SCCC Study Guide

Module G — Mission Command Information System (MCIS)

17 lessons · 241 key terms. Flashcards and practice questions for this module and every other are on the study pages.

Chapters17 lessons

Mission Command Information Systems primer 113-SCCCG01

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveDefine the Mission Command Information System components, the warfighting functions they serve, the S6 role in each, and the command post equipment and virtualization that host them.

StandardDefine MCIS, the warfighting functions, the S6 MCIS role, MCIS tactics, techniques and procedures, the Standardized Integrated Command Post System, Command Post Platform architecture and virtualization fundamentals, in a clear and concise manner, without error.

Module G is the software module. Where Module E moved bits over radios and Module F moved them over satellites and line of sight, Module G is about what rides on top: the Army's mission command applications, the servers that connect them, and the S6's job of making a dozen programs of record talk to each other. The one-sentence definition is worth memorizing verbatim, because everything else in the module hangs off it - MCIS are interconnected data systems that facilitate information flow from each warfighting function into a Common Operational Picture, so the commander can understand and visualize the operational environment. Two structural facts follow immediately. First, integration happens at a box: at battalion it is the Tactical Mission Command Gateway, at brigade and above it is Battle Command Common Services, and both are being replaced by the Tactical Server Infrastructure. Second, the boxes are virtualized, so the S6 who thinks only in cables will not be able to troubleshoot them. The module runs six days.

Doctrinal currencyThe primer slides list the warfighting functions with mission command as one of them. That naming was superseded in 2019 and has not been corrected in the course material, which matters because the same wrong list is repeated in the Individual MCIS lesson.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • The course deck lists the six warfighting functions as mission command, intelligence, movement and maneuver, sustainment, fires and protection
  • The deck attributes the software-defined environment quotation to LTG Robert Ferrell as CIO/G6, a post he left in 2017
  • The deck cites MIL-STD-2525B as the graphical standard that CPOF and CPCE graphics must meet
  • The G01 lesson plan in the drop is version 5.3, approved 4 December 2025, and covers only the module topics and schedule. The G01 deck is version 6.5 and teaches the substantive content summarized on this page
Current doctrine
  • ADP 3-0 replaced the mission command warfighting function with the command and control warfighting function in July 2019, and FM 3-0 (21 March 2025) carries that naming forward. The six warfighting functions are command and control, movement and maneuver, intelligence, fires, sustainment and protection
  • Mission command remains a valid term - it is the Army's approach to command and control, defined in ADP 6-0, Mission Command: Command and Control of Army Forces (31 July 2019). What changed is that the warfighting function is no longer named after it
  • If a test question asks for the six warfighting functions, command and control is the answer for the first one. If a question quotes the course slide, mission command is what the slide says. Both are worth recognizing
  • The MIL-STD-2525 symbology standard has been revised since revision B. Treat the specific revision letter on the slide as unreliable and the requirement itself - published graphics must meet the DOD symbology standard - as the testable point

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The six warfighting functions
  1. Command and control - called mission command in the course slides; see the currency note
  2. Movement and maneuver
  3. Intelligence
  4. Fires
  5. Sustainment
  6. Protection
Standardized Integrated Command Post System components
  1. Trailer Mounted Support System (TMSS)
  2. DRASH tents and environmental control units
  3. Power generation
  4. Command Center System (CCS) - tactical projectors and displays
  5. Command Post Platform (CPP) - mobile tactical operations center equipment
Services a BCCS may host beyond passing data
  1. Active Directory
  2. SharePoint
  3. Microsoft Exchange
  4. SQL Server
  5. Host-based security system antivirus
  6. File share or shared drive
MCIS tactics, techniques and procedures taught in the primer
  1. Mission Command Validation Exercise, preferably at brigade level
  2. Installation As A Docking Station, also called Armory as a Docking Station
  3. Mission Command Team Tracker of trained operators
Why Installation As A Docking Station matters to an S6
  1. It facilitates system updates and lets the S6 maintain user accounts between field exercises
  2. It gives the S6 a real-time picture of which equipment is functional and which is not mission capable
  3. If the brigade runs it, a battalion can independently conduct a Mission Command Validation Exercise with full use of the BCCS
  4. Updated systems prevent last-minute failures before deployments and field exercises
Why a Mission Command Team Tracker matters
  1. It lets the S6 advise the staff and commander before a permanent change of station, exercise or other training shortfall
  2. It provides supporting documentation when competing for training seats
  3. It protects the S6 section from being the go-to section to run every system
The two Command Post Platform versions
  1. TSQ-232 (V)2 - SIPR only
  2. TSQ-232 (V)4 - NIPR and SIPR
Advantages of virtualization
  1. Remote access to manipulate settings
  2. Reduced size, weight and power
  3. Lower cost
  4. Forces logical rather than purely physical understanding of the network
  5. Increased utilization of servers
  6. Legacy and varied systems hosted on a single platform
Disadvantages of virtualization
  1. Reliance on network connectivity
  2. Network complexity and the skill level required
  3. Isolated vulnerability - a single point of failure

Key terms

Mission Command Information Systems (MCIS)
Interconnected data systems that facilitate information flow from each warfighting function into a Common Operational Picture, with the purpose of enhancing the commander's ability to understand and visualize the operational environment.
Common Operational Picture (COP)
The single display of relevant information, shared by more than one command, that MCIS exist to create and sustain. Every system in the module is ultimately feeding or drawing from it.
Capability Set
The fielding construct created in 2012 that treats the network and the services running on it as an integrated weapons system rather than as separate pieces of equipment. Increment 2 and later units are fielded this way.
Unit Set Fielding (USF)
The older fielding construct, under which Increment 1 units received MCIS. The distinction matters because it determines which systems a unit actually has.
Warfighting function (WfF)
A grouping of tasks and systems united by a common purpose, used to organize people, organizations, equipment, information and processes. In practice these are the planning cells, usually at brigade and above, and MCIS are organized around them.
Tactical Mission Command Gateway (TMC-GW)
The battalion-level device that allows different MCIS to pass and receive data. It is wholly the responsibility of the S6. It passes data between systems but does not provide the wider enterprise services a brigade stack does.
Battle Command Common Services (BCCS)
The brigade-and-above server stack. It passes data between MCIS, converts data to other formats, and provides services. Depending on unit type it can also host Active Directory, SharePoint, Microsoft Exchange, SQL Server, host-based security and file shares.
Tactical Server Infrastructure (TSI)
The replacement for the TMC Gateway and BCCS, fielded in a Small variant at battalion and a Large variant at higher echelons. The convergence goal is that DCGS and BCCS stacks collapse into TSI.
Command Post Computing Environment (CPCE)
The single web-based client the Army is converging on, intended to reduce stove-piped legacy systems and provide an integrated, interoperable, cyber-secure and cost-effective computing framework across multiple warfighting functions.
Standardized Integrated Command Post System (SICPS)
The suite of equipment that facilitates command post operations - trailer mounted support system, tents and environmental control, power generation, the Command Center System, and the Command Post Platform.
Trailer Mounted Support System (TMSS)
The SICPS component providing the tentage, environmental control units and power generation that make a command post habitable.
Command Center System (CCS)
The SICPS component providing tactical projectors and displays, and allowing multiple video inputs to appear on one display - the command post equivalent of picture-in-picture on a television.
Command Post Platform (CPP)
A vehicle-mounted shelter for most signal systems, giving a unit the ability to quickly reestablish signal connectivity after a jump. It reduces the S6 footprint inside the tent and lets equipment be set up once rather than every time the command post moves.
Installation As A Docking Station (IAADS)
The technique of keeping tactical equipment set up and running in garrison so that it continues to provide services, maintain its connection and receive updates, and so operators can train at home station. Also seen as Armory as a Docking Station.
Mission Command Validation Exercise
A rehearsal of the whole mission command system, preferably run at brigade level because some services will not work without connecting to a BCCS.
Size, Weight and Power (SWaP)
The trade space that virtualization is meant to improve. Fewer physical boxes means less to lift, less to power and less to cool.

Testable points

  • MCIS are interconnected data systems that facilitate information flow from each warfighting function into a Common Operational Picture, to enhance the commander's ability to understand and visualize the operational environment. This is the definition the module returns to repeatedly.
  • MCIS are fielded either as part of a Capability Set, for Increment 2 and later units, or as a Unit Set Fielding, for Increment 1 units.
  • The Capability Set construct was created in 2012 and treats the network, and the services that use it, as an integrated weapons system.
  • Warfighting functions are how the Army organizes people, organizations, equipment, information and processes for common critical functions. They are in practice the planning cells, usually at brigade and above, and MCIS are organized around them.
  • At battalion, integration between different MCIS is done by the Tactical Mission Command Gateway. It passes data between systems.
  • At brigade and above, integration is done by Battle Command Common Services. It passes data between MCIS, converts data to other formats, and provides services.
  • The TMC Gateway is wholly the responsibility of the S6. At brigade and above the S6 or G6 is responsible for the BCCS.
  • Depending on unit type, a BCCS can additionally host Active Directory, SharePoint, Microsoft Exchange, SQL Server, host-based security antivirus, and a file share or shared drive.
  • The future integration path replaces the TMC Gateway with Tactical Server Infrastructure Small at battalion, and BCCS with Tactical Server Infrastructure Large at higher echelons.
  • Integration of MCIS is to be accomplished through the Command Post Computing Environment, which aims to reduce stove-piped legacy systems and provide an integrated, interoperable, cyber-secure and cost-effective computing infrastructure framework for multiple warfighting functions.
  • The Standardized Integrated Command Post System is a suite of equipment that facilitates command post operations. Its components are the Trailer Mounted Support System, tents and environmental control units, power generation, the Command Center System, and the Command Post Platform.
  • The Command Center System provides tactical projectors and displays and allows multiple video inputs to be shown on one display.
  • The Command Post Platform provides a shelter for most signal systems to be mounted and gives the unit the ability to quickly reestablish signal connectivity after a jump.
  • There are two Command Post Platform versions. The TSQ-232 (V)2 is SIPR only. The TSQ-232 (V)4 carries both NIPR and SIPR.
  • Command Post Platforms are typically fielded as a pair, to support both the tactical operations center and the tactical command post, and are typically fielded at brigade level. Some heavy and Stryker battalions also hold the asset.
  • The stated purpose of the Command Post Platform is to facilitate setup and teardown of signal equipment, reduce the S6 footprint in the tactical operations center, and allow equipment to be set up once rather than every time the command post jumps.
  • Most Command Post Platform trucks have been upgraded to the CPP-VWP configuration.
  • Type 1 virtualization is bare metal. The hypervisor loads onto the storage device with no pre-existing operating system beneath it and gives virtual machines direct access to the system's resources. The Army uses this on the BCCS and TSI.
  • Type 2 virtualization is hosted. The hypervisor loads on top of an existing Windows operating system and shares the host's resources with it. The Army uses this on the TMC Gateway.
  • The objective of each virtual machine is to run a service, and each is reached at its own IP address.
  • The advantages of virtualization taught in this lesson are remote access to manipulate settings, a more tactical setup through reduced size, weight and power, lower cost, and forcing signal officers to think about the network logically rather than only physically.
  • The disadvantages taught are reliance on network connectivity, network complexity and the skill level it demands, and isolated vulnerability - a single point of failure.
  • A Mission Command Validation Exercise is preferably a brigade-level event, because some services will not work without connecting to a BCCS.
  • Installation As A Docking Station keeps tactical equipment set up and functioning in garrison, so it maintains its connection, continues to receive updates, and lets operators train at home station.
  • A Mission Command Team Tracker is the recommended technique for recording which soldiers are trained on which MCIS. The S6 cannot run all of the equipment, and the tracker protects the section from becoming the default operator for every system.
  • The MCIS module is scheduled for six days.
  • The check on learning for the primer is that the TMC-GW allows different MCIS to pass and receive data at battalion level, and that the CPP is a modular, mobile platform for signal equipment to be mounted, in order to facilitate setup and maneuver.

References

ATP 6-0.5, Command Post Organization and Operations (MAR17)FM 6-02, Signal Support to OperationsADP 3-0, Operations - for the current warfighting function namesADP 6-0, Mission Command: Command and Control of Army Forces (31 Jul 2019)FM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations (May 2022)TC 6-02.1, The United States Army Signal Corps Training Strategy (10 Jul 2019)

The role of the S6 and the digital crew 113-SCCCG02

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveIdentify the S6's roles and responsibilities for mission command information systems and the composition, purpose and training of the digital crew.

StandardIdentify the S6 responsibilities from FM 6-02 and the five digital crew roles from TC 6-0.1, and the digital training table structure, in a clear and concise manner, without error.

The people page. Everything else in Module G is equipment; this is who operates it and where the S6 sits among them. The distinction that matters most, and the one most often got wrong, is between the digital master gunner and the S6. The digital master gunner leads the digital crew and is the subject matter expert on integrating the systems to produce a common operational picture - but is explicitly not the expert on using any individual system and cannot train maintenance or operation. The S6 owns the technical network infrastructure underneath, and must work with the master gunner on two specific things: that systems are linked correctly, and that the software versions match. The key takeaway the handout puts in bold is the one to memorize - the S6 is overall responsible for installation, operation and maintenance of the BCCS or TSI enterprise and mission command services, and for integrating every other MCIS under their purview.

Doctrinal currencyThe digital crew content comes from TC 6-0.1, dated 10 May 2018, and it predates the CPCE transition that the rest of Module G describes.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • TC 6-0.1, Mission Command Information System Integration Training and Qualification: Digital Crews, is dated 10 May 2018
  • The training strategy is written around CPOF and the mission command workstation, with a note that references to CPOF should be considered interchangeable with the gaining unit's common operational picture platform
  • The S6 role description is drawn from FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations
  • The publication uses mission command as the warfighting function name, consistent with its 2018 date
How to use this page
  • The crew roles and their boundaries are stable and are what a question would test. The specific platform named alongside them is not - the publication itself says to substitute the unit's own platform, which increasingly means CPCE
  • As elsewhere in the module, read mission command warfighting function as command and control under ADP 3-0 and FM 3-0 (21 March 2025)
  • The bolded key takeaway - that the S6 is overall responsible for the stack's enterprise and mission command services and for integrating every other MCIS - is the single most quotable line in the module about the S6's own job

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The five digital crew roles
  1. Mission Command Digital Master Gunner - integrates the systems, leads the crew
  2. MCIS System Operator - operates and maintains one system, publishes its graphics to the DDS
  3. Knowledge Manager - advises on the digital SOP, assesses knowledge flow against the CCIR
  4. S6 - owns the technical network infrastructure beneath the systems
  5. Commander - dictates how many crews are required and what systems and operators comprise them
S6 roles and responsibilities, from FM 6-02
  1. Develop the scheme of signal support to operation orders through the military decision-making process
  2. Assist the commander and S3 in identifying user requirements by number and service type
  3. Integrate mission command information systems in the battalion or brigade network
  4. Manage the local area network for the battalion command post
  5. Install, integrate and maintain automated information systems and telephone equipment in the battalion command post
  6. Implement cybersecurity measures to maintain compliant systems
What the digital master gunner is and is not
  1. Is - the expert on integrating systems into a common operational picture
  2. Is - able to integrate, visualize and troubleshoot the primary MCIS
  3. Is - the leader of the digital crew, and a trainer and mentor on integration
  4. Is not - a subject matter expert on the use of any individual MCIS
  5. Is not - able to train maintenance or operation of a system
  6. May optionally be - an operator of the mission command workstation or CPOF
The two things the S6 and the digital master gunner must coordinate
  1. That all systems are linked correctly to share information
  2. That the correct software versions are installed on all MCIS - critical when integrating digital enablers in the command post
Digital training table structure
  1. Tables numbered I through X, for standardization
  2. Three distinct categories, followed by a final validation exercise
  3. Crawl-walk-run progression
  4. No mandatory go or no-go gates between tables
  5. But they must be conducted in order, because each builds on the previous
Why a battalion has to reach upward
  1. Battalions are not authorized a full suite of MCIS
  2. They must pull information from higher echelons to build situational understanding
  3. Operators should build relationships with higher echelon staff sections to know where to retrieve it
  4. This is the human counterpart of the technical fact that the Data Bridge and Master Repository live at brigade and above

Key terms

Digital crew
The team, led by the digital master gunner, that integrates information across the warfighting functions through the MCIS in order to present the commander with accurate information supporting situational understanding.
Mission Command Digital Master Gunner (DMG)
The subject matter expert on integrating the mission command workstation, CPOF and other MCIS to generate a common operational picture using the unit's integrated system-of-systems command post. The leader of the digital crew.
MCIS System Operator
The soldier responsible for the operation and maintenance of an individual system, acting as the subject matter expert for its use and building graphics appropriate to their mission and warfighting function.
Knowledge Manager
The crew member who advises the digital master gunner and system operators on the digital standard operating procedure, assesses knowledge flow to fulfill the commander's critical information requirements, and helps establish and enforce information and knowledge flow policy across the staff.
Commander's Critical Information Requirements (CCIR)
The information requirements the knowledge manager assesses knowledge flow against.
Digital System Training Strategy
The standard series of tables that progressively build MCIS integration proficiency in a crawl-walk-run method, numbered I through X for standardization.
Digital training tables
Ten numbered tables, broken into three distinct categories followed by a final validation exercise. There are no required go or no-go gates, but they must be conducted in order because each builds on skills validated in the previous one.
Scheme of signal support
The product the S6 develops for operation orders through the military decision-making process.

Testable points

  • The digital master gunner is the subject matter expert on integrating the mission command workstation, CPOF and other MCIS to generate a common operational picture for the commander and battle staff.
  • The digital master gunner is able to integrate, visualize and troubleshoot the primary MCIS, and is a leader capable of training and mentoring unit digital master gunners and MCIS operators on integration.
  • The digital master gunner is explicitly not a subject matter expert on the use of the MCIS and cannot train maintenance or operation.
  • The digital master gunner is not required to serve as a mission command workstation or CPOF operator, but may do so.
  • The digital master gunner is the leader of the digital crew.
  • Each MCIS has its own operator, responsible for the operation and maintenance of that system and acting as the subject matter expert for its use.
  • The MCIS operator is responsible for publishing any graphic produced on their system to the DDS server for integration into the common operational picture, and for updating graphics when necessary.
  • MCIS operators work within the commander's intent and advise the digital master gunner, fellow crew members and their shift replacement on the proper employment of their system.
  • The knowledge manager advises the digital master gunner and system operators on the digital standard operating procedure.
  • The knowledge manager assesses knowledge flow in order to fulfill the commander's critical information requirements, and helps establish and enforce policy for information and knowledge flow throughout the staff.
  • The S6 is responsible for the technical network infrastructure supporting the MCIS.
  • The S6 must work closely with the digital master gunner to ensure all systems are linked correctly to share information, and to ensure the correct software versions are installed on all MCIS. This becomes critical when integrating digital enablers within the command post.
  • The commander's intent and vision drive the physical manifestation of the common operational picture and the digital crew. The commander dictates how many qualified digital crews are required and which systems and operators make up the crew.
  • The purpose of a digital crew is to integrate information across the warfighting functions through the MCIS, in order to present the commander with accurate information that develops and supports situational understanding.
  • Digital crews work together to develop a common operational picture for the commander and assist the staff in command post operations.
  • Battalions are not authorized a full suite of MCIS, so they must pull information from higher echelons to develop situational understanding for the commander.
  • Battalion MCIS operators should build working relationships with higher echelon staff sections in order to know where to retrieve the information needed to create a full common operational picture.
  • The S6 is overall responsible for the installation, operation and maintenance of the BCCS or TSI enterprise and mission command services, and for the integration of all other MCIS under their purview.
  • The Digital System Training Strategy uses a standard series of tables that progressively build MCIS integration proficiency in a crawl-walk-run method, numbered I through X.
  • There are no required go or no-go training gates that MCIS operators must meet to progress, but the tables must be conducted in order because each builds on skills validated in previous tables.
  • The digital training tables are broken into three distinct categories followed by a final validation exercise.
  • References to CPOF in the training strategy should be treated as interchangeable with whatever common operational picture platform the gaining unit uses.
  • The S6 interacts closely with the executive officer, S3 and other staff sections to define communications and network requirements through the military decision-making process.
  • The S6 consults with higher, lower and adjacent headquarters to ensure effective communications throughout the area of operations.
  • The S6 should maintain a close working relationship with the commander and the battalion S3 to ensure the communications plan supports the commander's intent.

References

TC 6-0.1, Mission Command Information System Integration Training and Qualification: Digital Crews (10 May 2018)FM 6-02, Signal Support to OperationsFM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations (May 2022)ADP 5-0, The Operations Process (Jul 2019)MCIS Handout v2, The Role of the S6

Individual Mission Command Information Systems 113-SCCCG02

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveDefine the individual Mission Command Information Systems, the warfighting function each supports, and the capabilities and limitations that decide how an S6 plans for them.

StandardDefine MCIS, define the supported warfighting functions, and define the MCIS individual systems in a clear and concise manner, without error.

This is the system-by-system lesson, and it is the one most likely to be tested as straight recall: which box belongs to which warfighting function, and what each one does. The reliable way to hold it is to learn the warfighting function first and hang the systems off it - fires means AFATDS, air defense means AMDWS, airspace means TAIS, intelligence means DCGS-A, sustainment means GCSS-A, echelons above brigade means GCCS-A, and the mounted platform family means FBCB2 through JCR to JBC-P. Two systems are not tied to one function because they display everything: CPOF today and CPCE going forward. Watch the limitations as closely as the capabilities, because they are what generate work for the S6 - GCSS-A cannot share data digitally with the rest of the MCIS at all, and CPOF cannot collaborate without its servers.

