.

In addition to the procurement and fielding of OPFOR systems in the threat areas of maneuver; asymmetric warfare; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and command, control, communications and intelligence, a Joint OPFOR threat management system is being implemented to identify service and COCOM requirements and coordinate the distribution of assets.

We often face challenges when training with multinational partners, but given sufficient time and resources we’ve found that our systems and networks can be made to work. Our partnership with Allied Command Transformation is absolutely vital to exploring and overcoming challenges in this area.

Q: Discuss how Joint Knowledge Development and Distribution Capability supports joint training. Describe the integration of JKDDC and JNTC activities and how these T2 initiatives fit in the bigger joint training picture.

A: JKDDC targets the training needs of individuals and integrates with JNTC to prepare for collective joint training and real-world operations. We recently created a tailored Joint Task Force [JTF] 101 program for individuals who will deploy to the Horn of Africa. The program incorporates information important to that particular operation mission such as culture and civil affairs. By taking online courses, individuals can be more prepared for participating in the mission rehearsal; and they can become more knowledgeable about their JTF role should they deploy without the collective training experience.

We see the online training as a supplement to collective training, not a replacement for it. The interaction of staff and partners in collective training is absolutely critical to mission success, and online training is an important support tool to reinforce learning. Further, we want to begin using applicable gaming technology to further opportunities to reinforce learning.

JKDDC is connected through Joint Knowledge Online, an enterprise portal system that provides access to a learning management system of joint certified courseware and Web-based learning tools and services via Internet, military unclassified and classified networks.

Q: Explain how the JWFC is responding to the challenge of including high-fidelity asymmetric warfare in joint training.

A: The USJFCOM commander has identified IW as the command’s number one priority for modern warfare. JWFC and JNTC provide a natural way to train this critical new mission. To support this effort, JNTC will shift emphasis and resources for training of small teams which constitute IW. JNTC will continue to modify its support for joint warfighters as future missions dictate.

The JWFC continues to engage the services and other stakeholders to improve the fidelity of asymmetric warfare training. JNTC has funded range enhancements for urban warfare settings, IED lanes, and OPFOR command and control systems. Instrumentation now includes the ability to track all players and enable them to link to the Joint After Action Reporting Tool Kit. We engage with organizations such as the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization and U.S. Special Operations Command. There is a dramatic increase in the use of USJFCOM enabling capabilities such as Knowledge and Information Fusion Exchange, Joint Personnel Recovery Agency, Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team and Joint Warfare Analysis Center.

Q: Can you preview JNTC and JKDDC related implementation initiatives that are supported through the Fiscal Year 2009 President’s Budget Request?

A: Top five JNTC priorities:

   1. Support mission rehearsals
   2. Support training environment training programs shortfalls
   3. Support IW, IO, CBRNE, Joint Urban Operations, Integrated Operations and other Strategic Planning Guidance Decrease Risk Areas
   4. Research cross domain issues to enable interagency and coalition partners to develop operational and warfighter training systems
   5. Enable joint interoperability through establishment of architectures and standards so the outcome is greater jointness
   6. Top four JKDDC priorities:
   7. Assess emerging requirements which will aid to improve general purpose forces proficiency in conducting IW
   8. Seamless access of coalition and interagency users to knowledge services
   9. Provide Individual Augmentee training access to online knowledge services to help reduce optempo/perstempo and ensure readiness upon arrival in theater
  10. Continue development and implementation of technology extensions to enhance mission support of the warfighter. ♦

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