JO 502 Questions and Answers
1. What are the major roles and limitations of current joint
doctrine?
ROLES:
Authoritative fundamental principles that guide the employment of forces (JP-1)
Central beliefs for waging war in order to achieve victory . . . building material for
strategy
Provides military organization with common philosophy, common language, common purpose and
unity of effort
Every action that contributes to unity of purpose . . . it is what warriors believe in and
act on
Provides the basis for harmonious actions and mutual understanding
LIMITATIONS:
Doctrine is neither policy nor strategy (Exception is JP0-2, UNAAF)
Doctrine cannot replace clear thinking nor alter a commander's obligation to determine the
proper course of action
2. Explain the significance of the UJTL and the JMETL to the current joint doctrine. Which one builds on the other?
The JMETL builds upon the UJTL.
UJTL: Universal Joint Task List -- (The common language) The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff developed and approved the UJTL as the basis from which the joint force commanders establish their JMETLs. The UJTL (CJCSM 3500.04) provides a structured listing of tasks that describe the functional capabilities that joint force commanders may require to execute their assigned missions. The tasks contained in the UJTL are organized by the levels of war (strategic, operational, and tactical). The UJTL is often used as a tool outside the JTS. (see Figure IV-4). For instance it provides the common language to express potential requirements and issues for consideration in several other areas to include: the Acquisition/Modernization System, the Joint Readiness System, Capability Assessments, Joint Professional Military Education (JPME), a common cross reference guide for joint, interoperability, and Service component training, and a linkage of all these areas to joint doctrine. An important fact about the UJTL is that it's the central core of task listings and links many areas to joint doctrine.
JMETL: Joint Mission Essential Task List -- JMETL links Joint Training Tasks to
National Military Strategy. Each combatant commander derives specific missions to
answer planning tasks assigned in the JSCP, and is also assigned specific missions by the
NCA directives and treaty obligations. The Joint Training Policy (CJCSI 3500.01) directs
commanders to document their joint training requirements through the development of their
respective JMETL with associated conditions and standards. The JMETL is that subset of
joint tasks that each combatant commander determines essential to accomplishing the
command's missions. An essential task is defined as one where the mission has a high
probability of failure if it is not accomplished successfully. A JMET with its associated
condition(s) and standard(s) defines a joint mission capability requirement. Defense
agencies reporting to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Service component
commanders also develop mission essential task lists (METL)--Agency METLs (AMETLs) and
Service component METLs, respectively. Just as JMETL tasks are used to derive training
objectives for the combatant commands in the planning phase of the JTS, the AMETLs and
Service component METLs are used to derive training objectives for their organizations.
3. How is current joint doctrine established and maintained?
Established: Submitted by Services, CINCs or Joint Staff to fill extant operational void
Maintained: Step 5 of the development process is Assessments/Revisions -- CINCs receive
the pub and begin to assess it during use. 18-24 months following publication, the
Director J-7, will solicit a written report from the combatant commands and Services on
the Pub and need for urgent changes or revisions. No later than 5 years after development
each pub is revised
4. Give examples of the authority of joint doctrine versus service doctrine. (The following rules should allow you to analyze any example given)
Joint doctrine provides Unity of Command and Unity of effort
Service doctrine must be consistent with Joint doctrine
Services MUST follow Joint doctrine for Joint activities
Additionally, multinational doctrine takes precedence over joint or
service doctrine
5. Explain the role of the NSC System and National Security Strategy in the joint planning process.
Four interrelated defense planning systems (NSC System, Planning Programming and Budgeting System (PPBS), Joint Strategic Planning System (JSPS), and JOPES) directly impact the joint planning process.
NSC System: Principal forum for deliberation of national security policy issues
requiring Presidential decision. Provides the framework for establishing national
strategy and policy obejectives. NSC prepares national security guidance that, with
Presidential approval, implements national security policy. These policy decisions
provide the basis for military planning and programming. The CJCS discharges a
substantial part of his statutory responsibilities as the principal military adviser to
the President and Secretary of Defense through the institutional channels of the NSC.
6. Explain the role of the National Military Strategy in the joint planning process.
National Military Strategy: Provides the advice of the CJCS to the President, the NSC,
and the Secretary of Defense on the recommended NMS and fiscally constrained force
structure required to attain national security objectives. Assists the SecDef in
preparation of the Defense Planning Guidance and to guide the development of the JSCP.
7. Describe the major JSPS products. What are the relationships between JSPS, PPBS and JOPES?
National Military Strategy (NMS)
Joint Planning Document (JPD)
Joint Strategic Capabilities Plan (JSCP)
Chairman's Program Assessment (CPS)
For the relationships between JSPS, PPBS, and JOPES recommend
reread the Joint Planning SOBs. Each process is intertwined with the others and in many
cases events happen simultaneously rather than sequentially.
8. Summarize how the joint assessment tools serve the community as they link national objectives to means availability.
9. Summarize the effect of time, coordination, policy changes, and political development on the various joint assessment tools.