Doctrinal currencyThis lesson carries more naming errors than any other in Module G - the system names on the slides are frequently wrong even where the descriptions are right. The one apparent contradiction that is NOT an error is the GCCS-A network question, settled on 2026-09-09.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • The slides label GCCS-A as Global Command and Control System-Joint (GCCS-A/J) and DCGS-A as Distributed Common Ground System Joint (DCGS-A/J)
  • The slides render JBC-P as JBCP, and one slide expands FBCB2 as Force Battle Command Brigade and Below
  • The MCIS Handout heads the sustainment entry Global Command Support System (GCSS-A), and one slide calls it Global Cmd Support System
  • The MCIS Handout says GCCS-A connects through SIPRNET, then three bullets later says the system runs on Centrix, not SIPR - two configurations, not a contradiction
  • The slides list mission command as a warfighting function, and quote a software-defined environment remark attributed to a CIO/G6 who left the post in 2017
  • The DDS spider chart carries its own disclaimer - current as of 2021
Correct usage
  • GCCS-A runs on BOTH SIPRNet and Centrix, depending on echelon. The handout's two bullets are describing two fieldings of the same system, so neither line is wrong and there is nothing to reconcile.
  • GCCS-A is Global Command and Control System-Army. GCCS-J is the separate joint system it interoperates with. They are not one system with a combined name
  • DCGS-A is Distributed Common Ground System-Army. Again, the joint system is separate
  • JBC-P is written with the hyphen - Joint Battle Command-Platform. FBCB2 is Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below, and the lesson plan's own administrative section spells it correctly even where the slide does not
  • GCSS-A is Global Combat Support System-Army, not Command Support
  • The GCCS-A network contradiction is unresolved in the course material and is on the review queue as an open question. If it is asked, the description of GCCS-A's role - theater Army system of record, echelons above brigade - is the safer thing to know than the transport
  • Use command and control for the warfighting function, per ADP 3-0 and FM 3-0 (21 March 2025)

Doctrinal sets to know cold

Systems by warfighting function, as the course groups them
  1. Command and control - CPOF, CPCE Web Client, Mission Command Workstation, BCCS or TSI
  2. Intelligence - DCGS-A and its configurations, GeoINT Workstation
  3. Movement and maneuver - JBC-P, JCR, GCCS-A
  4. Fires - AFATDS
  5. Air and missile defense and airspace - AMDWS and TAIS
  6. Sustainment - GCSS-A
  7. Weather support to targeting - Meteorological Measuring Set - Profiler
The evolution of the mounted platform family
  1. FBCB2 - BFT-1 half duplex L-band, PLGR, cannot process attachments
  2. JCR - SIPR or NIPR by login, KGV-72, BFT-2 full duplex L-band, updated transceiver, DAGR
  3. The NIPR-only modular variant - no DAGR required, no programmable encryption device, BFT-2
  4. JBC-P - SIPR or NIPR, KGV-72, improved usability, BFT-2, internal GPS-SAASM, application based, faster
The three DCGS-A configurations
  1. Embedded - software based, a battalion asset providing a terminal and access to DCGS-A capabilities
  2. Mobile - modular, supports brigade and above, operates independently or connected, allows specialized analysis and processing
  3. Fixed - regionally located always-on facility providing general and direct ISR services
CPOF capabilities and limitations
  1. Real-time distributed collaboration
  2. Parallel, synchronous planning and execution
  3. Situational awareness by importing and displaying data from the other MCIS
  4. User-definable workspace
  5. Three-dimensional maps
  6. Voice over IP through Ventrilo
  7. Limitation - server centric, so it cannot collaborate without its supporting servers
CPCE capabilities
  1. Web based, providing an environment for command post synergy
  2. Parallel, synchronous planning and execution
  3. Two- and three-dimensional maps
  4. Multiple messages and file sharing
  5. Backwards compatible with existing MCIS
  6. Interoperable with roughly 30 SitaWare partner nations over the SitaWare HQ Comms protocol
  7. Direct messaging with JBC-P and Nett Warrior end user devices
What the TSI v2 Small hosts as virtual machines
  1. Active Directory domain controller
  2. Data Dissemination Server
  3. CPCE Web - web services
  4. CPCE GEO - map services
  5. CPCE Persist - database services
  6. File share or shared drive
  7. XMPP chat services
  8. WAVE management - voice and chat services
Publish and subscribe, the two DDS verbs
  1. Publish - place specific data on the DDS server so other systems can access it
  2. Subscribe - pull specific data from the DDS server to use and display within the subscribing MCIS
Retired or replaced programs of record named in the lesson
  1. BCS3 - Battle Command Sustainment Support System
  2. S2MC - Sustainment Systems Mission Command
  3. TIGR - Tactical Ground Reporting System
  4. PASS - the DDS predecessor service, no longer used

Key terms

Global Command and Control System-Army (GCCS-A)
The commander's battle command asset for force planning and projection, readiness and situational awareness, and the system of record for theater Army headquarters worldwide. It provides a common picture of Army tactical operations to joint and coalition communities and is used for synchronization at echelons above brigade.
Air and Missile Defense Workstation (AMDWS)
The backbone of Army air defense. It integrates air defense fire units, sensors and command and control centers into a system capable of defeating or denying the low-altitude aerial threat, and provides air and ground situational awareness throughout the air defense artillery battalion.
Tactical Airspace Integration System (TAIS)
The Army's automated system for airspace management, meeting both Army airspace command and control and air traffic services requirements. It deconflicts and clears airspace for missions and synchronizes indirect fires with close air support.
Distributed Common Ground System-Army (DCGS-A)
The intelligence system. It delivers timely, relevant and accurate targetable data, supplies enemy overlays, weather, ISR and named areas of interest to the Common Operational Picture, and consolidates or replaces the capabilities of several earlier programs of record.
Meteorological Measuring Set - Profiler (MMS-P)
AN/TMQ-52, LIN M36361. Provides real-time meteorological capability over an extended battlespace, supplying target-area weather information for smart weapon employment, munition selection and aim point calculation.
GeoINT Workstation (GWS)
AN/TYQ-71, LIN D11498. The prime DCGS-A workstation for geospatial and imagery analysts, receiving and processing geospatial data, raw imagery, full motion video and reports. Fielded from brigade to echelons above corps.
Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS)
The automated fire support command and control system. It provides fully automated support for planning, coordinating, controlling and executing fires and effects, supporting mortars, cannons, rockets, missiles, close air support, attack aviation and naval surface fire support.
Command Post of the Future (CPOF)
A collaborative software application that provides enhanced situational awareness by consolidating, organizing and displaying information from the available MCIS, with the goal of increasing the speed and quality of command decisions. It is server centric and cannot collaborate without its supporting servers.
Command Post Computing Environment (CPCE)
The converged web-based common interface of data and services. Connected to a CPCE server, it lets users collaborate in near real time to digitally enhance the military decision-making process and maintain situational awareness. It is backwards compatible with existing MCIS.
Global Combat Support System-Army (GCSS-A)
The sustainment system, covering property book, supply operations, tactical maintenance, logistics management and tactical finance. It is the tactical financial system of record for the Army. It is unclassified and web based, and its data must be entered into CPOF or CPCE by hand.
Joint Battle Command-Platform (JBC-P)
The current generation of the mounted platform family, providing joint-centric on-the-move digital command and control and situational awareness. It is the primary provider and user of digital situational awareness and lets soldiers pass orders and graphics to visualize the commander's intent and scheme of maneuver.
Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2)
The original mounted platform system, using the half-duplex L-band Blue Force Tracking 1 satellite system and the PLGR for position. It could not process attachments.
Joint Capabilities Release (JCR)
The intermediate generation between FBCB2 and JBC-P. It introduced the KGV-72 programmable encryption device, the full-duplex L-band BFT-2 satellite system, an updated transceiver and the DAGR, and could run on SIPR or NIPR depending on login.
Blue Force Tracking 2 (BFT-2)
The full duplex L-band satellite system used from JCR onward, replacing the half-duplex BFT-1 used by FBCB2. The change from half to full duplex is the practical difference in responsiveness.
KGV-72
The programmable encryption device used to secure the JCR and JBC-P data stream. Notably, one variant of the mounted platform family is fielded NIPR-only with no PED at all.
Data Dissemination Service (DDS)
The publish and subscribe server that lets different MCIS exchange data. It is described in the course as the heart of the MCIS, and is covered in depth in its own lessons.
Active Directory (AD)
The directory service on the domain controller that centralizes user authentication and authorization, manages group policy and provides directory services. The course calls it the heart of the networking infrastructure.
Tactical Services Security System (TS3)
The security layer for DDS. It validates authentication through Active Directory, which is why a domain problem presents as a data-sharing problem.
Convergence
The Army's plan to reduce the number of clients and stacks - one client in CPCE, with the DCGS and BCCS stacks collapsing into the Tactical Server Infrastructure, in a web-based software-defined environment.

Testable points

  • GCCS-A is fielded on both SIPRNet and Centrix, depending on echelon. The MCIS Handout names both networks a few bullets apart; that is two configurations, not a contradiction.
  • GCCS-A is the system of record for theater Army headquarters worldwide and provides a common picture of Army tactical operations to joint and coalition communities.
  • GCCS-A is used for synchronization at echelons above brigade, distributes messages and data among users, and provides interoperability with GCCS-J.
  • GCCS-A is not interoperable with GCCS-K, the Korea variant.
  • AMDWS is the backbone of Army air defense and detects and correlates rotary wing, fixed wing, unmanned aircraft and cruise missiles at over 40 kilometers.
  • AMDWS allows access to joint products including air pictures, situation reports, enemy assessments, friendly force status and maneuver control.
  • TAIS synchronizes four dimensions - width, depth, height and time - and is fully interoperable with joint, coalition and aviation forces.
  • TAIS meets both the Army airspace command and control requirement and the air traffic services requirement, and allows real-time synchronization of artillery and other indirect fires with close air support.
  • DCGS-A provides enemy overlays, weather, ISR and named areas of interest to the Common Operational Picture, and provides information discovery, collaboration, production and dissemination to commanders and staffs globally.
  • DCGS-A comes in three configurations. Embedded is software based, a battalion asset providing a terminal and access to DCGS-A capabilities. Mobile is a modular unit supporting brigade and above, able to operate independently or connect to a larger network, and allowing more complicated and specialized analysis. Fixed is a regionally located always-on facility providing general and direct ISR services.
  • The Meteorological Measuring Set - Profiler is the AN/TMQ-52, LIN M36361. It generates current weather products and data, forecasts and warnings, and supports weather effects assessments.
  • The GeoINT Workstation is the AN/TYQ-71, LIN D11498, and is the prime DCGS-A workstation for geospatial and imagery analysts. It supports brigade to echelons above corps and is the core system for managing Army tactical geospatial data.
  • AFATDS allows all levels of command to digitally call for fires, automates planning, coordination and control of all fire support assets, and can process 200 fire missions per hour.
  • AFATDS is sometimes fielded mounted in command vehicles and is interoperable with other MCIS.
  • CPOF provides real-time distributed collaboration, allows parallel and synchronous planning and execution, offers a user-definable workspace and three-dimensional maps, and provides voice over IP via Ventrilo.
  • CPOF is server centric and cannot collaborate without its supporting servers. This is its defining limitation.
  • CPCE is web based, allows parallel and synchronous planning and execution, provides two- and three-dimensional maps, multiple messages and file sharing, and is backwards compatible with existing MCIS.
  • CPCE is interoperable with SitaWare customers using the native SitaWare HQ Comms protocol, and has direct-messaging capability with JBC-P and Nett Warrior end user devices. The MCIS Handout gives the number of partner nations as roughly 30 here and as 39 seven pages later - do not learn either as a figure.
  • GCSS-A tracks supplies, spare parts, organizational equipment, unit maintenance and other logistics functions, and serves as the tactical financial system of record for the Army.
  • GCSS-A is not capable of directly sharing information digitally with the other MCIS. It is an unclassified, web-based sustainment tool, and its information must be entered manually into CPOF or CPCE.
  • In the FBCB2 evolution, FBCB2 used the half-duplex L-band BFT-1 satellite system and the PLGR, and was not able to process attachments.
  • JCR introduced the KGV-72 programmable encryption device, the full-duplex L-band BFT-2 satellite system, an updated transceiver and the DAGR, and can run on SIPR or NIPR depending on login.
  • One variant in the family is NIPR only, modular, requires no DAGR, has no programmable encryption device, and uses BFT-2.
  • JBC-P runs on SIPR or NIPR, uses the KGV-72, improves usability, uses BFT-2, has internal GPS-SAASM rather than an external receiver, is application based, and increases speed.
  • JBC-P is a key component of the Army and Marine Corps mission command systems and is the primary provider and user of digital situational awareness.
  • Programs of record that have expired or been replaced include BCS3, S2MC and TIGR.
  • DDS lets systems publish and subscribe. Publish places data on the DDS server so other systems can access it. Subscribe pulls that data into the subscribing system for use and display.
  • DDS shares advertisements of its data with peered nodes - nearby DDS servers - and the process of connecting them is called peering.
  • DDS security is provided through the Tactical Services Security System, which validates authentication through Active Directory. DDS is accessed through a web interface using a browser such as Chrome or Firefox.
  • The domain controller implements a domain environment to centralize user authentication and authorization, manage group policy and provide directory services, and gives single sign-on so one account reaches multiple network resources.
  • Active Directory manages access to network resources such as user accounts, groups, computers and printers in a Windows domain environment, and the course calls it the heart of the networking infrastructure.
  • The Tactical Server Infrastructure v2 Small is a ruggedized portable server provided by Project Manager Mission Command, placed at battalion to provide services to connected MCIS clients, and also used as an early entry and continuity of operations solution at higher echelons.
  • Graphics published to CPOF and CPCE must meet the Department of Defense graphical symbology standard in order to be displayed.
  • The advantages of convergence given in the lesson are unified data, common maps and a common operational environment. The disadvantages are single points of failure, reliance on network connectivity, network complexity and security.

References

MCIS Handout v2 - the system-by-system reference issued with the moduleTC 6-0.1, Mission Command Information System Integration Training and Qualification: Digital Crews (10 May 2018)FM 6-02, Signal Support to OperationsATP 6-0.5, Command Post Organization and Operations (MAR17)Logistics Information Warehouse, https://lwn.army.mil - select the Mission Command link, then the Training Wiki for each systemhttps://jbc-p.army.mil - technical manuals and bulletins for JCR and JBC-P equipment not held in the Logistics Information Warehouse

Enterprise server roles and services 113-SCCCG02

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveIdentify the enterprise server roles and services hosted on the tactical server stack and the function each performs for the command post.

StandardIdentify Active Directory, Exchange, file share, SQL Server, endpoint configuration management, SharePoint, update services, operations management and XMPP, and the role each plays, in a clear and concise manner, without error.

These are the nine services the MCIS Handout groups as Enterprise Server Roles and Services, and they are the least military content in the module - they are ordinary Microsoft infrastructure, running in a tent. That is exactly why they are worth learning properly: the S6 owns them, and a fault in any one of them presents as a mission command problem rather than an IT problem. Active Directory is the one that matters most, because the Tactical Services Security System validates MCIS authentication against it, so a domain fault stops systems sharing data. The rest divide cleanly by what they move: mail and calendars in Exchange, files in the file share, structured data in SQL Server, software and patches in Endpoint Configuration Manager and Windows Server Update Services, documents and workflow in SharePoint, health and alerts in Operations Manager, and chat in XMPP.

Doctrinal currencyThis section of the MCIS Handout is written against a Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 10 baseline, which is what the TSI v2 allocation table records. Every operating system named in it has since left mainstream support.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • The TSI v2 allocation table lists MS Windows Server 2012 R2 for the CPCE, enterprise services and WAVE virtual machines, MS Windows Server 2008 R2 for the DDS legacy application, and Windows 10 for the workstation
  • The handout notes that Endpoint Configuration Manager was previously called System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)
  • The XMPP entry gives OpenFire 4.1.2 and the WAVE entry gives WAVE 5.12
How to use this page
  • Learn the roles and what each service does. Those are stable and testable. Do not memorize the version numbers as current fact - they record the baseline the handout was written against
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 and 2012 R2 both reached end of extended support, in January 2020 and October 2023 respectively. If a question turns on the security implication of a legacy baseline rather than on a version string, that is the point being made
  • SCCM is the older name and is the one that still appears in conversation. Recognize both names for the same product

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The nine enterprise server roles and services
  1. Active Directory (AD)
  2. Microsoft Exchange Server (EXCH)
  3. File share (FS)
  4. SQL Server
  5. Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager
  6. Microsoft SharePoint
  7. Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)
  8. System Center Operations Manager (SCOM)
  9. Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP)
The five key features of Active Directory
  1. Authentication - centralized login with a single set of credentials
  2. Authorization - permissions assigned to individual users and groups
  3. Group Policy - centralized management of desktop configuration, security policy and software installation
  4. Domain Name System integration - name resolution for network resources
  5. Directory replication - multi-master, so changes reach all domain controllers
The Active Directory hierarchy, top down
  1. Forest - the top of the hierarchy, composed of one or more domain trees
  2. Domain tree - one or more domains
  3. Domain - contains users, groups, computers and other network resources
The five SQL Server feature areas
  1. Data storage - robust and scalable structured storage
  2. Data management - backup and recovery, import and export, transformation services
  3. Security - access control, authentication and encryption
  4. Performance optimization - indexing, query optimization, database partitioning
  5. Business intelligence - reporting, analysis and data mining
Which service to reach for, by symptom
  1. Users cannot log in, or MCIS will not share data - Active Directory, because TS3 validates against it
  2. Mail, calendar or distribution list problem - Exchange
  3. Shared drive missing - File and Storage Services
  4. An MCIS database will not start - SQL Server
  5. A system is on the wrong software version - Endpoint Configuration Manager
  6. Patches are not reaching clients - Windows Server Update Services
  7. Need to know whether a service is up before the commander asks - Operations Manager
  8. Chat is down - XMPP, carrying JChat and Transverse
  9. Documents, portals or workflow - SharePoint

Key terms

Active Directory (AD)
Microsoft's directory service for managing network resources and providing centralized authentication and authorization in a Windows environment. It is a database storing information about users, computers and other network resources, and it provides a hierarchical namespace for them.
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)
The protocol Active Directory is based on. Worth knowing because the acronym reappears in the Lightweight Data Interchange Format, which is a different thing entirely.
Forest
The top of the Active Directory hierarchy, composed of one or more domain trees.
Domain tree
The hierarchical structure Active Directory is organized into. Each tree consists of one or more domains, which can contain users, groups, computers and other network resources.
Multi-master replication
The Active Directory replication model, in which changes made to the directory are propagated to all domain controllers rather than flowing from a single authoritative copy.
Group Policy
The centralized Active Directory mechanism for managing and applying configuration to network resources - desktop configurations, security policies and software installations.
Microsoft Exchange Server (EXCH)
The messaging and collaboration platform managing email, calendars, contacts and related services. It supports SMTP, POP, IMAP and ActiveSync and is reached through Outlook, Outlook Web App or mobile devices.
File and Storage Services (FS)
The Windows Server role that sets up and manages file servers - central locations on the network where files are stored and shared with users. The File and Storage Services role and the Storage Services role service are installed by default.
SQL Server
Microsoft's relational database management system, used to store, manage and retrieve data. It uses T-SQL, a variant of Structured Query Language, and provides storage, management, security, performance optimization and business intelligence features.
Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM)
Previously System Center Configuration Manager, or SCCM. The tool for managing and deploying software, patches and updates across an organization's devices, including operating system deployment and compliance enforcement.
Microsoft SharePoint
The web-based collaboration and document management platform used to create sites and portals, manage documents and content, run workflows and enable collaboration.
Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)
The Windows Server role that lets administrators download, approve and distribute Microsoft updates and patches within an organization, on a policy or schedule, with reporting on deployment status.
System Center Operations Manager (SCOM)
The Microsoft application for monitoring the health, performance and availability of applications and services across the infrastructure, with alerting, reporting and automation. It supports Windows, Linux and Unix.
Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP)
A set of open technologies for instant messaging, presence, multi-party chat, voice and video calls, collaboration, lightweight middleware, content syndication and generalized routing of XML data. In Army use it carries JChat and Transverse.
OpenFire
The XMPP server implementation listed in the TSI v2 allocation table, at version 4.1.2.
Jabber
The open-source community in which XMPP was originally developed, as an open and decentralized alternative to the closed instant messaging services of the time.

