Augmenting knowledge flow and comprehension in command and control (C2) environments

The effective, efficient, and timely exchange of information in military command and control (C) environments is vital to military operations in the 21(st) century. The amount and complexity of information that is made available to C-2 decision makers and their support staffs by modem information technology presents unprecedented opportunities and challenges. However, despite decades of research and development in the domains of military C-2 and decision making, three major human-related problems have consistently prevented true innovation. These problems are 1) information overload, 2) misplaced emphasis on information analysis and conscious thought, and 3) inappropriate focus on individuals/small teams versus larger groups within an environment. This paper describes an innovative approach to improving information processing and augmented communication which we refer to as Intelligent Aided Communication (iaC). The iaC concept holds much promise for meeting the current C-2 challenges and affording new opportunities for improving military information exchange and decision making. The iaC concept and associated prototype address common C-2 problems and lay the groundwork for more sophisticated, larger-scale efforts to develop an intelligent command center that is aware of, and better able to support its human symbiots in a complex C-2 environment.