Information gaps: troops in the digital age, disconnected.

"In Iraq, the fusion of intelligence happens at company headquarters and platoons ... Many units have had to adjust their organizational structure to ensure that decision making is more lateral than hierarchical," wrote Marine Corps Capt. Christopher S. Tsirlis, a communications officer, in last month's U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings.

Today, a battalion communications platoon is "structured and trained for an analog world," Tsirlis noted. "It is apparent now that every Marine needs to be connected via some sort of voice or data net.... Decision making at the small unit level is not regulated by billet or rank, but rather by who has contact with the enemy."

Moving networks are essential to Marines operations, he added. "When a platoon or squad moves, the ability to have constant chatter in which key individuals report what they see and don't see, helps others." Things such as instant messaging, digital imagery, UAV feeds, the latest intelligences summaries, "all need to be available while a unit is on the move," Tsirlis said. "It's not just about the latest and greatest technology but also changing the organization to use new technology."

Email your comments to Serwin@ndia.org