Testable points

  • Active Directory is based on the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol and is organized into a hierarchical structure called a domain tree. At the top of the hierarchy is the forest, composed of one or more domain trees.
  • Each domain tree consists of one or more domains, which can contain users, groups, computers and other network resources.
  • The five key Active Directory features taught are authentication, authorization, group policy, DNS integration for name resolution, and directory replication.
  • Active Directory authentication is centralized, allowing users to log in and reach network resources with a single set of credentials - single sign-on.
  • Active Directory uses a multi-master replication model, so changes are propagated to all domain controllers in the network.
  • Active Directory integrates with the Domain Name System to provide name resolution services for network resources.
  • Exchange Server manages email, calendars, contacts, collaboration services and security and compliance. Collaboration services include shared mailboxes, public folders and distribution lists.
  • Exchange security and compliance features include antivirus and anti-spam protection, data loss prevention, and message archiving.
  • Exchange can be deployed on premises or in the cloud, integrates with other Microsoft products, and supports SMTP, POP, IMAP and ActiveSync.
  • File and Storage Services provides central locations on the network for storing and sharing files. The role and the Storage Services role service are installed by default, without additional role services, and are managed through Server Manager or Windows PowerShell.
  • SQL Server is a relational database management system that uses T-SQL, a variant of Structured Query Language.
  • The five SQL Server feature areas taught are data storage, data management, security, performance optimization and business intelligence.
  • SQL Server performance optimization features include indexing, query optimization and database partitioning.
  • Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager was previously known as System Center Configuration Manager, or SCCM.
  • Endpoint Configuration Manager covers device management, software deployment, operating system deployment, configuration management and reporting.
  • SharePoint covers document management, collaboration, workflow management, business intelligence and customization.
  • Windows Server Update Services covers update management, distribution, reporting and an approval process. The approval process lets administrators review and approve updates before they are deployed.
  • System Center Operations Manager covers monitoring, alerting, reporting, automation and integration, and can be integrated with Configuration Manager so the infrastructure is managed and monitored from a single console.
  • Operations Manager supports Windows, Linux and Unix, and can monitor Microsoft applications, databases, web servers and network devices.
  • XMPP was originally developed in the Jabber open-source community as an open, decentralized alternative to the closed instant messaging services of the time.
  • XMPP is currently used to carry JChat and Transverse.
  • On the TSI v2 allocation table, the enterprise services virtual machines are the DC1 domain controller running Active Directory, the file share, XMPP running OpenFire 4.1.2, and WAVE management.
  • In the TSI v2 allocation table, the domain controller is allocated 2 virtual sockets and 2048 MB of memory, the file share 1 socket and 4096 MB, and XMPP 1 socket and 4096 MB.
  • The WAVE management virtual machine is the one entry in the allocation table marked as having partial rather than full deployment automation.

References

MCIS Handout v2, Enterprise Server Roles and ServicesMCIS Handout v2, Tactical Server Infrastructure v2 Allocation TableFM 6-02, Signal Support to OperationsAR 25-2, Army Cybersecurity - for the policy behind patching and configuration management

Mission command services and the CPOF server infrastructure 113-SCCCG02

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveIdentify the mission command services hosted on the tactical server stack, the data the Data Dissemination Service carries, and the role of each server in the Command Post of the Future and Command Post Computing Environment infrastructures.

StandardIdentify the Data Dissemination Service and the data it exchanges, the C2I Ultra-Lite framework, the four CPOF server roles, the three CPCE server roles and the WAVE service, in a clear and concise manner, without error.

The other half of the stack. Where the enterprise services are generic Microsoft infrastructure, these are the Army-specific services, and the S6 owns them just as completely. The Data Dissemination Service is the one to know cold - it is a virtual machine hosted on TSI v2 Large and Small at battalion and above, it distributes information by publish and subscribe, and the eleven categories of data it carries are a plausible list question. The CPOF infrastructure is four servers with four clearly separated jobs, and the cleanest way to hold them is by what breaks when each one fails: no Data Bridge means CPOF cannot see the other MCIS at all, because CPOF is Java and everything else is XML; no Master Repository means there is nowhere to store the data; no Mid-Tier means the Master gets overwhelmed; no Remote Admin and VoIP server means no remote administration and no Ventrilo or WAVE voice. CPCE replaces the whole arrangement with three servers - web, persist and geo.

Doctrinal currencyThe number of SitaWare partner nations is given two different ways inside the same module, and the CPCE and DDS version numbers record a fixed baseline rather than the current fielded software.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • The MCIS Handout gives the figure twice. Its Mission Command Services section says CPCE is based on SitaWare, currently used by 39 nations including most NATO allies
  • The same handout, seven pages earlier in its Individual MCIS section, says CPCE offers interoperability with SitaWare customers - approximately 30 partner nations
  • The CPCE Management deck agrees with the higher figure, at 39 nations
  • The TSI v2 allocation table gives CPCE at 9.1.0.0-22 and DDS at 1.7.1.1
  • The handout notes that CPCE replaces GCCS-A, while the Individual MCIS lesson still teaches GCCS-A as a current system supporting echelons above brigade
How to use this page
  • The two partner-nation figures cannot both be right, and they are in the same document. Neither is worth memorizing as a number - the testable point is that CPCE inherits broad coalition interoperability from its SitaWare base, subject to policy constraints. If a figure must be given, 39 is the one the handout's own CPCE section and the CPCE Management deck agree on
  • Treat the CPCE and DDS version strings as a record of the baseline the handout documents, not as current fielded versions
  • The GCCS-A tension is real and reflects a transition in progress rather than an error - CPCE is intended to replace it, and until fielding completes both statements describe something true. Know GCCS-A's role and know that CPCE is its replacement

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The eleven categories of data MCIS exchange via DDS
  1. Friendly position reports, ground and air
  2. Enemy situation reports
  3. Sensor tracks
  4. Military C2 graphics and battlespace geometries
  5. Significant activities (SIGACTS)
  6. Targets
  7. Airspace control orders (ACO)
  8. Weather
  9. Task organization information
  10. Address book change notification
  11. Indicators and warnings
The four CPOF server roles, and what fails without each
  1. Data Bridge - translates between CPOF's Java and the other MCIS' XML. Without it CPOF is blind to the rest of the MCIS
  2. Master Repository - central storage for friendly and enemy situation, intelligence reports and plans. Without it there is nowhere to hold the data
  3. Mid-Tier - load balancer between clients and the Master. Without it the Master is overwhelmed and response times collapse
  4. Remote Admin and VoIP - remote management plus Ventrilo or WAVE voice. Without it there is no remote administration and no voice
The three CPCE server roles
  1. CPCE-Web - receives, processes and responds to web client requests
  2. CPCE-Persist - stores, organizes and manages the data, and is the central repository
  3. CPCE-GEO - hosts network mapping resources for geospatial requirements
The four legacy systems CPCE replaces
  1. Command Post of the Future (CPOF)
  2. Command Web Widgets
  3. Global Command and Control System-Army (GCCS-A)
  4. Tactical Ground Reporting system (TIGR)
What CPCE passes directly to JCR and JBC-P
  1. Graphics
  2. Flash, immediate, priority and routine (FIPR) messages
  3. Written operation orders
The MCIS CPCE was modified to interoperate with
  1. Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS)
  2. Air and Missile Defense Workstation (AMDWS)
  3. Distributed Common Ground System-Army (DCGS-A)
  4. Tactical Airspace Integration System (TAIS)

Key terms

Data Dissemination Service (DDS)
A virtual machine hosted by TSI v2 Large and Small at battalion and higher echelons. A net-centric information sharing service that enables the distribution of information across the enterprise, primarily through publish and subscribe.
Advertisement
The identification of information that is distributed to every node on the DDS. It is the way every DDS client is notified of what information is available.
Command and Control Infrastructure Ultra-Lite (C2IUL)
A lightweight rules-based interoperability, translation and message forwarding framework. CPCE and Mounted Mission Command use a combination of C2I Ultra-Lite and COE v3 Data Services Sync to handle backward compatibility with previous mission command baselines while mediating data for joint and coalition partners.
CPOF Data Bridge
A virtual appliance, usually on the brigade or higher TSI, that enables sharing of information between disparate programming languages and file formats. CPOF is built on Java and the other MCIS are built on XML, so the Data Bridge is the translator and single point of interface between them.
CPOF Master Repository
A virtual appliance on the brigade or higher TSI serving as the central storage location for CPOF data - friendly situation, enemy situation template, intelligence reports and operational plans - accessible and editable by authorized users.
CPOF Mid-Tier
A virtual appliance acting as a load balancer for the CPOF network. It responds to requests from CPOF client machines to the Master Repository, to optimize bandwidth and performance, maximize availability, and ensure the Master does not become overwhelmed.
CPOF Remote Admin and VoIP
Typically a single virtual appliance. Remote Admin gives administrators remote access to manage and oversee CPOF; the VoIP server provides voice communication over IP and can be configured to host either Ventrilo or WAVE group communications software.
CoMotion
The General Dynamics platform CPOF is built on, providing visualization, information analysis and collaboration in a single integrated environment.
CPCE-Web
The CPCE web server. It receives, processes and responds to requests from web clients, combining the features of a common website with the interoperability and real-time situational awareness of SitaWare.
CPCE-Persist
The CPCE server responsible for storing, organizing and managing large volumes of data and providing efficient, secure and reliable access to it. It is the central repository shared by authorized CPCE users.
CPCE-GEO
The CPCE server hosting network mapping resources to support geospatial requirements.
SitaWare
The commercial situational awareness software CPCE is based on, modified by PEO C3T to interoperate with the other MCIS. It is in use by a large number of allied nations, which is the basis of CPCE coalition interoperability.
Common Operating Environment (COE)
The Army modernization initiative of which CPCE is the primary step.
WAVE
A software application suite allowing intercommunication between audio devices - two-way radios, trunked radio systems, telephones, PCs, smartphones and intercoms. It is both a suite of finished applications and a network transport mechanism.
Gold-standard laptop
The baseline client CPCE requires. Because CPCE is server based, it needs only Google Chrome on such a laptop rather than a purpose-built workstation.

Testable points

  • DDS is a virtual machine hosted by TSI v2 Large and Small at battalion and higher echelons.
  • DDS is a net-centric information sharing service enabling the distribution of information across the enterprise, primarily through publish and subscribe.
  • An advertisement is the identification of information distributed to every node, and it is how every DDS client learns what information is available.
  • C2I Ultra-Lite is a lightweight rules-based interoperability, translation and message forwarding framework.
  • CPCE and Mounted Mission Command use a combination of C2I Ultra-Lite and COE v3 Data Services Sync to handle backward compatibility with previous mission command baselines while mediating data for joint and coalition partners.
  • CPOF is a custom application built on General Dynamics' CoMotion platform.
  • The CPOF Data Bridge exists because CPOF is built on Java while all the other MCIS are built on XML. It acts as the translator and single point of interface between them.
  • The Data Bridge allows CPOF to aggregate data feeds from the other MCIS into a Common Operational Picture, and enables CPOF to import and export geographical data, intelligence reports and sensor data.
  • The Master Repository is the central storage location for CPOF data, including friendly situation, enemy situation template, intelligence reports and operational plans.
  • The Mid-Tier acts as a load balancer, responding to requests from CPOF clients to the Master Repository in order to optimize bandwidth and performance, maximize availability, and prevent the Master from being overwhelmed.
  • By distributing requested information on behalf of the Master, the Mid-Tier improves response times, reduces latency, and keeps services available through hardware failures or network disruptions.
  • The Data Bridge, Master Repository and Mid-Tier are all virtual appliances that typically reside on the brigade or higher echelon Tactical Server Infrastructure.
  • The Remote Admin and VoIP functions are typically housed on a single virtual appliance. The VoIP server can be configured to host either Ventrilo or WAVE, and both offer voice and text chat.
  • CPCE is the primary step in the Army's Common Operating Environment modernization initiative.
  • CPCE replaces four legacy systems - Command Post of the Future, Command Web Widgets, Global Command and Control System-Army, and the Tactical Ground Reporting system.
  • CPCE is server based and requires only Google Chrome on a gold-standard laptop.
  • Users typically require only a few hours on CPCE to reach the proficiency that took a 40-hour course on CPOF.
  • CPCE is based on SitaWare, modified by PEO C3T to be interoperable with AFATDS, AMDWS, DCGS-A and TAIS. Policy constraints limit the coalition interoperability that SitaWare would otherwise allow.
  • Like CPOF, CPCE is interoperable with other MCIS through the Data Dissemination Service.
  • CPCE passes graphics; flash, immediate, priority and routine messages; and written operation orders directly to JCR and JBC-P.
  • The stated advantage of CPCE is that it reduces complexity, size and training requirements, and its server architecture reduces the burden on the network and on signal personnel.
  • CPCE-Web receives, processes and responds to requests from web clients. CPCE-Persist stores, organizes and manages the data. CPCE-GEO hosts the network mapping resources.
  • WAVE allows intercommunication between audio devices including two-way radios, trunked radio systems, telephones, PCs, smartphones and intercoms.
  • WAVE is described as both a suite of finished applications and a network transport mechanism, and is installed in hundreds of locations worldwide.
  • On the TSI v2 allocation table, the CPCE virtual machines are CPCEWEB, CPCEGEO and CPCEPERSIST, all at version 9.1.0.0-22. CPCEWEB is allocated 6 virtual sockets and 12288 MB of memory, the largest allocation in the table.
  • On the TSI v2 allocation table, DDS is listed as a legacy service or application at version DDS_1.7.1.1, allocated 2 virtual sockets and 8192 MB.
  • The TSI v2 allocation table totals 22 virtual sockets and 51200 MB of memory, with 20.0 percent of memory left free.

References

MCIS Handout v2, Mission Command ServicesMCIS Handout v2, Tactical Server Infrastructure v2 Allocation TableFM 6-02, Signal Support to OperationsTC 6-0.1, Mission Command Information System Integration Training and Qualification: Digital Crews (10 May 2018)

Tactical Server Infrastructure, BCCS and virtualization 113-SCCCG02

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveInterpret virtualization fundamentals and identify the tactical server hardware that hosts mission command services at battalion, brigade and above.

StandardInterpret virtualization fundamentals and identify the Tactical Server Infrastructure and Battle Command Common Services variants, their nomenclature and their allocation, in a clear and concise manner, without error.

The hardware page. Two variants, everywhere - Large is the server stack at brigade and above, Small is the server laptop at battalion, and the same split holds whether the equipment is called BCCS or TSI. The nomenclature is the part most likely to be tested and the part hardest to hold, so anchor on the pattern: the AN/TYQ-155 family is the large stack, with the F being BCCS v5 and the G being TSI, and the small variant is a different nomenclature entirely. The virtualization content repeats what the primer taught, and the one thing worth adding here is the reason the distinction is practical rather than academic - Type 1 on the stack means a hypervisor fault takes every service with it, while Type 2 on the gateway means a Windows fault does the same, and the troubleshooting order differs accordingly.

Doctrinal currencyThe hardware specifications in this lesson describe fielded equipment of a particular vintage, and the two decks that teach it give different hardware figures for what is nominally the same equipment.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • The Individual MCIS deck's hardware profile slide gives the BCCS AN/TYQ-155F v5 as 6 Intel Xeon 12-core processors with 192 to 576 GB RAM each and 18 drive slots totaling 69 TB raw and 46 TB usable, and the TSI AN/TYQ-155G v2 as 4 eight-core processors with 384 GB RAM each and 15.3 TB usable
  • The same slide gives the TSI v2 Small laptop server as one Intel i7-7920 4-core processor, 64 GB RAM and 3 drive slots totaling 3 TB raw and 2 TB usable, and lists a Core 2 Duo profile at 2.2 GHz with DDR2 memory and a 120 GB drive or 32 to 64 GB SSD
  • The MCIS Handout's TSI v1 specification instead gives two Dell R430 servers with dual Xeon E5-2695 v4 processors, 192 GB RAM and a 200 GB SSD, behind a NetApp FAS2552 array
How to use this page
  • The two sources are describing different versions - the handout documents TSI v1 while the slide profiles TSI v2 alongside BCCS v5 - so they are not strictly in conflict, but neither set of processor and memory figures is worth memorizing
  • What is worth memorizing is the nomenclature, the Large and Small split, and which services live on each. Those are stable and they are what a planning question would turn on
  • The Core 2 Duo profile on the hardware slide is a generation older than everything around it and is not labeled with the system it belongs to. It is on the review queue as an open question

Doctrinal sets to know cold

Nomenclature summary
  1. BCCS v5 Large - AN/TYQ-155F, LIN C61290, NSN 5895-01-642-6459
  2. TSI v1 Large - AN/TYQ-155G (V1), LIN C61290, NSN 5895-01-658-0030
  3. TSI v2a Small - AN/PYC-8A (V1), LIN C05120, NSN 7010-01-682-2680
  4. System Management Console - AN/PYQ-16G, LIN C18891, NSN 7010-01-667-0902
The three TSI v1 operational transit cases
  1. Switch and storage OTC, including a NetApp FAS2552 storage array with dual controllers
  2. Server OTC, including two Dell R430 servers with dual Xeon processors and 192 GB RAM
  3. Uninterruptible power supply OTC, 2500 VA and 2000 W
The eight virtual machines on a TSI v2 Small
  1. Active Directory domain controller (DC1)
  2. Data Dissemination Server (DDS)
  3. CPCE Web - web services
  4. CPCE GEO - map services
  5. CPCE Persist - database services
  6. File share or shared drive
  7. XMPP - chat services
  8. WAVE Management - voice and chat services
The vSphere object hierarchy
  1. Datacenter
  2. Cluster
  3. Host
  4. Resource pool
  5. Virtual machines
  6. Datastore
Type 1 against Type 2, side by side
  1. Type 1 is bare metal, Type 2 is hosted
  2. Type 1 has no operating system beneath the hypervisor, Type 2 runs on top of Windows
  3. Type 1 gives virtual machines direct access to system resources, Type 2 shares resources with the host operating system
  4. Type 1 is VMware ESXi on the BCCS and TSI, Type 2 is VMware Workstation on the TMC Gateway
  5. Troubleshooting order differs - on Type 1 the hypervisor is the bottom layer, on Type 2 the Windows installation beneath it is

Key terms

Tactical Server Infrastructure (TSI)
The current server platform hosting mission command and enterprise services. Fielded in a Large variant as a server stack and a Small variant as a server laptop, replacing BCCS and the TMC Gateway respectively.
TSI v1 Large Variant
AN/TYQ-155G (V1), LIN C61290, NSN 5895-01-658-0030. Built from a switch and storage transit case, a server transit case and an uninterruptible power supply transit case.
TSI v2a Small Variant
AN/PYC-8A (V1), LIN C05120, NSN 7010-01-682-2680. The server laptop variant, employed at battalion and as an early entry or continuity of operations solution at higher echelons.
System Management Console
AN/PYQ-16G, LIN C18891, NSN 7010-01-667-0902. The console used to administer the tactical server infrastructure.
BCCS v5 Large Variant
AN/TYQ-155F, LIN C61290, NSN 5895-01-642-6459. The version 5 Battle Command Common Services stack that TSI replaces.
Ruggedized Portable Server (RPS)
The description used for the TSI v2 Small - a server provided by Project Manager Mission Command, placed at battalion to provide services to connected MCIS clients.
Operational Transit Case (OTC)
The ruggedized case that each subassembly of the tactical server stack is built into - switch and storage, server, and uninterruptible power supply.
Allocation table
The document specifying, for each virtual machine on the TSI, its software type, name, version, operating system, disk allocation by drive letter, virtual sockets and memory. It is how an S6 knows what the stack is supposed to be running.
Type 1 hypervisor (bare metal)
VMware ESXi. Loaded directly onto the storage device with no pre-existing operating system, giving virtual machines direct access to system resources. Used on the BCCS and TSI.
Type 2 hypervisor (hosted)
VMware Workstation. Loaded on top of an existing Windows operating system and sharing the host's resources with it. Used on the TMC Gateway and TSI small.
vSphere
The VMware management client used to administer the virtualized stack. Its object hierarchy runs datacenter, cluster, host, resource pool, virtual machine and datastore.

Testable points

  • Both BCCS and TSI come in two variants - Large, a server stack, and Small, a server laptop.
  • The TSI v1 Large Variant is the AN/TYQ-155G (V1), LIN C61290, NSN 5895-01-658-0030.
  • The TSI v2a Small Variant is the AN/PYC-8A (V1), LIN C05120, NSN 7010-01-682-2680.
  • The System Management Console is the AN/PYQ-16G, LIN C18891, NSN 7010-01-667-0902.
  • The BCCS v5 Large Variant is the AN/TYQ-155F, LIN C61290, NSN 5895-01-642-6459.
  • BCCS v5 and TSI v1 Large share the same line item number, C61290, but have different national stock numbers and different nomenclature suffixes - F for BCCS v5, G for TSI.
  • The TSI v1 stack is built from three operational transit cases - a switch and storage case including a NetApp FAS2552 storage array with dual controllers, a server case including two Dell R430 servers with dual Xeon processors and 192 GB of RAM, and an uninterruptible power supply case rated 2500 VA and 2000 W.
  • The BCCS v5 stack is built from a RAID case with a 24-drive 900 GB SAS array and dual controllers, a server and switch case with two Dell processor servers and a Dell switch, and an uninterruptible power supply case rated 2200 VA and 1600 W.
  • The TSI v2 Small hosts the Active Directory domain controller, the Data Dissemination Server, CPCE Web, CPCE GEO, CPCE Persist, the file share, XMPP chat services and WAVE management.
  • The TSI v2 Small is also employed as an early entry and continuity of operations solution at higher echelons, at the tactical command post.
  • In the TSI v2 allocation table the largest single allocation is CPCE Web, at 6 virtual sockets and 12288 MB of memory.
  • The TSI v2 allocation table totals 22 virtual sockets and 51200 MB of memory, leaving 20.0 percent of memory free.
  • Type 1 virtualization is bare metal - the hypervisor sits directly on the storage device with no operating system beneath it. The Army uses VMware ESXi this way on the BCCS and TSI.
  • Type 2 virtualization is hosted - the hypervisor runs on top of an existing Windows operating system and shares resources with it. The Army uses VMware Workstation this way on the TMC Gateway.
  • The purpose of each virtual machine is to run a service, and each is reached at its own IP address.
  • Virtualization advantages taught in this lesson are increased server utilization, remote access to manipulate settings, logical rather than purely physical understanding of the network, reduced size, weight and power, shared power, unified hardware, reduced footprint, hosting legacy and varied systems on a single platform, and better cooling.
  • Virtualization disadvantages taught are reliance on network connectivity, network complexity and the skill level it demands, and isolated vulnerability - a single point of failure.
  • The vSphere client object icons the lesson teaches are datacenter, cluster, host, resource pool, virtual machines and datastore.
  • The TSI v2 Large quick reference and TSI v2 Small quick reference are published as web-based training modules, as is the CPCE current operations training course.

