Military Planning
An agile and lethal joint force demands adaptive installations. Planning focused on mission and flexibility rather than buildings will better enable warriors to execute missions in the face of unpredictable, rapidly evolving threats. Modeling consequences in near-real-time across a range of support systems will enable installation leaders to make superior, faster decisions when deploying limited resources.
Installation planning remains grounded in precedent more appropriate to steadier times when opponents and doctrines developed slowly. In an environment of dramatically evolving risk, the Joint Force requires a fundamentally new, malleable, and information-rich installation planning approach. Bases from which to project power must be efficient with limited resources, resilient to both man-made and natural threats, and provide warriors and families what they need to navigate the unique challenges of military life.
Refocusing planning toward capabilities rather than standardized fixed-assets will reduce the requirement for new, single-purpose buildings and, in some cases, the need for a building at all. Updated planning doctrines are critical in transforming installations into extensible, power projection platforms that will support, rather than hinder, the joint force as a whole and as individuals.
An agile and capabilities-based Installation planning doctrine will be based on the following Power Projection Platform Planning Principles:
Planning regionally to enable installations, host-communities, and nearby bases to share and jointly fund the unique requirements of military service.
Evolve installations from Safe Havens to Power Projection Platforms by incorporating hypothetical scenario engines and feedback loops to test proposals before implementation.
Build continuously updating installation plans through MODM and visualization to give leaders usable information in near to real time.
Provide support where and when needed through the most effective means available, which may or not be on-base or even a building.
Use consistent data to fund the entire lifecycle of capabilities, including understanding the comprehensive cost of ownership from acquisition, sustainment, recapitalization and modernization to retirement.