Each of the assessment tools is a convoluted process in and of itself that's designed
to assess and redirect a separate convoluted process. None of these processes occur
overnight. One year to 18 months is probably the average process time. There are political
as well as military inputs to all these processes. Mid stream policy shifts can cause any
of these processes to regress or start over. Bottom line: The system can get out of synch
and you'll have (for example) items in the PPBS cycle that are no longer support by the NEW
NMS. Obviously there are other examples.
10. Summarize the effect of time, coordination, policy changes, and political development on the PPBS.
Same argument as #9 above. The PPBS is a related process that
affects the JSPS and JOPES and they, in turn, drive the next cycles of the PPBS. Length of
time, and policy changes can easily derail or slow down systems that may have once been
thought to be critical.
11. Explain how JOPES affects the JSPS.
The outcome of the deliberate planning side of the JOPES process is an OPlan. The OPlan
is based on inputs from the JSCP (a JSPS product) and then the OPlan is analyzed for
adequacy and capability in the Chairman's Program Assessment (another JSPS product). The
results of the CPS are (eventually) incorporated into the Chairman's guidance which
affects the National Military Strategy (another JSPS product) and the NMS is rolled into
the JSCP which begins the OPlan cycle again. Like I said all these processes form a circle
by design so that lessons learned are included in the next cycle (at least in theory)
12. Explain how the Acquisitions Systems affects the JSPS. (Once again, these will be addressed together)
13. Explain how the PPBS affects the JSPS.
PPBS is Planning, Programming and Budgeting System
Planning phase (as discussed before) develops the Defense Planning Guidance. The DPG (JP5-0, Fig II-3) is one of the cornerstones of the JSCP (JSPS product).
Programming phase (as discussed before) begins with the DPG and focuses on the development of Program Objective Memorandum (POM) to support warfighter requirements. The Chairman's Program Assessment (CPA, a JSPS product) assesses the adequacy and balance of this POM force
Budgeting phase eventually puts MONEY in the hands of the services to procure forces
and capabilities. Remember the JSCP and the JOPES process is CAPABILITIES based.
Therefore, if a capability is missing the budgeting process (this is the simple version)
obtains the money to go and ACQUIRE this capability which can then be included in future
JSPS/JOPES cycles.
14. Explain how the joint assessment tools affect joint operational planning.
Their intent is to provide objective capabilities-based assessment of the differing
aspects of operational planning. They identify shortfalls, limiting factors, or changing
strategic issues that may be included in the JSCP, PPBS, etc. as required. The cleanest
connection is with the Contingency Planning Guidance. The CPG is the source document for
the JSCP. The JSCP is the starting point for all joint operational planning. The JSCP is
capabilities based and apportions resources to combatant commanders.
15. Explain how the PPBS affects operational planning.
Reread how PPBS affects the JSPS question above. Additionally, the PPBS is critical to
obtaining new capabilities or being able to sustain existing capabilities. It does no good
to have a plan that requires 40 fighter wing equivalents if the Budget only has 20 fighter
wing equivalents. This is also why the planning process cannot take into account FUTURE
PPBS actions. (Have I mentioned that it's capabilities based??)
16. Explain how the Joint Strategy Review affects operational planning.
The JSR is the central PROCESS of the JSPS. THE JSR IS NOT A PRODUCT OF THE JSPS.
The JSR continually assesses the strategic environment for issues and factors that affect
the National Military Strategy in either the near term or the long term. Therefore, the
JSR affects the NMS which affects the Joint Planning Document, the JSCP, and subsequently
joint operational planning.
17. Explain how the Chairmans guidance affects operational planning.
Chairman GUIDES the JSPS which drives every aspect of joint operational planning and
any support required for those plans. Chairman's guidance is TOP DOWN and is driven by the
continually ongoing Joint Strategy Review.
18. Explain how the NMS affects operational planning.
The NMS is advice from the CJCS and combatant commanders to the President, NSC, and
SecDef. Designed to assist with preparation of DPG and JSCP. Refer to the JSPS diagram for
the ripple effect of the NMS.
19. Explain how the Joint Planning Document affects operational planning.
The JPD (in support of the NMS, [see above]) provides concise programming priorities,
requirements, or advice to SecDef for preparation of the DPG. Look at the JSPS chart for
the ripple effect.
20. Explain how the JSCP affects operational planning.
Slam dunk, guranteed test question. JSCP provides the strategic direction required to coordinate the planning efforts of the combatant commanders . THE JSCP IS THE LINK BETWEEN JSPS (STRATEGIC PLANNING) AND JOINT OPERATIONAL PLANNING ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH JOPES. The JSCP performs the following:
21. Explain how the Chairmans program assessment affects operational planning.
The POM identifies priorities and presents a balance of forces. The CPS analyzes the balance of that POM force structure and determines if it can meet the national objectives. Referring again to the JSPS diagram you can see that the JSCP initiates the OPlan development cycle. At the end of the OPlan cycle is the Plans Review phase performed by the Chairman based upon the criteria of adequacy, feasibility, acceptability, and compliance with joint doctrine. This is all rolled into the CPA.