References

MCIS Handout v2, Tactical Server Infrastructure Version 1 SpecificationsMCIS Handout v2, Battle Command Common Services Version 5 SpecificationsMCIS Handout v2, Tactical Server Infrastructure v2 Allocation TableTSI v2 Large and TSI v2 Small quick reference modules, published on the Fort Gordon training portalFM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations

Dataflow in Mission Command Information Systems 113-SCCCG04

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveManage MCIS dataflow by defining the terminology and tracing the logical path that data takes from an originating system to the client that displays it.

StandardDefine MCIS dataflow terminology and review MCIS dataflow concepts in a clear and concise manner, without error.

The lesson that makes the module make sense, and the one that turns a list of servers into a path you can troubleshoot. Two ideas carry it. First, physical topology is the cable - at battalion nearly everything plugs into a patch panel - while logical topology is where the data actually goes, and that is set by the destination IP configured on each system, not by the cable. Second, the collaboration client speaks a different language from everything else, so a translator has to sit in the path: the client is Java, the other MCIS are XML, and the Data Bridge converts between them. The Data Bridge is not at battalion. That single fact generates the most useful conclusion in Module G - a battalion cannot pass data between its collaboration client and the rest of the MCIS without a Data Bridge somewhere in the network, and if the transmission path to brigade drops, no local workaround restores it.

Doctrinal currencySettled on 2026-09-09: the exam uses the CPOF architecture, which is what this page teaches. The G04 material is mid-rewrite from CPOF to CPCE and the rewrite is visibly unfinished - both the deck and the approved lesson plan carry the editorial marker Work on!!!!!!!! in the speaker notes, and the rewritten text makes a claim the MCIS Handout contradicts. Recorded here so the rewrite is recognisable if you meet it, not because the answer is in doubt.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • The rewritten notes say CPCE runs off a different architecture than the rest of the MCIS and cannot cross communicate, and that CPCE is built on SitaWare while the majority of MCIS are built on XML
  • The same rewritten passage then reverts mid-list to the original CPOF wording - asking where CPOF data goes, saying the Master Repository stores CPOF changes, and concluding that data will never pass between CPOF and MCIS without a Data Bridge
  • The deck slides themselves still show CPOF, Java, Mid-Tier and Master Repository, while one slide shows a CPCE version with TSI Small and TSI Large web servers and no Data Bridge at all
  • The speaker note marker Work on!!!!!!!! appears in both the deck and the version 5.3 lesson plan approved 4 December 2025
What is actually true, and what the exam uses
  • The Java-versus-XML problem, and therefore the Data Bridge, belongs to CPOF. CPOF is built on General Dynamics' CoMotion platform in Java; the Data Bridge is its translator to the XML world
  • CPCE does not have that problem. The MCIS Handout states plainly that, like CPOF, CPCE is interoperable with other MCIS through the Data Dissemination Service. The claim that CPCE cannot cross communicate is an artifact of the unfinished rewrite, not a fact about CPCE
  • Learn the dataflow with CPOF in the client position, because that is the version that is internally consistent and the version the diagrams actually show. Then note separately that CPCE reaches the other MCIS through the DDS and adds direct messaging to JCR and JBC-P
  • This is on the review queue as an open question, because which version the exam uses is not something the material settles

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The logical path, battalion to higher
  1. MCIS clients at battalion - AFATDS, AMDWS and the rest - send to the battalion DDS
  2. The battalion DDS peers upward to the DDS on the higher stack
  3. Collaboration clients at battalion send to a Mid-Tier, which may be at any echelon
  4. The Mid-Tier requests from the Master Repository on behalf of its clients
  5. The Data Bridge sits between the DDS and the Master Repository, translating XML to Java and back
  6. The highest echelon in the unit peers DDS to DDS with the Mission Command Support Center
Servers that appear on the stack in this lesson beyond the core four
  1. Command and Control Repository (C2R) - URN to role name translation
  2. VoIP server - facilitates Ventrilo
  3. DNS server - user database and stack permissions, co-resident with the domain controller and Active Directory
The battalion Mid-Tier technique - benefit and limits
  1. Benefit - when the distant end jumps, change one destination IP instead of every client's
  2. Benefit - simplifies command post setup
  3. Limit - it does not enable disconnected operations
  4. Limit - if the link to the Master Repository is lost, clients stop functioning
  5. Status - a technique, explicitly not doctrine
What changed between Increment 1 and Increment 2
  1. End user devices were introduced
  2. The lowest tactical internet components were bridged to the upper tactical internet through the JBC-P Network Service Gateway
  3. Communications moved from at-the-halt to on-the-move
Troubleshooting questions this lesson answers
  1. Client cannot see any other MCIS data - is there a Data Bridge in the network at all
  2. Icons appear but units cannot be identified - check the C2R server
  3. Ventrilo will not connect - check the VoIP server on the stack
  4. DDS will not come up on the battalion gateway - the S6 needs DNS services and information first
  5. Clients died when brigade jumped - destination IP still points at the old Mid-Tier
  6. Transmission path to brigade is down - collaboration services cannot be sustained locally

Key terms

Physical topology
The actual link between a system and the next point - the cable. At battalion level most systems plug directly into a patch panel. The classroom itself, or the battalion command post, is the example the lesson uses.
Logical topology
Where the data is actually traveling, identified by the IP addresses configured on each system. Two systems on the same patch panel can have completely different logical paths.
Destination IP
The address each client is configured to send to. It is the single setting that defines a system's place in the logical topology, and the setting that has to change when the distant end moves.
Command and Control Repository (C2R)
The server that converts unit reference numbers to role names and back again. Without it systems still pass data, but it is difficult to tell which unit is represented by which icon. The lesson calls it the MCIS tactical DNS.
Unit Reference Number (URN)
The numeric identifier for a unit in the MCIS data products. The C2R translates between it and the human-readable role name.
Domain Name Server on the stack
Maintains the database of users and runs permissions for who may operate on that stack. The battalion S6 needs DNS services and information to set up the DDS on the battalion gateway. The domain controller, DNS and Active Directory reside on the same virtual machine.
VoIP server
Present on each stack, facilitating the Ventrilo application. The service does not work without it.
Mission Command Support Center (MCSC)
The reachback organization a unit peers with to bring in its blue feed. The highest echelon in the unit connects to the MCSC by peering DDS to DDS.
Blue feed
The friendly position picture, also called position location information. Tracing it from origination to display is the spine of the second half of this lesson.
Position Location Information (PLI)
The friendly position data carried in the blue feed and overlaid on the map by the mounted and dismounted platforms.
End User Device (EUD)
The dismounted handheld or tablet - Nett Warrior and the TAK family - introduced with Increment 2 and bridged into the network through the JBC-P.
Network Service Gateway (NSG)
A configurable setting on the JBC-P that allows end user devices to pass data through the JBC-P network. It is the bridge from the lower tactical internet into the upper tactical internet.
Tactical Network Transport (T-Net or TN)
The current name for what was Warfighter Information Network-Tactical. WIN-T is now described as part of the larger tactical infrastructure rather than as the name of the whole.
DDS integration map or spider chart
The matrix showing which system publishes which data type and which system can subscribe to it. It is used to explain and identify the specific capabilities and limitations of MCIS information exchange.

Testable points

  • Physical topology is the actual link between a system and the next point. Logical topology is where the data travels, determined by the IP addresses configured on the systems.
  • At battalion level most systems plug directly into a patch panel, so the physical topology reveals almost nothing about the data path.
  • The collaboration client is built on Java while the majority of MCIS are built on XML. The Data Bridge converts between the two and is the single point of interface.
  • The Data Bridge is not located at battalion. Without a Data Bridge somewhere in the network, data will never pass between the collaboration client and the other MCIS.
  • MCIS data at battalion goes to the DDS loaded on the battalion gateway. Client data goes to the Mid-Tier, which can be at any echelon. The DDS data goes on to the DDS loaded on the higher stack.
  • The two services that lie between the DDS and the Mid-Tier are the Master Repository and the Data Bridge.
  • The Master Repository stores client changes and synchronizes the systems. The Data Bridge converts data between XML and Java.
  • A recognized technique is to load Mid-Tier software on the battalion gateway, so all battalion clients point at a local Mid-Tier.
  • The benefit of a battalion Mid-Tier is that when the brigade jumps its command post, the S6 changes the destination IP in one place instead of reconfiguring every client.
  • The battalion Mid-Tier technique does not permit disconnected operations. If the connection to the Master Repository is lost, the clients stop functioning. It facilitates command post setup and distant-end jumping only.
  • The battalion Mid-Tier arrangement is explicitly a technique, not doctrine.
  • The Command and Control Repository server converts unit reference numbers to role names and back. Without it, systems still pass data but it is difficult to determine which unit is represented by which icon.
  • The lesson describes the C2R as an MCIS tactical DNS.
  • There is a VoIP server on each stack, which facilitates the Ventrilo application and is required to enable that service.
  • The DNS server on the stack maintains a database of users and runs permissions for who is allowed to operate on that stack. The domain controller, DNS and Active Directory services reside on the same virtual machine.
  • A battalion S6 needs DNS services and information in order to set up the DDS on the battalion gateway.
  • A unit connects to the Mission Command Support Center at its highest echelon, by peering DDS to DDS - division or corps to the MCSC, and brigade to battalion internally.
  • If the transmission medium at battalion fails - satellite terminal, high capacity line of sight or otherwise - collaboration services cannot be maintained at battalion, because the connection to the brigade distant end is gone.
  • Warfighter Information Network-Tactical is now referred to as Tactical Network Transport, T-Net or TN. WIN-T is a component of the larger tactical infrastructure rather than the name for all of it.
  • The Network Service Gateway is a configurable setting on the JBC-P that allows end user devices to pass data through the JBC-P network.
  • Wideband waveform radios - the Rifleman Radio family including the AN/PRC-152A, 154A and 163C - link through an NSG-enabled JBC-P to improve efficiency and support situational awareness sharing and PLI posting.
  • The change from Increment 1 to Increment 2 network diagrams is the introduction of end user devices, the bridging of the lowest tactical internet components to the upper tactical internet through the JBC-P Network Service Gateway, and the move from at-the-halt to on-the-move communications.
  • The equipment on the Point of Presence that allows vehicles to connect directly to the Master Repository is a Mid-Tier running as a virtual machine on board. Because of that, a Point of Presence client points at the Master Repository rather than at a separate Mid-Tier.
  • BFT-2 situational awareness is roughly ten times faster than BFT-1, at approximately 56 kilobits per second down and 32 kilobits per second up.
  • Services carried include position location information, free text, chat, medical evacuation requests, call for fire and overlays.
  • The objective of building network diagrams is to visualize the dataflow and the IP pathways.
  • A DDS integration map or spider chart is used to explain and identify the specific capabilities and limitations of MCIS information exchange - which system can publish what, and which can subscribe to it.
  • The JBC-P Mission Command Support Center requires an account created in advance. The lesson advises setting this up in garrison, because some blue feed problems can only be resolved by the MCSC, whose own configuration may be at fault.

References

MCIS Handout v2, Mission Command Services and Data Dissemination Service DiagramFM 6-02, Signal Support to OperationsATP 6-02.60, Tactical Networking Techniques for Corps and Below (Aug 2019) - for the transport this dataflow rides onTC 6-0.1, Mission Command Information System Integration Training and Qualification: Digital Crews (10 May 2018)

Data products and cutsheets 113-SCCCG05

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveManage the required information for MCIS data products and cutsheets, and demonstrate the battalion configuration requirements they support.

StandardDefine data products in a clear and concise manner, without error, and demonstrate the battalion configuration requirements, without error.

The most practical lesson in Module G, and the one a battalion S6 will actually use in the first week at a unit. Data products are the mission data that initializes the tactical network - addresses, unit reference numbers, router and switch configurations - and they arrive from the Central Technical Support Facility rather than being invented locally. There are two of them and they split by warrant officer specialty: the 255N works from the IP Template, which addresses the routers and switches, and the 255A works from the Lightweight Data Interchange Format, which addresses the servers and end user devices. A battalion S6 lives in the second one, usually in its friendlier spreadsheet form, the Unit Task Organization. Learn the six pieces of technical information the S6 needs to configure a system, because that list is exactly what a cutsheet contains and it is the most likely single recall question in the lesson.

Doctrinal currencyThe C2R acronym is expanded two different ways inside Module G, and the installation named as the home of the Central Technical Support Facility has changed name twice in recent years.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • The G05 lesson defines C2R as the Command and Control Registry, the address book used by the Army
  • The G04 dataflow lesson defines the same server as the Command and Control Repository, and calls it an MCIS tactical DNS
  • The G05 lesson places the Central Technical Support Facility at Fort Hood, Texas
  • The example LDIF and UTO used in the practical exercise are dated 6 May 2016
How to use this page
  • Registry is the expansion that fits the described function - an address book coordinating naming and addressing across systems. Repository is the wording in the dataflow lesson. Recognize both, because both appear in the issued material, and note that the function is identical in either description
  • Fort Hood is currently correct. The installation was redesignated Fort Cavazos in May 2023 and redesignated Fort Hood again in 2025, so material of any vintage may use either name for the same place
  • The 2016 date on the sample data product is not a currency problem - it is a training artifact, and the file structure it demonstrates is what the lesson is teaching

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The two data products, and who owns each
  1. IP Template - routers and switches - 255N, Network Systems Technician
  2. LDIF, or UTO in spreadsheet form - servers and end user devices - 255A, Information Systems Technician
The six pieces of technical information an S6 needs per system
  1. IP address
  2. Subnet mask
  3. Gateway IP or default gateway IP
  4. Role name, also called host description
  5. Unit reference number
  6. Distant end information - VoIP server IP, DNS IP and similar
What an LDIF or UTO provides
  1. Computer names
  2. IP addresses
  3. Role names
  4. Subnet mask
  5. Unit reference numbers
  6. Other information necessary to operate tactical data systems
What data products are used for once loaded
  1. Populate address books
  2. Create default message lists
  3. Determine communication protocols between systems
  4. Determine how a system processes and handles information from another system
  5. Enable binary messaging protocols - Variable Message Format and United States Message Text Format
Finding a battalion's addresses in a UTO
  1. Navigate to the tab for the battalion
  2. Highlight the top row of column titles and apply a filter from the Data tab
  3. Filter the BFA column to the single system type of interest
  4. Read the IP, gateway and URN for that system
  5. Note the value in the Subnet ID column
  6. Switch to the SUBNETS tab and filter on that subnet ID to find the subnet mask
First actions on arrival at a battalion S6 section
  1. Find the TMC Gateway laptop - it is frequently lost or re-imaged
  2. Confirm VMware and the DDS software are installed on it
  3. If missing, ask higher echelon first, then the Mission Command Support Center website
  4. Obtain the current LDIF or UTO and cut it down to the unit's own content
  5. Configure the systems from the cutsheet

Key terms

Data products
A collection of mission data required to initialize the tactical network and command and control applications, including IP addressing, unit reference numbers, and router, switch and firewall configurations. They are used to instantiate the digital systems.
Tactical Network Initialization and Configuration (TNIC)
The process that rapidly delivers relevant network initialization products and solutions to the warfighter in support of evolving Army directives. It is the program under which data products are produced.
Central Technical Support Facility (CTSF)
The organization at Fort Hood, Texas responsible for creating data products for units. Data products are not built by the receiving unit.
IP Template
The data product providing IP address information for all routers and switches. The Network Systems Technician, 255N, uses it to configure the network architecture to the prescribed specification.
Lightweight Data Interchange Format (LDIF)
The data product providing computer names, set role names, unit reference numbers, IP address, subnet mask and default gateway information for all MCIS. It is provided to the brigade or higher Information Systems Technician, 255A.
Unit Task Organization (UTO)
The spreadsheet form of the LDIF. Substantially more usable than the PDF version, and the form a battalion S6 will work from in practice.
Cutsheet
The extract derived from the LDIF and issued to subordinate units, carrying only the configuration information that unit needs, to facilitate system configuration.
Unit Reference Number (URN)
A unique identifier assigned to a military end device when it is manufactured. Every military end device has one.
Role name
The human-readable identifier that tells the force who is supposed to be behind a particular system. Servers translate URNs to role names so that an icon on the map can be attributed to a unit.
adam.ldif
The file a brigade 255A loads onto the C2R server. It tells the server which role names belong to which unit reference numbers.
Command and Control Registry (C2R)
The address book used by the Army. It dynamically coordinates and collaborates command and control naming, addressing, network and operations data across many different types of military systems deployed globally.
Initialization Tool Suite (ITS)
The tool that runs on the C2R Server and through which changes to a data product are made. Warrants modify the product as needed for unit utilization. The lesson is explicit that a data product will never be 100 percent correct - it asks that question directly.
Gateway IP
The IP address of the router interface in the local area network that enables local network traffic to be sent to other networks.
Subnet mask
The grouping of IP addresses that defines a subnet. Each router can maintain its own subnet, and the mask is found on the SUBNETS tab of the UTO by matching the subnet ID.
Variable Message Format (VMF)
One of the binary messaging protocols that data products enable, supporting common operational picture, situational awareness and command and control messages.
United States Message Text Format (USMTF)
The other binary messaging protocol named in the data products description, alongside VMF.

Testable points

  • The Central Technical Support Facility at Fort Hood, Texas is responsible for creating data products for units.
  • Data products are used to instantiate the digital systems. Once loaded, they populate look-up tables and local databases.
  • Data products are expected to be maintained within the runtime operational environment by the systems using the data, or by the network manager responsible for that system.
  • The information within data products populates address books, creates default message lists, determines communication protocols between systems, and determines how a system processes and handles information from another system.
  • Every program manager that touches the tactical network needs data products to establish the network layer and enable binary messaging protocols such as Variable Message Format and United States Message Text Format.
  • There are two main data products the signal community uses - the IP Template and the LDIF.
  • The 255N, Network Systems Technician, operates off the IP Template. It organizes IP addresses assigned to the network by service, and is how data reaches the distant end.
  • The IP Template assigns different IP addresses to routers for data and separate addresses for voice. These are assigned to the same physical router, separated by VLAN.
  • The 255A, Information Systems Technician, operates off the LDIF, which assigns IP addresses to servers and end user devices. This is where the data is ultimately going.
  • The LDIF is typically provided to the brigade or higher 255A to facilitate automation configuration. Subordinate units generally receive cutsheets derived from the LDIF.
  • The LDIF also comes in an Excel format called a Unit Task Organization, which is much more user friendly than the PDF.
  • A representative LDIF in the course material runs to 116 pages, of which very little applies to any one unit. The recommended technique is to cut out all content that does not relate to the unit or mission.
  • The six pieces of technical information an S6 needs to operate their organic MCIS are IP address, subnet mask, gateway IP or default gateway IP, role name or host description, unit reference number, and distant end information such as the VoIP server IP and DNS IP.
  • Military end devices are assigned a URN when they are manufactured, and the URN uniquely identifies the piece of equipment.
  • The military runs servers that translate URNs to role names, which allow the Army to identify who is supposed to be behind a particular system.
  • A brigade 255A loads the adam.ldif file onto the C2R server. It tells the server which role names belong to which URNs.
  • The C2R is described as the address book used by the Army, dynamically coordinating command and control naming, addressing, network and operations data across many different military systems deployed globally.
  • A data product will never be 100 percent correct. Problems are corrected by the warrant officer through the ITS program, which is located on the C2R server.
  • At battalion the router IP should be configured by the brigade chief warrant officer. What the battalion S6 needs are the IPs of their own systems, pulled from the LDIF or UTO.
  • In the UTO, a system's authorized addresses are found by filtering on the BFA column for the system type, and the subnet mask is found by matching the subnet ID on the SUBNETS tab.
  • The first practical step in enabling mission command at a new unit is to find the TMC Gateway laptop, which in many units has been lost or re-imaged because nobody knows what it does.
  • The TMC Gateway must have the VMware and DDS software on it. If those are missing, the first recourse is the higher echelon and the second is the Mission Command Support Center website.
  • Data Bridge and Master Repository services can be installed on the MC1 and TAC stacks if the warrant officer is willing, which the lesson offers as a technique.
  • TMC-GW is a ruggedized laptop at battalion level maintained by the S6. BCCS is at brigade and above, maintained by the S6 or G6, and additionally converts data to other formats and provides services.
  • Changes to a data product are made through the Initialization Tool Suite (ITS), which runs on the C2R Server. Warrants modify the product as needed for unit utilization.

References

MCIS Handout v2, Data ProductsTactical Network Initialization and Configuration, PEO C3TFM 6-02, Signal Support to OperationsATP 6-02.60, Tactical Networking Techniques for Corps and Below (Aug 2019)

TOCNET - the command post intercommunications system 113-SCCCG02

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveIdentify the components, characteristics and capacity limits of the Tactical Operations Center Intercommunications System, and the process for configuring a switching unit.

