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Interagency cooperation is important for swift and effective handling of special operations.  There are several considerations to interagency cooperation that influence the Combatant Commander (CCDR) and Joint Task Force (JTF) Commander in their execution of operations.  Factors like relationships with the counterpart organizations of the United States Government (USG), organizational environments and synchrony of information. Interorganizational cooperation seeks to find commons goals, objectives, or principles between different organizations; set the conditions for unified action through planning and preparation; and leverage cross-organizational capabilities for unity of effort during execution (Sergeants Major Academy, 2019).  Commanders and their staff need an understanding of their capabilities and resources as well as those of the interagency partners in order to collaborate effectively and plan for the missions.

In responding to urgent crisis CCDRs activate the JTF HQ to provide the CCMDs with the needed information to deal with the issues at hand. JFCs can draw on the capabilities of external organizations, provide additional capabilities or capacity to those organizations, or deconflict military activities with them (Sergeants Major Academy, 2019). Sergeants Majors need to understand interagency cooperation in order to assist their commanders and staff in the operational development of the missions. The operational SGM helps the staff understand the objectives of the missions and the capabilities of their organizations.  A great example of interagency cooperation is the COVID-19 pandemic operations that is going on right now. DDHS has the lead responsibility with in the USG to protect the civilian population against the adverse health effects of CBRN, pandemic influenza, and emerging infectious disease (Sergeants Major Academy, 2019). They are working with other agency's to help prevent the spread of this virus.

                                                              References

Sergeants Major Course, J510. (2019a). Reading B, JP 3-08: Interorganizational Cooperation (Excerpt).

[PDF Document]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes online from https://usasma.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav.

Sergeants Major Course, J510. (2019b). Reading C, JP 3-08: Interorganizational Cooperation Excerpt). [PDF

Document]. Retrieved from Lecture notes online from https://usasma.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav.

Information Related Capabilities

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Information Environment is a system of organization that collects, disseminate, process and act on information.  Information related capabilities are tools, techniques, or activities that effect any of the three dimensions of the information environment.  They affect the ability of the target audience to collect, process, or disseminate information before and after decisions are made (Department of Defense, 2012).  The United States can expect challenges across three dimensions within IE.  These dimensions include the physical dimension, informational, and cognitive dimension. 

Two IRCs are Operations security and cyberspace operatations.  The Joint Force Commander can use these capabilities of Operations security and Cybersecurity to help shape their environment on the battlefield.  Operations security is a tool used within IE to coordinate security operations within military departments and outside the military.  According to the Department of Defense (2012). OPSEC is a standardized process designed to meet operational needs by mitigating risks associated with specific vulnerabilities in order to deny adversaries critical information and observable indicators.  Operations such as war missions are operated and made capable through this technique.  OPSEC is critical to the planning and operations of our Military Operations and should be an important part of any organization.       

Cyberspace operations deal with the security of the organization's website from cybercriminals.  Websites of various military departments can also be coordinated together to using this technique.  According to the Department of Defense 2017, “Cybersecurity incorporates protection, detection, response, restoration, and reaction capabilities and process to shield and preserve information and information systems” (p. 39).  Technology is essential to almost everything we do as part of our jobs in the military and daily activities.  The enemy of the United States tries to hack and disrupt our systems of technology constantly and we have to stay vigilant with our cybersecurity efforts.  A Sergeant Major should know something about each concept to be able to advise their commander on what courses of action to take and how it will affect the battle field.  The Sergeant Major can also help his unit in planning and make recommendations based off of their experiences.

 

                                               References

Department of Defense. (2012, November). Information Operation (JP 3-13). Retrieved from https://www.jcs.mil/portals/36/Documents/doctrine/pubs/jp3_13.pdf

Department of Defense. (017). Joint operations (JP 3-0). Retrieved from https://www.jcs.mil/portals/36/Documents ?Doctrine?pubs?jp3_0.pdf

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Mali and Sahel regions face various challenges such as Islamics terrorism, networks of criminals, arms trafficking,drugs and rebellions that target the Malian government. The regions also have significant weakness in its security structures in the north. The Islamics terrorism groups such as AL Qaeda and other groups from the Sahel region have destabilized the region leading to poor economic growth and weakening the relationships between Mali and foreign countries. The high rate of population growth coupled with the food shortages gives way to a humanitarian crisis (Affa's Mindzie, M., 2013). The Sahel has emerged as the sanctuary of choice for criminal connections and international terrorists in search of operations areas from which they plan terror aattacks.

Security as a stability function can help in solving the identified problems facing Mali. Through this function, security activities will aim at protecting and controlling civil populations and boundaries. A military will intervene by occupying to combat terrorism and assist in defeating an insurgency (Chido, 2020). Military operations will play a significant role in stabilizing the region and help the Malian government improve its security structures and plans.

The Line of Effort that is most critical to the overall success to the region is the security effort. Security must be the first and primary line of effort in order to provide the people of the Sahel region with the potential to live a normal and productive life life. The safety of the region will unlikely be accomplished without military presence due to the lack of government presence in the region.

                                                               References

Affa's Mindzie, M. (2013). Strengthening the rule of law and human rights in the Sahel. Stability: International Journal of Security & development, 2(2): 30, pp. 1-12

Chido, D. E. (2020). Legitimacy and Governance in Stabilization. In Strategic Intelligence and Civil Affairs to Understand Legitimacy and Insurgency (pp. 1-8).