StandardIdentify the TOCNET components, its scaling limits and the network configuration sequence, in a clear and concise manner, without error.

TOCNET is the command post intercom, and the reason it earns its own page is arithmetic. Two numbers do most of the work: one enhanced switching unit supports up to 32 crew access units, of which no more than 16 may be hard units, and up to 64 switching units can be networked for 1,024 simultaneous channels. The 16-unit cap is absolute regardless of how the remaining slots are distributed, which is exactly the kind of constraint a planning question is built around - eight hard and 24 soft is fine, ten hard and 22 soft is fine, eighteen hard and fourteen soft is not, even though all three total 32 or fewer. The other idea worth carrying is Enhanced Voice Conferencing, which stretches intercom-like channels across a limited-bandwidth IP link so that separated command posts can share a net.

Doctrinal currencyTOCNET has no lesson of its own in the Module G folder structure. This page is built from the MCIS Handout, which covers the system and its configuration in detail, plus the primer's Command Post Platform slides.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • The MCIS Handout gives both an over 1,000 figure in the opening description and a precise 1,024 in the capability list, which is 64 switching units at 16 channels each
  • The handout's configuration walkthrough supplies a default maintenance username and password for the switching unit console
  • The TOCNET Configuration Manager is specified as requiring Java Runtime Environment 1.7 or later
  • The Enhanced Voice Conferencing description uses a JNN connection as its example of a limited-bandwidth link
How to use this page
  • The two capacity figures are the same number described loosely and precisely. Learn 1,024, and learn that it comes from 64 switching units
  • The default console credentials in the handout are deliberately not reproduced here. They are in the issued handout if they are needed for the practical exercise, and any fielded system should have them changed
  • Java Runtime 1.7 dates the configuration manager guidance considerably. Expect the version actually required on current equipment to differ, and treat the requirement itself - the manager needs a Java runtime - as the durable point
  • The Joint Network Node is legacy equipment; Module F covers what replaced it. The EVC point does not depend on it - the feature works over any limited-bandwidth IP network

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The six TOCNET components
  1. Enhanced Micro Central Switching Unit (eMCSU)
  2. Hard Crew Access Unit (Hard CAU)
  3. Enhanced Crew Access Unit (eCAU)
  4. Tactical Radio and Intercom Modular CAU (TRIM CAU)
  5. Soft CAU (sCAU)
  6. TOCNET Operational Transit Case (OTC)
The capacity limits worth memorizing
  1. 32 crew access units per enhanced switching unit
  2. 16 hard crew access units maximum per switching unit, whatever the mix
  3. 64 switching units per network
  4. 1,024 simultaneous communications assets and channels across the network
  5. More than 700 active participants per Enhanced Voice Conferencing channel
Acceptable and unacceptable crew access unit mixes
  1. 8 hard and 24 other - acceptable, within both limits
  2. 10 hard and 22 soft - acceptable, within both limits
  3. 18 hard and 14 soft - unacceptable, because 18 exceeds the 16 hard unit maximum even though the total is 32
TOCNET integrated voice and data capabilities
  1. Multiple operator interface options
  2. Secure wireless operation
  3. VoIP gateway
  4. Interoperability among disparate and legacy communications assets and channels
  5. Emergency all-call channel
  6. Cross-band and radio relay
  7. Remote radio control and management
  8. Quad E1 or T1, software selectable
Configuring a switching unit's network parameters
  1. Connect with PuTTY over a null-modem DB-9 cable; if using USB to serial, find the COM port in Device Manager and set the speed to 38400
  2. Log in at the console prompt with the maintenance account given in the MCIS Handout
  3. From the console menu select item 5, Configure Networking
  4. From the network menu select option 1 for the network configuration menu
  5. Press e to enable the LAN
  6. Option 1 sets the IP address, from the unit's own IP scheme in its data products
  7. Option 2 sets the netmask, option 5 sets the gateway
  8. Press r for the changes to take effect
  9. Browse to the new address to download the soft crew access unit and the TOCNET Configuration Manager

Key terms

TOCNET
The Tactical Operations Center Intercommunications System - the net-centric battlefield intercom system, ruggedized for harsh environments and expandable to over 1,000 communications assets and channels.
Enhanced Micro Central Switching Unit (eMCSU)
The switching unit at the heart of a TOCNET installation. Each one supports up to 32 crew access units, with a maximum of 16 hard units among them.
Crew Access Unit (CAU)
The operator interface to TOCNET. It comes in hard, enhanced, modular and soft forms, and the mix chosen is constrained by the switching unit's limits.
Hard Crew Access Unit (Hard CAU)
The physical panel form of the crew access unit. No more than 16 may be supported by a single enhanced switching unit, whatever the total.
Enhanced Crew Access Unit (eCAU)
The enhanced physical crew access unit variant.
Tactical Radio and Intercom Modular CAU (TRIM CAU)
The modular crew access unit variant, combining tactical radio and intercom access.
Soft CAU (sCAU)
The software crew access unit, downloaded from the switching unit's own web page and run on a computer rather than as a physical panel.
TOCNET Operational Transit Case (OTC)
The transit case configuration in which TOCNET is fielded.
Enhanced Voice Conferencing (EVC)
The feature, implemented using unicast, that interconnects many TOCNET systems - each with a large number of assets - over a VoIP channel with limited bandwidth. Each individual EVC channel can have more than 700 active participants.
TOCNET Configuration Manager (TNCM)
The configuration management application downloaded from the switching unit's web interface. It requires Java Runtime Environment 1.7 or later.
All-call channel
The emergency channel that reaches every station on the system.
Cross-band and radio relay
TOCNET's ability to bridge traffic between radios in different bands and to relay between them, one of the reasons it is described as providing interoperability among disparate and legacy assets.

Testable points

  • TOCNET is described as the net-centric battlefield intercommunications system of choice, ruggedized for the harshest environments, with a network expandable to over 1,000 communications assets and channels.
  • TOCNET operates from minus 40 to plus 55 degrees Celsius.
  • Up to 64 Micro Central Switching Units can be networked, supporting 1,024 simultaneous communications assets and channels.
  • Each enhanced switching unit supports up to 32 crew access units, with a maximum of 16 hard crew access units among them.
  • The 16 hard unit limit holds regardless of how the remaining capacity is distributed. Eight hard and 24 other units is acceptable, ten hard and 22 soft is acceptable, and 18 hard with 14 soft is not.
  • The six TOCNET components are the enhanced micro central switching unit, the hard crew access unit, the enhanced crew access unit, the tactical radio and intercom modular crew access unit, the soft crew access unit, and the operational transit case.
  • TOCNET's integrated voice and data capabilities include multiple operator interface options, secure wireless operation, a VoIP gateway, interoperability among disparate and legacy communications assets, an emergency all-call channel, cross-band and radio relay, remote radio control and management, and software-selectable quad E1 or T1.
  • The Enhanced Voice Conferencing feature is implemented using unicast and interconnects many TOCNET systems over a VoIP channel with limited bandwidth, such as a JNN connection.
  • EVC channels may be applied to any limited-bandwidth IP network, not only a JNN connection, and multiple EVC channels can be configured and used at the same time.
  • Each individual EVC channel can have more than 700 active participants.
  • The bandwidth an EVC channel consumes depends on the codec in use.
  • The switching unit's network parameters are configured over a serial connection using PuTTY with a null-modem DB-9 cable.
  • If a USB to serial cable is used, the COM port number must be found in Device Manager under Ports and COM, entered as the serial line, and the speed set to 38400.
  • In the TOCNET console menu, network settings are configured by selecting item 5, Configure Networking, and then option 1 to display the network configuration menu.
  • In the network configuration menu the LAN must be enabled with e, then option 1 sets the IP address, option 2 the netmask and option 5 the gateway. Option r must then be selected for the changes to take effect.
  • The IP address entered comes from the unit's own IP scheme in its data products - it is not chosen locally.
  • Once the switching unit has an address it can be reached by typing that address into a web browser. From the main screen the soft crew access unit can be downloaded or opened, and the configuration management application can be downloaded.
  • The TOCNET Configuration Manager requires Java Runtime Environment version 1.7 or later.
  • The console menu also allows a preconfigured eMCSU.ini file to be uploaded, software to be installed or upgraded, and management functions to be performed.
  • TOCNET is one of the systems mounted in the Command Post Platform, and the primer notes it gets substantially smaller when uncased and installed in the shelter.

References

MCIS Handout v2, Tactical Operations Center Intercommunications System (TOCNET)MCIS Handout v2, TOCNET Configuration via PuTTYATP 6-0.5, Command Post Organization and Operations (MAR17)FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations

The Command Post Computing Environment 113-SCCCG13

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveEstablish the Command Post Computing Environment by demonstrating its tools, its server dependencies and the administrative tasks required to bring it into service.

StandardDemonstrate CPCE tools in a clear and concise manner, without error, and complete the CPCE practical exercise within the specified time.

The longest block in Module G at four hours forty minutes, and the one that most rewards understanding structure over memorizing clicks. Three ideas carry it. First, dependencies: CPCE has a hard dependency on Active Directory for users, groups and permissions, it needs DDS running for its C2IUL routes, and it needs XMPP running for chat - so three of the four common CPCE faults are not CPCE faults at all. Second, startup order: Persist must be started before Web, because the web tier expects its databases to be there. Third, layers and pictures, which is the data model the whole client rests on - a layer is a container where data is stored, a picture is a collection of layers, only one layer is active at a time, and publishing is done at the layer. Get those three and the practical exercise becomes procedure rather than memory.

Doctrinal currencyThe CPCE lesson plan is version 1.2 rather than the 5.3 that the rest of Module G carries, and it is the newest-numbered but lowest-versioned lesson in the module. Its procedural detail is tied to a specific software baseline.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • The lesson plan calls for reminding students that the naming convention has changed although the software may still reference MCIS
  • Specific service versions appear in the procedures, including PostgreSQL 9.6 on the Persist server
  • The DDS connection configuration walkthrough supplies default truststore and keystore passwords and a certificate alias
  • The lesson gives the DDS schema as a specific value that must match the DDS server
How to use this page
  • Learn the structure - the three dependencies, the startup order, layers and pictures, and the two publish options. Those are what a written exam can ask about
  • The port numbers, service names and menu paths are worth reading once for familiarity but are not durable facts; they change with the software baseline
  • The default passwords in the handout's configuration walkthrough are deliberately not reproduced here. They are in the issued material if the practical exercise needs them, and they should never survive onto a fielded system
  • The schema value must match between CPCE and the DDS server. That requirement is the testable point, not the particular string

Doctrinal sets to know cold

CPCE's three external dependencies
  1. Active Directory - a hard dependency, for users, groups and permissions
  2. DDS - must be operational for C2IUL routes, which is how CPCE receives DDS data
  3. XMPP - must be operational for joint chat
The three default privilege groups
  1. PrivilegeGroup_ServerCommunicateAll
  2. PrivilegeGroup_SitaWareAdmin - grants the Management feature: map administration, configuration, external connections
  3. PrivilegeGroup_SitaWareUser - lets a typical domain user open and use the CPCE Web client
The four mandatory customized groups
  1. Nanomap-user
  2. sitaWare-hq-user
  3. Track-server-user
  4. ViewMapApp
Services to verify, by server
  1. CPCE-Persist - Distributed Transaction Coordinator, PostgreSQL 9.6 Server, SQL Server, SQL Server Agent, SQL Server VSS Writer
  2. CPCE-GEO - IIS Admin Service, W3C Logging Service, World Wide Web Publishing Service, ImageryATOM, ImageryATOMPaperMaps
  3. CPCE-Web - Addressing Window Service, C2IUL Service, Common Sync Framework, Davinci, file sync services, Karaf, message service, SitaWare Headquarters Communication, SitaWare Server, SitaWare Tactical Communication, SitaWare Wildfly, Import-Export, Layer Initialization Tool
Creating and publishing a graphic
  1. Create a picture - name it and set the permission type
  2. Create a layer inside it - verify the classification, select Globally Significant, set the permission type
  3. Activate the layer - double-click, or right-click and Set Active Layer. Only one is active at a time
  4. Open the symbol toolbox, search for a tactical symbol, place it on the map
  5. Right-click the layer and select Publish for Army systems, or Publish to Joint for joint systems
Adding a map service
  1. Access the SitaWare Headquarters website on the web server, port 10006
  2. Select the SitaWare Headquarters dropdown, then Management
  3. Select Maps and Overlays, then Map Services
  4. Select New Map Service, then OGC WMS Map
  5. Enter the WMS service address and continue
  6. Expand each layer in the layer hierarchy, select the map layers, continue
  7. Publish the selected map data
  8. For elevation, use Terrain Services, New Service, Terrain Service, enter the DTED path, then a display name and description, and publish
The Map Mini panel controls
  1. MiniMap icon - enables or disables the mini map, which follows the main map's movement and zoom and can itself be panned and zoomed
  2. GRID icon - enables or disables a latitude and longitude grid
  3. DIM icon - a slider adjusting the base map dim level, affecting only the base map and not objects placed on it
  4. Multi Select Tool - Select Objects In Area, dragged over the desired objects
  5. Area Zoom - fits a designated area to the display
  6. 3D icon - toggles the three-dimensional globe, which is rotated by right-clicking and moving the mouse
Two settings that cause duplicate tracks if left unconfigured
  1. C2 layers from external organizations - enabled with no criteria set, every one of those layers is published back to the DDS
  2. C2 layers from your own organization - publishing all of them includes the DDS subscription layers, republishing what was just received

Key terms

Layer
A container where data is stored in CPCE. Graphics are created on a layer, and publishing is done by layer.
Picture
A collection of layers. Pictures are created with a name and a permission type, and layers are created inside them.
Active layer
The layer currently being worked on. Only one layer can be active at a time and it displays in bold. It is set by double-clicking the layer or right-clicking and selecting Set Active Layer.
Publish
Sharing a layer within the Army mission systems.
Publish to Joint
Pushing graphics through to joint systems. Publishing to the wide area network in CPCE replaces the JC2CUI GCCS-A client.
C2IUL
Command and Control Infrastructure Ultra-Lite - the lightweight rules-based interoperability, translation and message forwarding framework. CPCE's ability to receive data from the DDS depends on C2IUL routes, which in turn depend on the DDS being operational.
C2IVM
The component that allows a system administrator to pull the LDIF from the C2R through the CPCE Web server.
PrivilegeGroup_SitaWareUser
The Active Directory group that typical domain users are assigned to in order to open and use the CPCE Web client.
PrivilegeGroup_SitaWareAdmin
The Active Directory group giving access to the Management feature in CPCE Web - map administration, configuration options and establishing external connections.
PrivilegeGroup_ServerCommunicateAll
The third default privilege group in the SitaWare organizational unit.
SitaWare Headquarters
The underlying commercial product. Its web interface is reached at the web server address on port 10006, and its management functions live under the SitaWare Headquarters dropdown.
Karaf
One of the CPCE-Web services, and the component whose REST endpoints are verified along with the addressing database during setup.
OGC WMS Map
The Open Geospatial Consortium Web Map Service map type added under Map Services when publishing a new map source into CPCE.
Terrain Service
The map service type created from a DTED path, published with a display name and short description, to give CPCE its elevation data.
DTED
Digital Terrain Elevation Data - the elevation source a terrain service points at.
Map Mini panel
The CPCE panel holding the mini map, grid, dim, multi-select and area zoom controls, plus the 3D toggle.
External Feeds
The view, opened under Operational Pictures, showing the published topics CPCE Web is subscribing to from the DDS.
Unit Information file
A comma-separated file supplying predefined unit reference number values, requiring only two columns - name and URN - and placed in the DDS link configuration directory.

Testable points

  • The CPCE demonstration lesson runs four hours forty minutes and is taught as an instructor-led demonstration at a 1:16 instructor to student ratio.
  • CPCE supports managing tactical messages, monitoring situational awareness, route planning, task organizing and developing courses of action.
  • CPCE modularity is achieved by a bus architecture, which decouples applications from the core infrastructure and allows components to be updated independently.
  • The common infrastructure components CPCE provides across warfighting functions are maps, the data model and data transport, and direct communications through SitaWare Tactical Communication.
  • CPCE has a hard dependency on Active Directory for the management of users, groups and permissions.
  • The DDS must be operational for C2IUL routes, which is how CPCE receives data from the DDS.
  • XMPP must be operational for CPCE's joint chat capabilities.
  • C2IVM allows a system administrator to pull the LDIF from the C2R through the CPCE Web server.
  • The three default privilege groups are PrivilegeGroup_ServerCommunicateAll, PrivilegeGroup_SitaWareAdmin and PrivilegeGroup_SitaWareUser.
  • Users are added to the SitaWare privilege groups in Active Directory Users and Computers, under the SitaWare organizational unit. Users needing administrative rights are added to the admin group as well as the user group.
  • XMPP users are added to the XMPP Users group under the unit's own Service Accounts organizational unit.
  • The mandatory customized groups are Nanomap-user, sitaWare-hq-user, Track-server-user and ViewMapApp.
  • The CPCE-Persist virtual machine must be started before the CPCE-Web virtual machine.
  • The services checked on CPCE-Persist are the Distributed Transaction Coordinator, PostgreSQL 9.6 Server, SQL Server, SQL Server Agent and SQL Server VSS Writer.
  • The services checked on CPCE-GEO are IIS Admin Service, W3C Logging Service, World Wide Web Publishing Service, ImageryATOM and ImageryATOMPaperMaps.
  • The CPCE-Web services include the Addressing Window Service, C2IUL Service, Common Sync Framework, Davinci, the file sync services, Karaf, the CPCE message service and failed plugin watcher, SitaWare Headquarters Communication, SitaWare Server, SitaWare Tactical Communication, SitaWare Wildfly, Import-Export and the Layer Initialization Tool.
  • Two databases reside on the CPCE Persist server.
  • CPCE-GEO delivers geospatial data and services for 2D and 3D map support, is a complementary capability to DCGS-A geospatial services, and is described as a lightweight and simple package for deployment to the edges of the Army.
  • A layer is a container where data is stored. A picture is a collection of layers.
  • Only one layer can be active at a time, and the active layer displays in bold. It is set by double-clicking or by right-clicking and selecting Set Active Layer.
  • Creating a layer requires verifying the classification level, selecting Globally Significant from the dropdown, and selecting a permission type.
  • A graphic is created by opening the symbol toolbox, searching for a tactical symbol, selecting it and clicking on the map to place it.
  • Publishing is done by right-clicking the layer and choosing Publish, which shares within Army mission systems, or Publish to Joint, which pushes graphics to joint systems.
  • Publishing to the wide area network in CPCE replaces the JC2CUI GCCS-A client.
  • The naming convention the Automations Manager uses to build Active Directory accounts is unit-web-adm.
  • DDS connection settings are reached through CPCE, then Management, then Connection, then Configuration, and require administrator credentials.
  • The DDS server address takes the form https://DDS-IP:7443 and the CPCE Web callback address takes the form https://CPCE-Web-IP:8564.
  • The DDS connection schema must match the DDS server's schema.
  • The DDS account used must be assigned to the DDSPublisher, DDSSubscriber and DDSSecret groups in Active Directory.
  • Published items should match the system's classification.
  • Subscription settings define desired data by adding or removing categories, keywords and titles under include and exclude criteria. In exclude criteria, a category will not appear in the list unless it has a keyword or title.
  • If publishing of C2 layers from external organizations is enabled with no criteria set, all of those layers will be published to the DDS, which can produce duplicate tracks.
  • Publishing all C2 layers from a unit's own organization includes DDS subscription layers, so it must be configured carefully or left disabled to avoid duplication.
  • The DDS link resynchronization delay values control how long the link waits after startup or reconfiguration before retracting data that no longer exists. A higher value lengthens resynchronization; too short a value degrades performance. Setting each value to minus one disables synchronization.
  • A Unit Information CSV file supplying predefined URN values needs only two columns, name and URN, and is configured by giving the file name and the numeric column positions of the unit name and URN.
  • The SitaWare Headquarters web interface is reached at the web server IP on port 10006, under the path /sw.

References

MCIS Handout v2, Command Post Computing Environment113-SCCCG13 CPCE Management and CPCE Demonstration decksFM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations (May 2022) - for the military decision-making process CPCE supportsFM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations

Blue force platforms and Mounted Mission Command 113-SCCCG08

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveManage Mounted Mission Command - Software, its theory of operations, its dataflow and the information assurance policies that govern the platform encryption device.

StandardDefine the MMC-S overview, identify MMC theory of operations, identify the dataflow of the MMC system, identify key information assurance policies and procedures, and demonstrate MMC-S fundamentals, in a clear and concise manner, without error.

The newest material in Module G and the one most likely to have changed since any older study guide. Mounted Mission Command - Software is now fielding to replace JBC-P software on existing JBC-P hardware - the boxes stay, the software changes. It runs on Android and uses the Android Tactical Assault Kit, which is why it looks and behaves like Nett Warrior, and it is developed on a continuous integration and deployment model with quarterly updates rather than multi-year baselines. The half of the lesson that is genuinely likely to be tested is the information assurance half, because it is concrete and it has consequences: an unkeyed KGV-72, or a keyed one without its authenticated hard drive, is unclassified controlled cryptographic item requiring double-barrier protection, and starting a system with an unauthenticated hard drive makes the device lose its operational keys and drop off the secret network entirely.

Doctrinal currencyThis lesson sits astride a transition, and the material shows it. The lesson title, the check-on-learning questions and the summary refer variously to JBC-P and MMC-S for the same content, and one check-on-learning answer expands JBC-P incorrectly.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • The lesson plan's own check on learning asks what JBC-P is and answers Joint Battlefield Command - Platform. The G05 lesson plan gets it wrong a second, different way, as Joint Battlefield Capabilities - Platform
  • The learning step titles use MMC-S while several check-on-learning summaries still say the LSA covered JBC-P
  • One check on learning asks how to tell whether an MMC-S hard drive is secret and offers four options - physically marked SECRET, a red case, a green classification banner on login, or that all MMC-S drives are unclassified - without marking which is correct
  • The locked file SCCC DDS Step By Step.docx sits in this lesson's folder under MCIS Technical Configuration - G08
What is actually correct
  • JBC-P is Joint Battle Command-Platform. Battlefield is wrong, and it is wrong in the approved lesson plan's answer key
  • For the classification question, the answer is that the drive is physically marked SECRET, in accordance with AR 380-5 marking requirements. A green banner denotes unclassified, not secret - secret banners are red - so that option is not merely wrong but inverted. The case color is not a marking standard, and the fourth option contradicts the lesson's own teaching that a system becomes secret once secret keys are loaded
  • Where the material says JBC-P but the learning step says MMC-S, the content applies to both - MMC-S is software on JBC-P hardware, and the two coexist in the force during fielding, bridged for chat by the Universal Chat Bridge
  • The DDS step-by-step document in this folder is rights-protected and cannot be opened. Its content is recovered from the MCIS Handout's DDS configuration walkthrough, which is covered on the technical configuration page

Doctrinal sets to know cold

Why MMC-S is different from JBC-P
  1. It is software replacing software on the same hardware
  2. It runs on Android rather than a bespoke operating system
  3. It uses the Android Tactical Assault Kit, so it looks and behaves like Nett Warrior
  4. Capability is added by apps and ATAK plug-ins rather than by fielding
  5. It updates quarterly under a continuous integration and deployment model
  6. It routes over multiple networks at once through smart routing
KGV-72 PED handling rules
  1. Unkeyed, or keyed without its authenticated hard drive, it is unclassified CCI requiring double-barrier protection at all times
  2. Once secret keys are loaded, the system classification is secret and the maintainer logs in as a secret user
  3. A hard drive separated from its PED must be marked with the PED it is authenticated to, such as by vehicle bumper number
  4. Starting a system with an unauthenticated hard drive causes the PED to lose its operational keys and drop off the secret network
Personnel requirements for a secret MMC-S system
  1. Secret clearance and a need to know
  2. Handle the KGV-72 PED and COMSEC material in accordance with AR 25-2, AR 190-13 and AR 380-5
  3. Maintain accountability for classified documents and media at all times
What the Mission Command Support Center bridges
  1. Upper tactical internet and lower tactical internet
  2. Terrestrial systems - Nett Warrior and the adaptive network wideband waveform - and celestial systems
  3. JBC-P and MMC-S
  4. Command post systems including CPCE, and MMC-S
  5. AFATDS and MMC-S
  6. The Joint Warning and Reporting Network at joint, brigade, battalion and company levels
  7. Secret and unclassified domains on the BFT-2 network
  8. Chat between MMC-S and JBC-P, through the Universal Chat Bridge
Benefits of a Federation TAK server
  1. A centralized hub for all TAK resources
  2. Secure inter-agency collaboration over encrypted connections
  3. Transparent data management, visibility, archiving and control over data exchanges
  4. Real-time decision support
  5. Operational versatility for international and multi-agency collaboration
  6. Data protection compliance
  7. Adaptive scalability
  8. Breach defense
  9. Secure extension of on-premises infrastructure into the cloud
Configuring an MMC-S vehicle system
  1. Select the persistent home button to display the AppGallery
  2. Select Import/Export, then log in as administrator
  3. Select the drive, then Import LDIFs, select the LDIF and confirm
  4. Return, accept, and log in with user credentials
  5. Select the echelon, then the role - MMC-S returns to the home screen

Key terms

Mounted Mission Command - Software (MMC-S)
The software now fielding to replace JBC-P software on existing JBC-P hardware. It continues JBC-P's mission of distributing accurate digital command and control and situational awareness at all echelons to the platform and dismounted domains.
Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK)
The Android application framework MMC-S uses for its functionality. It is what gives MMC-S the same look and feel as Nett Warrior and allows capability to be added as apps and plug-ins.
Smart routing
The MMC-S functionality that lets users connect to multiple networks at once, with the software routing messages and mediating between Army data formats to link command posts, mounted users and dismounted troops.
Network path diversity
The use of more than one bearer - BFT-2 and the Tactical Scalable MANET among them - so that traffic has an alternative path available.
Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)
The agile software model MMC-S follows, with frequent releases for updates, patches and capability rather than long fielding cycles.
KGV-72 Platform Encryption Device (PED)
The encryption device securing the mounted platform's data. Unkeyed, or keyed but separated from its authenticated hard drive, it is unclassified controlled cryptographic item requiring double-barrier protection.
Controlled Cryptographic Item (CCI)
The accountability category the KGV-72 falls under when unkeyed. It requires double-barrier protection - locks - at all times.
Double-barrier protection
Two independent physical barriers, that is, two locks, required for unclassified CCI at all times.
Universal Chat Bridge (UCB)
The mechanism enabling chat between MMC-S and JBC-P during the transition, when both are in the force at once.
Precision Fires-Dismounted (PF-D)
The system dismounted field artillery soldiers use to transmit and receive fire support messages. It provides live-streamed video from unmanned aircraft, digital maps and the ability to send precise target coordinates.
Mobile/Handheld Computing Environment (M/HH CE)
The computing environment used by dismounted leaders from team leader to battalion commander to manage communications, share information and execute missions.
Federation TAK server
The centralized hub for TAK resources, providing secure inter-agency collaboration over encrypted connections, transparent data management, and secure extension of on-premises infrastructure into the cloud.
MMC-S Message Interoperability Matrix
The document held at the Mission Command Support Center recording what MMC-S can exchange with which other systems. Because the software changes frequently, it must be rechecked regularly.
Information Assurance (IA)
Ensuring authorized users have access to authorized information at the authorized time. Its three actions in this lesson are protect, detect and restore.
Overlay tool
The MMC-S function allowing precise digital graphic products to be created and shared quickly, adding operational information as military graphics to improve the unit's common operational picture.

Testable points

  • MMC-S has begun fielding to replace JBC-P software on existing JBC-P hardware.
  • MMC-S continues JBC-P's mission of distributing accurate digital command and control and situational awareness at all echelons, to the platform and dismounted domains, populating a common operational picture and reducing the risk of fratricide.
  • MMC-S operates on the Android operating system and uses the Android Tactical Assault Kit for functionality, and it interoperates with Nett Warrior.
  • MMC-S capability can be extended simply by adding new apps and ATAK plug-ins.
  • MMC-S follows the continuous integration and continuous deployment model, with frequent releases, and receives quarterly updates.
  • User feedback is captured and used in continued development, so units operating as development and operations partners directly influence the software. Route colors and chat functionality were changed on the strength of initial operational test and evaluation feedback.
  • The initial operational test and evaluation unit asked to keep the system and continue as a feedback partner.
  • ATAK benefits taught are warfighting function apps and plug-ins, network path diversity and smart routing over BFT-2 and the Tactical Scalable MANET, embedded training and a quick reference guide, the same look and feel as Nett Warrior, and quarterly agile updates.
  • Smart routing lets users connect to multiple networks at once, with the software routing messages and mediating between Army data formats to link command posts, mounted users and dismounted troops.
  • The MMC-S Routes navigation tool allows the user to create, analyze and disseminate navigation to other systems.
  • MMC-S is interoperable with legacy and other current battlefield systems, but continual software improvement means interoperability and backward compatibility change frequently. The MMC-S Message Interoperability Matrix at the Mission Command Support Center must be rechecked regularly, and its inclusion in the unit standard operating procedure is recommended.
  • The Mission Command Support Center is the central traffic management hub for multiple networks, covering the upper and lower tactical internet, terrestrial and celestial systems, JBC-P and MMC-S, command post systems including CPCE, AFATDS, the Joint Warning and Reporting Network, and both secret and unclassified domains on the BFT-2 network.
  • The Universal Chat Bridge enables chat between MMC-S and JBC-P, and legacy systems communicate with MMC-S systems in the same classification.
  • JBC-P is used by the US Army, US Marine Corps, US Air Force, US Navy, National Guard and coalition forces.
  • Information assurance is ensuring authorized users have access to authorized information at the authorized time. Its governing regulations in this lesson are AR 25-2 and AR 380-5, and its three actions are protect, detect and restore.
  • An unkeyed KGV-72 PED, or a keyed KGV-72 PED without its authenticated hard drive, is an unclassified controlled cryptographic item requiring double-barrier protection at all times.
  • Once secret keys are loaded, the system classification must be secret and the maintainer must log in as a secret user.
  • When separating a hard drive from a KGV-72 PED, the hard drive must be marked with the KGV-72 PED it is authenticated to, for example by vehicle bumper number.
  • Attempting to start a system with an unauthenticated hard drive causes the KGV-72 PED to lose its operational keys, rendering the system inoperable on the secret network.
  • All personnel using an MMC-S system classified as secret, or loading keys or COMSEC material, must have a secret clearance and a need to know.
  • Such personnel must label, handle, distribute, account for, store and use the KGV-72 PED and COMSEC materials in accordance with AR 25-2, AR 190-13 and AR 380-5, and maintain accountability for classified documents and media at all times.
  • AR 380-5 covers the Army Information Security Program.
  • The new blue force datasets are effective because they dynamically adjust to reflect new users on the network, make updates easier to generate and distribute, and enable user-defined system configuration.
  • Initial login is displayed only the first time a hard drive or solid state drive is used in an MMC-S system. If it is already initialized, the login and setup screens are shown instead.
  • On MMC-S the System Configure description tabs no longer exist as separate tabs; the configuration is one scrolling page.
  • Importing an LDIF requires selecting Import/Export from the home screen, entering the administrator name and password, selecting the drive, and selecting Import LDIF.
  • Import/Export is the application on the home menu that brings new maps into the system.
  • After selecting echelon and role, MMC-S returns to the home screen.
  • The Federation TAK server provides a centralized hub for TAK resources, secure inter-agency collaboration over encrypted connections, transparent data management, decision support, operational versatility for multi-agency work, data protection compliance, adaptive scalability, breach defense and secure cloud extension of on-premises infrastructure.
  • The Mobile Broadband Kit is a lightweight WiFi and cellular solution integrating with the existing PSC-15 to extend its coverage area over commercial or unit-available wireless networks.

References

MCIS Handout v2, Joint Battle Command Platform (JBC-P)AR 25-2, Army CybersecurityAR 380-5, Department of the Army Information Security ProgramAR 190-13, The Army Physical Security ProgramFM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations

Introduction to WinTAK 113-SCCCG14

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveDemonstrate the capabilities of the Windows Tactical Assault Kit and its functionality, and define the training and resources available for it.

StandardIdentify the components of WinTAK, demonstrate WinTAK capabilities, and define the training and resources available for WinTAK, in a clear and concise manner, without error.

The newest lesson in the module by version number - version 1.0 where everything else is 5.3 - and the most straightforward. The structure is server, clients, plug-ins and connectivity. One Linux-based TAK server provides the common operating picture; several different clients connect to it over the same interface, distinguished only by the device they run on - WinTAK on Windows, ATAK on Android, iTAK on Apple, WebTAK in a browser - and multiple client types can talk to the same server simultaneously. The connectivity piece is the part an S6 owns and the part worth remembering: TAK currently runs on a secure but unclassified network, so getting its picture across to a classified domain requires a cross domain solution, and pulling radio traffic in requires the Tactical Radio Integration Kit.

Doctrinal currencyThis is the newest lesson in Module G and its network classification statement is explicitly time-bound.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • The lesson plan is version 1.0, while every other Module G lesson plan is version 5.3 or, for CPCE, 1.2
  • The lesson states that WinTAK and ATAK currently operate on a secure but unclassified network requiring a cross domain solution - the word currently is in the material
  • The training resources point to a public products site for TAK, ATAK and WinTAK downloads
How to use this page
  • The server, clients, plug-ins and connectivity structure is stable and is what the lesson objective is written against. The individual tool names are demonstration detail
  • The secure but unclassified statement is the one most likely to date, and the material flags it as a current state rather than a permanent property. The durable point is that crossing security domains requires a cross domain solution, whatever domain TAK sits in
  • This lesson and the Mounted Mission Command lesson describe the same underlying ATAK framework from two directions - MMC-S uses ATAK on the platform, WinTAK is the Windows client of the same family. Answers about ATAK capability are consistent across both

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The TAK family, by device
  1. TAK Server - Linux based, provides the common operating picture to all clients
  2. WinTAK - Windows devices, tactical and command and control environments
  3. ATAK - Android devices, mission planning, geospatial and full motion video
  4. iTAK - Apple iOS, a subset of ATAK capabilities
  5. WebTAK - browser based
The four WinTAK core tool tabs
  1. Creation
  2. Digital Pointer
  3. Plugins
  4. Range and Bearing
Home tab tools, in the groupings the lesson teaches
  1. Overlay Manager, Elevation and Viewshed
  2. Emergency Beacon, Point Dropper and Drawing
  3. Routes, GoTo, CASEVAC and Geofencing
  4. Hashtags and Contacts
Range and Bearing tab tools
  1. Dynamic Measure - range, bearing and elevation between two points, repositionable from either end
  2. Measure - permanent measurements, several at once
  3. Range and Bearing Circle - a point dragged out to a radius, multiple circles, mils or degrees
  4. Bullseye - a compass from a center point, with configurable units, north reference, radius and rings
TAK connectivity, and what the S6 owns
  1. Tactical Radio Integration Kit - receives data over FM and integrates it into the network
  2. Network connectivity - WinTAK and ATAK run on a secure but unclassified network
  3. Tactical Cross Domain Solution - required to move information between security domains
Reading the main view
  1. Map view in the center is the primary moving map
  2. GPS dialog box red means no GPS data; active means position is updating
  3. Click and drag to scroll, mouse wheel or plus and minus to zoom
  4. Elevation slider shows the angle of the map
  5. Triple stack icon opens settings and extra options

Key terms

TAK Server
A situational awareness server providing a dynamic common operating picture to users of the Tactical Assault Kit. It enables sharing of geolocated information in real time for military forces, law enforcement and emergency responders, supports wireless and wired networks, and can be deployed in a cloud or a data center. It is Linux based.
WinTAK-MIL
The software application and mapping framework for Windows devices, designed to run in both a tactical environment and a command and control environment. It is an extensible moving map display integrating imagery, map and overlay information to provide collaboration and situational awareness over a tactical meshed network.
ATAK-MIL
The Android TAK application - a mission planning, geospatial, full motion video and system administrator tool that reduces the operational footprint from a tactical laptop to a commercial off-the-shelf mobile device or tablet. It is self contained and works standalone or as part of a system of interconnected devices.
iTAK
A subset of ATAK capabilities for Apple iOS phones and tablets, including maps and imagery, overlays, chat, video and situational awareness.
WebTAK
The browser-based TAK client, listed alongside ATAK and WinTAK as a consumer of the TAK server's common operating picture.
Tactical Radio Integration Kit (TRIK)
The server that receives data over FM radio and integrates it into the network. It is how TAK reaches into the combat net radio world.
Tactical Cross Domain Solution (TACDS)
The capability enabling information and communications to be shared and transmitted across different security domains. It is required because WinTAK and ATAK currently operate on a secure but unclassified network.
Secure But Unclassified (SBU)
The network classification WinTAK and ATAK currently operate on, which is why moving their data to a classified domain needs a cross domain solution.
Overlay Manager
The tool that organizes map objects, files and overlays into categories and subcategories, providing a common location to control their visibility on the map. Icons from other members are only visible when connected to the TAK server.
Viewshed tool
The tool that shows what can and cannot be seen from a marker based on elevation. The Module F line-of-sight analysis idea, in a handheld client.
Geofencing tool
Establishes a virtual boundary that triggers entry and exit notifications when GPS-enabled items of interest cross it.
Dynamic Measure tool
Provides range, bearing and elevation between two points on the map, and can be repositioned from either end point. The Measure tool, by contrast, applies permanent measurements and allows several on the map at once.
Bullseye tool
Provides a compass with a start and end point from a center. Direction, mils or degrees, magnetic or true north, radius and rings, and feet or meters can all be changed.
Elevation slider
The control showing the angle of the map.
CASEVAC tool
Sends a casualty evacuation report using the nine-line medical evacuation format.
Emergency Beacon tool
Sends an emergency alert to specific users or to everyone on the network.

Testable points

  • The TAK server is a situational awareness server providing a dynamic common operating picture to users of the Tactical Assault Kit, including ATAK on Android, WinTAK on Windows and WebTAK.
  • The TAK server is Linux based and supports wireless and wired networks as well as cloud and data center deployment.
  • TAK enables sharing of geolocated information in real time for military forces, law enforcement and emergency responders.
  • WinTAK is designed to run on the Windows operating system, in both a tactical environment and a command and control environment.
  • WinTAK is an extensible moving map display integrating imagery, map and overlay information, and promotes information flow from the tactical environment to command enterprise technologies.
  • ATAK reduces the operational footprint from a tactical laptop to a commercial off-the-shelf mobile device or tablet. Data can be preloaded or downloaded from the network when available.
  • ATAK is self contained and can function either as a standalone application or as part of a system of interconnected devices sharing data.
  • iTAK carries a subset of ATAK capabilities for Apple iOS devices - maps and imagery, overlays, chat, video and situational awareness.
  • The interface between the TAK server and the TAK clients is the same regardless of client, and multiple different TAK clients can interface with the same TAK server at the same time.
  • The Tactical Radio Integration Kit is the server that receives data over FM and integrates it into the network.
  • WinTAK and ATAK currently operate on a secure but unclassified network, which requires a cross domain solution.
  • The Tactical Cross Domain Solution enables information and communications to be shared and transmitted across different security domains.
  • The four WinTAK core tool tabs are Creation, Digital Pointer, Plugins, and Range and Bearing.
  • In the main view, the map view sits in the center as the primary situational awareness moving map. A red GPS dialog box means no GPS data is being pulled; when active, the system updates with the user's correct position.
  • The map is scrolled by click and drag, zoomed with the mouse wheel or the plus and minus keys. The elevation slider shows the angle of the map, and the triple stack icon reveals settings and extra options.
  • The Overlay Manager organizes map objects, files and overlays into categories and subcategories to control their visibility. Icons from other members can only be seen when connected to the TAK server.
  • The Elevation tool shows and manipulates digital terrain elevation data, for example as a heat map giving a two-dimensional view based on elevation.
  • The Viewshed tool shows what can and cannot be seen based on elevation, and clicking an item reveals the radial menu.
  • The Drawing tool draws a polyline or polygon, rectangle, circle, free-hand telestration, or geofence.
  • The Routes tool creates a turn-by-turn route in route creation mode, establishing checkpoints and adding verbal cues.
  • The GoTo tool accepts a grid coordinate or an address.
  • The CASEVAC tool sends a casualty evacuation report using the nine-line medical evacuation format.
  • The Geofencing tool establishes a virtual fence triggering entry and exit notifications when GPS-enabled items of interest cross the boundary.
  • The Hashtags tool marks items with searchable hashtags, and the Contacts tool shows everyone connected to the network.
  • The Dynamic Measure tool gives range, bearing and elevation between two points and can be repositioned from either end. The Measure tool applies permanent measurements and allows several at once.
  • The Range and Bearing Circle drops a point that can be dragged out to a radius, can be adjusted through the radial menu, supports multiple circles, and can switch between mils and degrees.
  • The Bullseye tool provides a compass with a start and end point from center, and supports changing direction, mils or degrees, magnetic or true north, radius and rings, and feet or meters.
  • A tutorial video series exists for TAK and WinTAK, and videos and products for TAK, ATAK and WinTAK can be viewed and downloaded from the official TAK products site.
  • The WinTAK lesson plan is version 1.0, the only version 1.0 lesson in Module G.

References

113-SCCCG14 Introduction to WinTAK lesson plan, version 1.0FM 6-02, Signal Support to OperationsATP 6-02.53, Techniques for Tactical Radio Operations (31 Jan 2020) - for the FM side the TRIK integratesTAK product documentation and tutorial series, tak.gov

Collaborative voice software - Ventrilo, WAVE and ICE 113-SCCCG07

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveManage MCIS collaborative voice software by configuring a Ventrilo client, defining WAVE and its components, configuring the WAVE Desktop Communicator, and identifying the components of Instant Connect Enterprise.

StandardDefine the WAVE application and terms, identify the components of WAVE, configure the WAVE Desktop Communicator, and identify the components of Instant Connect Enterprise, in a clear and concise manner, without error.

Three applications, one succeeding the next. Ventrilo is the legacy voice tool the CPOF suite has used for years and is being phased out; WAVE replaced it as the system of record in 2018; Instant Connect Enterprise is the mobile-first application alongside it. WAVE is where the detail sits, and its structure is worth learning as a set of relationships rather than a list: users are associated to channels and sessions by profiles, channels carry the actual group conversation, sessions group channels into conferences or bring phone and radio audio in, and the whole configuration lives on the Management Server - the brains - while the Media Server does the audio work - the brawn. Two numbers get asked: a user can belong to 20 profiles, and cannot be in more than one channel at a time. The S6 point buried in the Ventrilo slides is worth carrying to the planning lessons - collaborative voice belongs in the PACE plan.

Doctrinal currencyThis lesson spans a completed transition and an ongoing one, and the material has not fully caught up with either. Two of its definitions of a profile also differ.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • The WAVE deck states that WAVE became the system of record in 2018, replacing Ventrilo, while the collaborative voice deck still teaches configuring a Ventrilo client as its first learning activity
  • The MCIS Handout says the CPOF VoIP server can be configured to host either Ventrilo or WAVE
  • One terms slide defines a profile as associating users with channels and sessions; a later slide adds media servers to that list
  • The lesson materials carry a classroom account user name and password on the desktop login slide, and the WAVE cutsheet is issued with the practical exercise
  • The check on learning asks how many profiles a user can belong to and answers 20, and asks whether different channels can be accessed at the same time and answers no
How to use this page
  • Both statements about Ventrilo are true at once - it is the legacy system, WAVE superseded it as system of record in 2018, and it survives in the CPOF suite during the transition. If asked which is the system of record, the answer is WAVE
  • Take the fuller definition of a profile - users associated to channels, sessions and media servers. It is the later slide and it does not contradict the earlier one, it completes it
  • The classroom credentials on the login slide are deliberately not reproduced here. They are in the issued deck for the practical exercise
  • The 20 profiles and one channel at a time answers are the two most quotable numbers in the lesson and are the likeliest recall questions from it

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The three components of WAVE
  1. One or more WAVE Management Servers
  2. One or more WAVE Media Servers or WAVE Radio Gateways
  3. Communication endpoints - multimedia Windows PCs, phones and two-way radios
How the WAVE objects relate
  1. Users - people who log in to manage components or to speak with others; managed in WAVE or imported from Active Directory
  2. Profiles - associate users with channels, sessions and media servers; a profile group shares common privileges and properties
  3. Channels - the basic unit of peer-to-peer communication, in matched media and data stream pairs, carried by IP multicast
  4. Sessions - group channels into a conference, or bring phone and radio gateway audio onto channels
Brains and brawn
  1. Management Server - the brains. Configuration, users, channels, sessions, devices, conferences. Web based, one per WAVE domain, backed by SQL
  2. Media Server - the brawn. Audio recording, reporting, encoding, conference hosting, and protocol translation for telephony and land mobile radio
When a media server is required
  1. When using sessions
  2. Any time audio streams are being mixed and matched
  3. Any time different codecs are in use
  4. Otherwise it is optional, and can share a box with the management server
Unicast against multicast
  1. Unicast - one to one, older and more straightforward, may be required across wide area networks, generates a great deal of traffic
  2. Multicast - one to many, treated like a subscription, only subscribed and authorized machines receive the packet, conserves bandwidth on audio and video
  3. WAVE makes extensive use of multicast for its channels
The two ICE modes
  1. Enterprise - managed and authenticated by the organization's ICE server; a system administrator owns all accounts, channels and services; sign in from anywhere with connectivity
  2. Tactical - managed and configured by users; a user creates a mission with channels and shares it to form an ad hoc group
Configuring a Ventrilo client
  1. Set a user name, conventionally unit and position - for example, 1-1 IN BN S6
  2. Set the VoIP server address, which comes from brigade on the unit's cutsheet
  3. Confirm headphones and a microphone are connected
  4. The whole task is pointing the client at the virtual machine running the Ventrilo service

Key terms

Wide Area Voice Environment (WAVE)
Communications software that creates communications channels and gives real-time access to them through end-user applications on a variety of devices, providing real-time secure communications across any IP-based network.
Ventrilo
Voice over IP group communications software used by the CPOF suite for voice communications. It is being phased out but is still present in the CPOF MCIS suite.
Instant Connect Enterprise (ICE)
An application enabling communication across channels within an organization via mobile devices, radios, IP phones and PCs, supporting push-to-talk, intercom channels, GPS tracking and user monitoring.
WAVE Management Server
The software application on a Windows server configured with Internet Information Services, used to configure users, channels, sessions, devices and conferences. It is completely web based, is the central repository of configuration and user preferences, and administers a single WAVE domain. The lesson calls it the brains of WAVE.
WAVE Media Server
A larger, more powerful WAVE engine, local or remote, used by endpoints that do not have their own engine. It performs audio recording, reporting and encoding, hosts audio conferences, and manages protocol translation including telephony and proprietary land mobile radio protocols. The lesson calls it the brawn of WAVE.
WAVE Channel
The basic unit of peer-to-peer communication between WAVE clients, implemented on the IP data network and carrying voice and data over IP multicast. A channel consists of two parts - a stream managing real-time media and another managing all other data - always deployed in matched pairs.
WAVE Session
The construct used to associate other components. Console operators use sessions to group channels into a conference; system administrators use them to bring audio from phone and radio gateways onto WAVE channels.
WAVE Profile
The construct associating WAVE users with channels, sessions and media servers. A profile group shares common privileges and properties. Profiles can be managed within WAVE or imported from Microsoft Active Directory distribution groups.
WAVE Communicator
The software application letting a user communicate across WAVE channels from a web browser, PC or IP phone, joining audio conferences with landline phones, cell phones, IP phones, two-way radios, PCs and connected devices.
WAVE Radio Gateway
The alternative to a media server in the second of WAVE's three components, bringing radio traffic into the WAVE environment.
IP Unicast
The methodology used to communicate directly between two computers in a network conversation - one endpoint to one other endpoint, a one-to-one relationship. It may be required over wide area networks and can generate a great deal of network traffic.
IP Multicast
Transmission to large groups of endpoints without sending the data repeatedly to each one - a one-to-many relationship in which all subscribed and authorized machines receive the packet. WAVE makes extensive use of it.
Codec
An algorithm that digitally encodes sound into a format suitable for transmission over a digital network. The network traffic a codec produces is directly related to its complexity, so an administrator may have to trade voice quality against bandwidth.
ICE Enterprise mode
The ICE mode managed and authenticated by an ICE server deployed in the organization's infrastructure, with all accounts, channels and services managed by a system administrator. A user can sign in from anywhere with internet connectivity.
ICE Tactical mode
The ICE mode managed and configured by the users themselves. A tactical user creates a mission with channels and shares it with others to form an ad hoc communications group.
Mobile User Objective System (MUOS)
The Department of Defense next-generation narrowband military satellite communications system, supporting a worldwide multiservice population of UHF users and providing greater than ten times the capacity of the previous UHF constellation. WAVE bridges between it and TSM.
Tactical Scalable MANET (TSM)
The Army tactical networking system providing voice, data and position information to soldiers, supporting situational awareness, large-scale operations and secure communication.

Testable points

  • WAVE became the system of record in 2018, replacing Ventrilo, which the CPOF suite had used for many years.
  • Ventrilo is being phased out but is still used in the CPOF MCIS suite, and the S6 can include it in the PACE plan.
  • Ventrilo configuration requires a user name - usually unit and position, such as a battalion S6 - and the VoIP server address, which typically comes from brigade on the unit's cutsheet.
  • Configuring a Ventrilo client is simply pointing the application at a virtual machine configured to run the Ventrilo service.
  • WAVE is used as a bridging solution between MUOS and TSM, and as an alternate bridge so users can dial into WAVE and talk.
  • The three components of WAVE are one or more WAVE Management Servers, one or more WAVE Media Servers or WAVE Radio Gateways, and communication endpoints - programs running on multimedia Windows PCs, phones and two-way radios.
  • The WAVE Management Server is completely web based, runs on a Windows server configured with Internet Information Services, and stores its configuration in an SQL database residing locally on the host or remotely.
  • Each WAVE Management Server administers a single WAVE domain, and all WAVE participants - communicators, media servers and IP phones - obtain their configuration from it when they first connect.
  • Media servers are optional and can run on the same box as the management server. A media server is required when using sessions, and any time audio streams or different codecs are being mixed and matched.
  • The WAVE Media Server manages protocol translation for the WAVE system, including telephony and proprietary land mobile radio protocols.
  • A WAVE channel consists of two parts - a stream managing real-time media and another managing all other data - and the two are always deployed in matched pairs.
  • All users signed into a specific WAVE channel can communicate with each other. A user may have one or many channels available to them.
  • A WAVE user can belong to 20 profiles.
  • A WAVE user cannot access different channels at the same time.
  • The terminology used when communicating among WAVE users is profiles and channels.
  • WAVE users and profiles can be managed within WAVE or imported directly from Microsoft Active Directory.
  • Three things are required to log in to the WAVE Desktop Communicator - the server IP and port, the user name, and the user password. These come from the WAVE cutsheet.
  • Unicast is the older of the two technologies and the more straightforward, sending packets from one endpoint to one other in a one-to-one relationship.
  • Multicast packets are treated like a subscription in a one-to-many relationship. When a packet is placed on a multicast channel, all subscribed and authorized machines receive it, which is an important way to manage bandwidth constraints with audio and video.
  • WAVE channels carry voice and data traffic over the network infrastructure using IP multicast.
  • The classroom build creates four channels, three profiles and two users.
  • ICE Mobile supports two modes of operation - Enterprise and Tactical.
  • ICE Mobile allows push-to-talk, intercom channels, GPS tracking and user monitoring through a single interface.
  • In ICE Enterprise mode, all user accounts, channels and services are managed by a system administrator, and authentication is through the ICE server in the organization's infrastructure.
  • In ICE Tactical mode, users manage and configure their own applications, creating a mission with channels and sharing it to form an ad hoc communications group.
  • ICE has an ATAK plug-in, which is the link to the Mounted Mission Command and Nett Warrior side of the module.
  • MUOS provides greater than ten times the system capacity of the previous UHF constellation and supports users requiring mobility, high data rates and improved operational availability.
  • The two systems named as providing conferencing capabilities are WAVE and Instant Connect Enterprise.

References

MCIS Handout v2, WAVEMCIS Handout v2, CPOF Remote Admin and VoIPATP 6-02.53, Techniques for Tactical Radio Operations (31 Jan 2020) - for MUOSFM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations

Technical configuration - the battalion DDS server 113-SCCCG09

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveDefine the Mission Command Information Systems Data Dissemination Service and the capabilities of a battalion level DDS server, including zones, aggregation and peering.

StandardDefine the MCIS Data Dissemination Service capabilities of a battalion level DDS server in a clear and concise manner, without error.

The configuration lesson, and the one that turns the DDS from a box on a diagram into something with settings. Three add-on behaviors do the work. Zones partition the DDS geographically - eight of them, matching combatant commands plus an opposing force zone - and two peered nodes exchange data only if they share a zone, with a node set to NONE behaving like older versions and talking to everything. Aggregation collapses position reports from many subscriptions into one advertisement, under two built-in rules, blue for friendly and green for neutral. Deconfliction decides which copy survives by comparing four payload fields, and only a newer report date wins - same date is discarded as a duplicate, older is discarded as stale. The peering rule is short and easy to test: every DDS peer account must be in the DDSAdmin group, the local peer user is created on the local domain controller, and the remote peer user on the peer's domain controller.

Doctrinal currencyThe zone list is tied to a particular set of combatant command names, and the practical exercise document for this lesson is one of the five rights-protected files in Module G.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • The eight zones are given as AFRICOM, CENTCOM, EUCOM, KOREA, NORTHCOM, OPFOR, PACOM and SOUTHCOM
  • The lesson notes that the DDS status icons are hidden by default on most systems including Windows Server 2012
  • 113_SCCCG09_DDS_Configuration_PE.docx in this lesson's folder is rights-protected and cannot be opened
  • DDS Aggregation is described as similar in function to NRTS, with a warning not to run both
How to use this page
  • The zone list mixes geographic combatant commands with two that are not - KOREA and OPFOR. Learn it as the list the software presents rather than as a doctrinal list of commands, because that is what it is. Note also that the joint command structure has changed since these names were fixed, so do not reconcile the list against a current combatant command chart
  • Windows Server 2012 dates the guidance, as it does across the module. The behavior described - hidden status icons - is a Windows notification-area default rather than anything specific to DDS
  • The locked practical exercise document is recovered here from the lesson plan's own learning step, which walks the same configuration, and from the MCIS Handout's DDS configuration section. Nothing in the objective is missing

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The eight DDS zones
  1. AFRICOM
  2. CENTCOM
  3. EUCOM
  4. KOREA
  5. NORTHCOM
  6. OPFOR
  7. PACOM
  8. SOUTHCOM
How zones govern peering
  1. Two peered nodes sharing a zone can see each other's data
  2. Two peered nodes in different zones have data blocked in both directions
  3. A node set to NONE behaves like older DDS versions and exchanges with every zone
  4. A node may hold one zone or several
  5. Once set, the zone names are appended to every advertisement's keyword
The two built-in aggregation rules
  1. CORR-BLUE - aggregates friendly position reports
  2. CORR-GREEN - aggregates neutral position reports
The four deconfliction fields, from the payload not the metadata
  1. URN
  2. UIC
  3. Unit name
  4. Report date
What deconfliction does with a duplicate
  1. Same URN, UIC, unit name and the same report date - discarded as a duplicate
  2. Same URN, UIC, unit name but an older report date - discarded, because it is not an update
  3. Same URN, UIC, unit name but a newer report date - republished as an update
Peering account rules
  1. Every DDS peer account must be in the DDSAdmin group
  2. The local peer user is created on the local domain controller
  3. The remote peer user is created on the peer's domain controller
  4. DDS groups themselves are created in Active Directory during automations
Bringing a DDS server up
  1. Start the DDSTomcat service - right-click the Start DDS desktop shortcut and run as administrator
  2. Check the Apache and DDS status icons, which are hidden by default on most systems
  3. Open DDS Manager from its desktop icon
  4. In the DDS client config page, supply the username, password and local DDS host address
  5. Leave the connection on secure HTTPS port 7443, then Save and Validate

Key terms

DDS Zone
An add-on component that partitions the DDS into different zones. A node can hold one or several zones. Two peered nodes see each other's data only if they share a zone; if they are in different zones, data is blocked in both directions.
Zone setting of NONE
A DDS node configured for NONE behaves like previous versions of DDS and will send and receive data from every zone.
DDS Aggregation
An add-on component that aggregates position reports from multiple subscriptions and publishes them to a single advertisement. It starts automatically with DDS and can be started and stopped by the DDS administrator at any time.
CORR-BLUE
The built-in aggregation rule that aggregates friendly position reports.
CORR-GREEN
The built-in aggregation rule that aggregates neutral position reports.
Deconflict field
The field an aggregation rule uses to choose between copies of the same data item appearing in more than one advertisement. If two or more of the same item exist, the most recent is saved.
Peering
Connecting a DDS server to other DDS servers so messages pass from echelon to echelon. Also called peer to peer.
DDSAdmin group
The Active Directory group every DDS peer account must belong to for peering to function correctly.
Local peer user
The peering account created on the local domain controller.
Remote peer user
The peering account created on the peer's domain controller, not the local one.
DDS Manager
The administration application, reached by double-clicking its desktop icon after the DDS server is installed.
DDSTomcat service
The DDS service, started by right-clicking the Start DDS desktop shortcut and running it as administrator.
OSGI client
The DDS client interface whose opening page is the DDS Config page, where the administrator supplies a username, password and the local DDS host address.
NRTS
The service whose function DDS Aggregation resembles. The two must not be used at the same time.
Advertisement keyword
The field to which zone information is appended once zones are set - for example a system name followed by the zone names it belongs to.

Testable points

  • The DDS is a virtual machine hosted by TSI v2 Large and Small at battalion and higher echelons.
  • DDS is a net-centric information sharing service enabling distribution of information across the enterprise, primarily through publish and subscribe.
  • An advertisement is the identification of information, distributed to every node, and is how every DDS client learns what information is available.
  • Peering connects a DDS server with other DDS servers, allowing messages to pass from echelon to echelon. It is also called peer to peer.
  • The DDSTomcat service is started by right-clicking the Start DDS shortcut on the desktop and starting it as administrator.
  • DDS shows its current status through two icons, the Apache icon and the DDS icon. On most systems, including Windows Server 2012, these icons are hidden by default.
  • The DDS Manager is accessed after installation by double-clicking the DDS Manager icon on the desktop.
  • The three configuration concepts taught are initial configuration, peer-to-peer configuration and DDS restart.
  • DDS Zone is an add-on component that partitions DDS into different zones. A DDS node can have one or multiple zones.
  • If a peered DDS node is in the same zone, the two nodes can see each other's data. If a peered node is in a different zone, data is blocked from being sent or received between zones.
  • A DDS node configured for NONE behaves like previous versions of DDS and sends and receives data from every zone.
  • The zones are defined in the network operations center L-band region to DDS mapping.
  • The eight zones are AFRICOM, CENTCOM, EUCOM, KOREA, NORTHCOM, OPFOR, PACOM and SOUTHCOM.
  • A user can select a single zone, multiple zones, or NONE, and then save the configuration.
  • When a zone is set, every advertisement adds the zone information to the advertisement's keyword.
  • DDS Aggregation aggregates position reports from multiple subscriptions and publishes them to a single advertisement.
  • DDS Aggregation has two built-in rules - CORR-BLUE, which aggregates friendly position reports, and CORR-GREEN, which aggregates neutral position reports.
  • The four data fields checked to determine whether two items are the same are the URN, the UIC, the unit name and the report date. These are payload fields, not item metadata.
  • When the same unit updates a position report, the URN, UIC and unit name will be the same. If the report date is also the same, it is deconflicted and discarded as a duplicate.
  • If the report date is older, it is not an update and the position report is discarded. Only if the report date is newer is the update republished.
  • DDS Aggregation rules can be started and stopped by the DDS administrator at any time, and the service starts automatically with DDS.
  • DDS Aggregation and NRTS must not be used at the same time.
  • All DDS peer accounts must be part of the DDSAdmin group for peering to function correctly.
  • The local peer user must be created on the local domain controller, and the remote peer user must be created on the peer's domain controller.
  • In the DDS client, the connection defaults to secure HTTPS on port 7443. Selecting Save and Validate validates the user account and configuration settings.
  • DDS groups are created in Active Directory during automations.
  • The concrete experience question opening this lesson asks what the difference is between battlefield communications and communications in everyday life.

References

MCIS Handout v2, Data Dissemination Services (DDS) ConfigurationMCIS Handout v2, Data Dissemination Service DiagramFM 6-02, Signal Support to OperationsTC 6-0.1, Mission Command Information System Integration Training and Qualification: Digital Crews (10 May 2018)

MCIS in Annex H, Appendix 7 113-SCCCG10

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectivePrepare MCIS data for Annex H of an operations order, review combat training center lessons learned, and create a Mission Command Support Center account.

StandardReview Appendix 7 of Annex H, review combat training center lessons learned, and apply for a Mission Command Support Center account, in a clear and concise manner, without error.

The lesson that puts everything else into an order. Annex H is the signal annex, and the MCIS products live in Appendix 7 - Tab A is the MCIS network diagram, Tab B is the cutsheet. That pairing is the single most likely recall question in the lesson and it is asked three separate times in the lesson plan's own checks on learning. The rest is method: the diagram is built by identifying which systems the battalion will use, meeting the brigade S6 and the subject matter experts, identifying the services those systems need, and then walking the scheme of maneuver phase by phase to work out where each system draws its services from. The cutsheet is built from that diagram plus the LDIF or UTO from higher. The combat training center observation is the one worth carrying to a first unit - the recurring failure is an S6 who treats the job as installation rather than as a running operation.

Doctrinal currencyThe Annex H lesson depends on the operations order format, which is set by planning doctrine rather than by signal doctrine, and the deck and lesson plan carry different version numbers.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • The deck is version 6.5 while the approved lesson plan is version 5.3
  • The deck's speaker notes on the learning objective slide describe a DODIN and Signal Corps core competencies lesson, which is not what this lesson teaches - the text appears to have been carried over from the module primer
  • The lesson identifies the MCIS network diagram at Appendix 7 Tab A and the cutsheet at Tab B, and repeats the pairing in three separate checks on learning
How to use this page
  • Annex H is the signal annex. The current authority for operations order format and annex lettering is FM 5-0, Planning and Orders Production (May 2022) - not ADP 5-0, which is The Operations Process. Module C makes the same distinction and it is worth keeping straight
  • The Tab A and Tab B pairing is repeated so insistently in the lesson plan that it is almost certainly the testable point from this block
  • The stray DODIN paragraph in the deck's speaker notes is boilerplate copied from the primer and can be ignored - the learning objective on the same slide is the correct one

Doctrinal sets to know cold

Annex H, Appendix 7 - the two tabs
  1. Tab A - MCIS network diagram
  2. Tab B - MCIS data cutsheet
Building the Tab A network diagram
  1. Identify the MCIS the battalion wants to use in the field
  2. Set a time to meet with the brigade S6 and any subject matter experts
  3. Identify the services that must run to enable those MCIS
  4. Work through the scheme of maneuver and identify where each system draws its services from in each phase
  5. Capture it as an MCIS network diagram and attach it at Annex H, Appendix 7, Tab A
Building the Tab B cutsheet
  1. Identify the MCIS the battalion will use in the field
  2. Use the phased network diagram from Tab A to identify the services to denote
  3. Obtain an LDIF or UTO from higher headquarters
  4. Build the cutsheet from those three inputs and attach it at Annex H, Appendix 7, Tab B
Combat training center lessons learned
  1. The AT&T or Verizon mentality - believing the job ends once the network is set up
  2. Overlay signal assets on the scheme of maneuver
  3. Decide deliberately what is digital and what is analog in the common operational picture
  4. The company-level common operational picture, usually JBC-P
  5. Establish tactical operations center and tactical command post transition triggers
  6. Write a reporting SOP so the message center is not overwhelmed
Why the MCSC account matters
  1. It is where MCIS software can be obtained when higher echelon cannot supply it
  2. It is the reachback for blue feed problems that cannot be troubleshot locally
  3. It holds the MMC-S Message Interoperability Matrix
  4. The PIN set at registration is required for phone support
  5. Register in garrison - the classroom network is closed and a deployed unit will not want to be starting this under pressure

Key terms

Annex H
The signal annex of an operations order. The MCIS products developed across Module G are attached to it.
Appendix 7, Tab A
The MCIS network diagram - the phased picture of which systems draw which services from where across the operation.
Appendix 7, Tab B
The cutsheet - the per-system configuration extract derived from the network diagram and the LDIF or UTO from higher headquarters.
MCIS network diagram
The product recording which mission command systems the unit will use, what services enable them, and where each draws those services from during each phase of the operation. The layout shown in the course is one example, not a mandated format.
Mission Command Support Center (MCSC)
The reachback support organization. An account must be registered on its website, and it is the source of software, blue feed troubleshooting and MMC-S interoperability information.
MCSC PIN number
The number the student sets when registering an MCSC account. It is what the MCSC asks for in order to provide phone support, which makes it the practically important part of registration.
Combat Training Center (CTC)
The rotational training environment whose observations feed the lessons learned discussion in this block.
AT&T/Verizon mentality
The failure mode combat training centers repeatedly observe in S6 sections - believing that once the network is set up on arrival, the job is finished.
TOC/TAC transition triggers
The predetermined conditions that hand control between the tactical operations center and the tactical command post. A named CTC lesson learned, because unplanned transitions break the common operational picture.
Reporting SOP
The standard operating procedure that keeps reporting volume manageable so the flash, immediate, priority and routine message center does not become overwhelmed.
Digital and analog COP
The paired question the lesson raises - what is maintained digitally and what is maintained on paper or acetate, and what happens to each when the network is unavailable.

Testable points

  • The MCIS network diagram is contained in an operations order at Annex H, Appendix 7, Tab A.
  • The MCIS data cutsheet is contained in an operations order at Annex H, Appendix 7, Tab B.
  • The products in Annex H, Appendix 7, Tabs A and B are network diagrams and cutsheets.
  • To develop the network diagram, a battalion S6 identifies the MCIS the battalion wants to use in the field, meets with the brigade S6 and any subject matter experts, identifies the services required to enable those systems, and works through the scheme of maneuver to identify where each system draws services from during each phase of the operation.
  • To develop the cutsheet, the S6 identifies the systems the battalion will use, uses the phased network diagram from Tab A to identify which services to denote, obtains an LDIF or UTO from higher headquarters, and builds the cutsheet from those three inputs.
  • Both the network diagram layout and the cutsheet layout shown in the course are examples. A unit that finds a more effective way of displaying the information may use its own product.
  • Combat training centers have identified that many S6s have what the lesson calls an AT&T or Verizon mentality - thinking that once they arrive and set up, they are done.
  • The combat training center lessons learned discussion covers overlaying signal assets on the scheme of maneuver, digital against analog common operational pictures, the company-level common operational picture, tactical operations center and tactical command post transition triggers, and a reporting standard operating procedure.
  • The company-level common operational picture is usually JBC-P.
  • A reporting standard operating procedure is needed so the flash, immediate, priority and routine message center does not become overwhelmed.
  • Students register an MCSC account during this lesson, because the classroom network elsewhere in the course is closed and accounts cannot be created there.
  • The PIN number a student sets during MCSC registration is what the MCSC asks for in order to provide phone support.
  • The lesson's stated purpose is for students to conceptualize how the products they created in previous lessons relate to Annex H appendix development.
  • The concrete experience asks how robust a typical battalion-level Annex H is, and how an S6 gets the necessary information into an order if it is not extensive.
  • The lesson explicitly raises whether a battalion S6 would actually create these products, and asks students to argue whether the effort is worthwhile.
  • The major topics the lesson supports are command and control, DODIN access operations, and information systems and network transport.
  • The minor topics are mission command system integration, the common operating environment, command post mobility and survivability, the unified network, and transmission systems.
  • The supported tasks are planning signal sustainment activities in preparation for a mission, planning DODIN enterprise services in support of a mission, and coordinating combat net radio networks for a mission.

References

FM 5-0, Planning and Orders Production (May 2022) - operations order format and annexesFM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations (May 2022)FM 6-02, Signal Support to OperationsADP 5-0, The Operations Process (Jul 2019)MCIS Handout v2, Data Products

The MCIS practicum and planning exercise 113-SCCCG11

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectivePlan for Mission Command Information System capabilities at the battalion level across a phased operation, and produce the products that plan is recorded in.

StandardPlan for MCIS capabilities at the battalion level by receiving a passing grade on the MCIS planning exercise rubric.

The graded capstone for Module G, and the place where the module's separate pieces have to be used together. The scenario is deliberately chosen: a battalion S6 planning a phased operation in which brigade jumps its tactical operations center while the battalion itself does not move. That is precisely the situation the dataflow lesson's battalion Mid-Tier technique exists for, and the exercise is testing whether the connection was made. Eight rubric criteria are graded on a one-to-five scale, and the two carrying the heaviest weight are the phase-by-phase IP addressing and the justification for how many MCIS terminals can be supported. The last criterion is the one that ties the module to the rest of the course - a written concept of signal support, drafted as if it were going into Annex H.

Doctrinal currencyThe practicum folder and its lesson plan carry different numbers, and the equipment listing describes a particular vintage of fielding.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • The practicum sits in a folder named 113-SCCCG11 but the lesson plan inside it is numbered 113_SCCCG12, and the exercise it hands out is the 113-SCCCG12 MCIS Planning Exercise student version
  • The equipment listing names the TMC Gateway as PYQ-12 and the BCCS stacks as TYQ-156
  • The scenario is built around CPOF clients, a Mid-Tier and a Master Repository rather than around CPCE
  • The larger planning exercise files in the module are dated 25 August 2022, and the presentation deck for it is rights-protected
How to use this page
  • The lesson numbering inconsistency runs through the whole module - G11's plan is numbered G12, and the G12 folder contains the G13 CPCE material. Do not try to reconcile the folder names with the lesson numbers; use the lesson titles
  • The BCCS nomenclature here, TYQ-156, does not match the TYQ-155F given in the specifications section of the MCIS Handout. This is on the review queue as an open question. The specifications page is the more likely to be right, since it also carries the national stock number
  • The exercise is built on the CPOF architecture. That is the internally consistent version of the dataflow, and it is what the rubric grades, so plan it that way even though CPCE is the direction of travel
  • The exercise rewards justification over correctness of any single number. Every criterion's top band is about explaining the decision, and there is deliberately no bandwidth chart to look the answer up in

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The five practicum tasks
  1. Realistically place wideband satellite and FM equipment on the map template
  2. Show which IP addresses will be used during each phase of the operation
  3. Develop and display a realistic PACE plan for each phase
  4. Denote what MCIS the unit holds and approximate how many can be supported in each phase, based on available bandwidth, with justification
  5. Write a concept of signal support identifying the scheme of MCIS operations, as if for Annex H
The eight rubric criteria
  1. PACE plan
  2. Retransmission placement
  3. Wideband satellite system implementation
  4. Phase 1b IP addresses
  5. Phase 1b MCIS terminals supported, with justification
  6. Phase 2 IP addresses
  7. Phase 2 MCIS terminals supported, with justification
  8. Written concept of signal support
What separates satisfactory from excellent on each criterion
  1. PACE plan - it must actually support the mission requirements, not merely exist
  2. Retransmission - optimal placement, not just placement that enables FM
  3. Wideband satellite - optimal placement, not just placement
  4. Phase IPs - no errors, not merely minor errors
  5. Terminals supported - the bandwidth justification, not just the count
  6. Concept of signal support - every decision justified, and clearly written
Battalion equipment in the scenario
  1. 6 x AN/VRC-92F FM
  2. 2 x AN/PRC-150 HF
  3. 1 x TRC-190E V1 HCLOS
  4. 1 x TMC Gateway
  5. 1 x command post node with satellite transportable terminal
  6. 6 x CPOF, 1 x DCGS, 2 x AFATDS, 1 x JCR tactical operations center kit
Constraints given in the scenario
  1. Do not move any brigade equipment
  2. Do not move the battalion tactical operations center
  3. Brigade jumps its tactical operations center; the battalion does not move
  4. Services are pulled from brigade
  5. There is no bandwidth chart - judgment must be used and justified
How the rest of the module feeds this exercise
  1. Dataflow - the battalion Mid-Tier technique exists precisely for a brigade that jumps its command post
  2. Data products - the cutsheet fields are the six pieces of information the S6 needs per system
  3. Annex H - the concept of signal support is written as if for Appendix 7
  4. Module E - the PACE plan and retransmission placement are its content, graded here
  5. Module F - the wideband satellite placement and bandwidth reasoning are its content, graded here

Key terms

MCIS practicum
The graded capstone exercise for Module G. It is open notes, students may consult products from this and earlier modules and may discuss with peers, but each submits their own product.
Concept of signal support
The written product identifying the scheme of MCIS operations, drafted as if it were going into Annex H for the operation. The last and most integrative rubric criterion.
Wideband Satellite Systems (WSS)
The satellite category in the equipment listing - the command post node and Joint Network Node with their satellite transportable terminals. Placing these on the map is one of the graded criteria.
Combat Net Radio (CNR)
The radio category in the equipment listing - the FM vehicular sets and the HF radios. Retransmission placement is graded on whether it enables, or optimally enables, FM.
Retransmission placement
The graded criterion covering where FM retransmission goes. Full credit requires optimal placement, not merely placement that works.
PACE plan
The primary, alternate, contingency and emergency communications plan, required for each phase of the operation. Graded on whether it exists at all and whether it actually supports the mission requirements.
Phased planning
The requirement to show the IP addresses being used, the terminals supported and the PACE plan separately for each phase, rather than once for the operation as a whole.
MCIS Planning Exercise
The larger 113-SCCCG12 exercise built around the same construct, supported by its own LDIF and conducted with a planning exercise review afterward.

Testable points

  • The student is the S6 of the 1-82nd Field Artillery Battalion for the practicum.
  • The practicum is oriented around a battalion S6 planning for a phased operation in which brigade jumps its tactical operations center while the battalion does not move.
  • The exercise is open notes. Students may use any product from this class or from previous modules, and may talk with peers, but each must submit their own product with their name on it.
  • The student is given a scheme of maneuver template, a cutsheet, and a breakdown of on-hand equipment, and must create a plan to support as many MCIS as is realistic through a multi-phase operation, pulling services from brigade.
  • Phase 1a is completed as a worked example.
  • The five tasks are to place wideband satellite and FM equipment realistically on the map template, show which IP addresses will be used during each phase, develop and display a realistic PACE plan for each phase, denote what MCIS the unit holds and approximate how many can be supported in each phase based on available bandwidth with justification, and write a concept of signal support.
  • There is no chart for estimating how many terminals can be supported. The student must use judgment and justify it.
  • The concept of signal support is to be written as if it were going into Annex H for the operation.
  • Brigade equipment must not be moved, and the battalion tactical operations center must not be moved.
  • The battalion holds six AN/VRC-92F FM sets, two AN/PRC-150 HF radios, one TRC-190E V1 high capacity line of sight, one TMC Gateway, one command post node with satellite transportable terminal, six CPOF, one DCGS, two AFATDS and one JCR tactical operations center kit.
  • The brigade holds three AN/VRC-92F FM sets, two AN/PRC-150 HF radios, one TRC-190E V3 high capacity line of sight, four BCCS stacks, two Joint Network Nodes with satellite transportable terminals, eighteen CPOF, one DCGS, three AFATDS and one JCR tactical operations center kit.
  • The equipment listing groups assets into three categories - combat net radio, wideband satellite systems, and MCIS.
  • The provided cutsheet gives, for each system, the MCIS name, IP, subnet mask, gateway IP, destination IP, URN, role name and remarks - the same six fields the data products lesson identifies as what an S6 needs.
  • The rubric grades on a five-point scale where 1 is unsatisfactory, 2 needs improvement, 3 satisfactory, 4 good and 5 excellent, with weight factors applied and comments added at the bottom.
  • The eight rubric criteria are the PACE plan, retransmission placement, wideband satellite implementation, Phase 1b IPs, Phase 1b MCIS terminals supported with justification, Phase 2 IPs, Phase 2 MCIS terminals supported with justification, and the written concept of signal support.
  • For the PACE plan, the three graded levels are that the student did not fill one out, completed one that does not support mission requirements, or completed one that fully supports mission requirements.
  • For retransmission, the three graded levels are failure to place retransmission, placement that enables FM, and optimal placement.
  • For wideband satellite, the three graded levels are failure to place the assets, placement of the assets, and optimal placement.
  • For phase IPs, the three graded levels are that the student did not identify IPs, identified them with minor errors, or identified them correctly with no errors.
  • For terminals supported, the three graded levels are that the student did not denote terminals, numbers or justification; identified terminals and numbers but did not justify bandwidth usage; or adequately justified both the terminal types and the numbers.
  • For the concept of signal support, the three graded levels are that it was absent or too disjointed to use, explained but not clear or not fully justified, or clearly explained with all decisions justified.
  • The practicum is a two-hour student study assignment referenced from the module primer.
  • The planning exercise is conducted first and a planning exercise review is conducted afterward, according to the lesson rubric.
  • There is no check on learning for either learning step - the review serves that purpose, and assessment is by the rubric.

References

113-SCCCG12 MCIS Planning Exercise student version and MCIS Practicum rubricMCIS LDIF, issued with the planning exerciseFM 5-0, Planning and Orders Production (May 2022)FM 6-02, Signal Support to OperationsMCIS Handout v2

Module G references and doctrine Module G

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveIdentify the publications Module G is taught from, the technical manuals for the equipment it covers, and where the course material's citations differ from the publications themselves.

StandardIdentify the doctrinal references for Module G and their current editions in a clear and concise manner, without error.

Module G rests on a much shorter doctrinal base than the modules before it. Four publications do nearly all the work - FM 6-02 for signal support and the S6's role, FM 6-0 for staff organization, ADP 6-0 for mission command as an approach, and TC 6-0.1 for the digital crew. Almost everything else in the module comes from the MCIS Handout and from vendor and program office material rather than from doctrine, which is worth knowing because it changes how to study it: system capabilities and limitations are learned from the handout, and only the S6's role and the command post construct are genuinely doctrinal. Two small but real errors run through the module's own reference blocks - both ADP 5-0 and ADP 6-0 are dated a day early - and one lesson lists no references at all.

Doctrinal currencyModule G's reference blocks contain two consistent date errors and one lesson with no references at all. None of these change what is taught, but they are worth recognizing if a citation is put in front of you.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam
  • The technical configuration and blue force lesson plans date ADP 6-0 as 30 July 2019
  • The CPCE lesson plan dates ADP 5-0 as 30 July 2019
  • The WinTAK lesson plan's reference block reads None
  • The module never cites FM 5-0, even though the Annex H lesson depends on operations order format
  • The reference tables in the extracted lesson plans have their number, title and date columns offset by one row, so titles do not line up with the publication numbers beside them
Correct citations
  • ADP 6-0 and ADP 5-0 were both published 31 July 2019, not 30 July. The course reference blocks are a day early on both
  • FM 5-0, Planning and Orders Production (May 2022) is the authority for operations order format and annexes, and is the correct citation behind Annex H even though Module G omits it. ADP 5-0 is The Operations Process, a different publication - the same confusion appears in Module C
  • For the warfighting functions, cite ADP 3-0 and FM 3-0 (21 March 2025), which name the first one command and control. Module G's slides still say mission command
  • The column offset in the reference tables is an artifact of the PDF layout, not an error in the lesson plans themselves. The pairings are FM 6-0 with Commander and Staff Organization and Operations, FM 6-02 with Signal Support to Operations, and TC 6-02.1 with the Signal Corps Training Strategy

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The four publications that carry Module G
  1. FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations (12 Sep 2019) - the S6's role
  2. FM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations (May 2022) - staff and command post organization
  3. ADP 6-0, Mission Command: Command and Control of Army Forces (31 Jul 2019) - mission command as an approach
  4. TC 6-0.1, Digital Crews (10 May 2018) - crew roles and training tables
Supporting doctrinal references
  1. ATP 6-0.5, Command Post Organization and Operations (MAR17)
  2. TC 6-02.1, The United States Army Signal Corps Training Strategy (10 Jul 2019)
  3. TC 6-0, Training the Mission Command Warfighting Function (1 Mar 2021)
  4. ADP 5-0, The Operations Process (31 Jul 2019)
  5. FM 5-0, Planning and Orders Production (May 2022) - for Annex H, though Module G never cites it
  6. ADP 3-0 and FM 3-0 (21 Mar 2025) - for the current warfighting function names
Regulations cited for information assurance and physical security
  1. AR 25-2, Army Cybersecurity
  2. AR 380-5, Department of the Army Information Security Program
  3. AR 190-13, The Army Physical Security Program
Non-doctrinal sources doing most of the teaching
  1. MCIS Handout v2 - system capabilities and limitations, server roles, TSI allocation table, TOCNET, data products, configuration walkthroughs
  2. Tactical Network Initialization and Configuration documentation, PEO C3T - data products
  3. Project Manager Mission Command material - CPCE, MMC and the fielding picture
  4. Vendor documentation - SitaWare for CPCE, CoMotion for CPOF, WAVE and TOCNET product material
  5. TAK product documentation and its tutorial video series
Where to look up a system
  1. Logistics Information Warehouse - select Mission Command, find the system, open its Training Wiki
  2. The JBC-P site - technical manuals and bulletins for JCR and JBC-P equipment not held in the warehouse
  3. Mission Command Support Center - software, blue feed troubleshooting, the MMC-S interoperability matrix
  4. TAK products site - TAK, ATAK and WinTAK downloads and tutorials

Key terms

FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations
The signal capstone field manual, dated 12 September 2019. It is the source for the S6's roles and responsibilities and is cited in almost every Module G lesson plan.
FM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations
May 2022. The staff publication behind command post organization and the staff processes the S6 participates in.
ADP 6-0, Mission Command: Command and Control of Army Forces
31 July 2019. Defines mission command as the Army's approach to command and control. The course reference blocks date it 30 July 2019.
ADP 5-0, The Operations Process
31 July 2019. Cited by the CPCE lesson. The course reference block dates it 30 July 2019. Not to be confused with FM 5-0.
FM 5-0, Planning and Orders Production
May 2022. The authority for operations order format and annex lettering, and therefore for Annex H itself - although Module G's own reference blocks never cite it.
TC 6-0.1, Mission Command Information System Integration Training and Qualification: Digital Crews
10 May 2018. The source for the digital crew roles and the digital training tables.
TC 6-0, Training the Mission Command Warfighting Function
1 March 2021. Cited by the CPCE lesson.
TC 6-02.1, The United States Army Signal Corps Training Strategy
10 July 2019. The most frequently cited reference across Module G lesson plans.
ATP 6-0.5, Command Post Organization and Operations
March 2017. Cited by the module primer for the Standardized Integrated Command Post System and the Command Post Platform.
MCIS Handout v2
The module's own reference document, and the single most useful study source in Module G. It carries the system-by-system capabilities and limitations, the server role descriptions, the TSI allocation table, TOCNET, data products, the S6's role and the configuration walkthroughs.
AR 25-2, Army Cybersecurity
Cited for the handling of the KGV-72 platform encryption device and COMSEC material.
AR 380-5, Department of the Army Information Security Program
The Army Information Security Program, cited alongside AR 25-2 and AR 190-13 in the blue force platforms lesson.
AR 190-13, The Army Physical Security Program
Cited for the physical security of the platform encryption device.
Tactical Network Initialization and Configuration (TNIC)
The PEO C3T program that produces data products. Its documentation, rather than doctrine, is the reference for the IP Template and the LDIF.

Testable points

  • TC 6-02.1 is the most frequently cited reference across Module G, appearing in ten lesson plan reference blocks.
  • FM 6-02 and FM 6-0 each appear in nine Module G lesson plan reference blocks.
  • ADP 6-0 appears in seven Module G lesson plan reference blocks.
  • FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations, is dated 12 September 2019.
  • FM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations, is dated May 2022 and is given in the course reference blocks as 15 May 2022.
  • TC 6-02.1, The United States Army Signal Corps Training Strategy, is dated 10 July 2019.
  • TC 6-0.1, Mission Command Information System Integration Training and Qualification: Digital Crews, is dated 10 May 2018.
  • TC 6-0, Training the Mission Command Warfighting Function, is dated 1 March 2021 and is cited by the CPCE lesson.
  • ATP 6-0.5, Command Post Organization and Operations, is dated March 2017 and is cited by the module primer.
  • The blue force platforms lesson cites three technical manuals dated 14 July 2017 - TM 11-7010-613-10, TM 11-7010-613-23&P and TM 11-7010-640-23&P - covering the JBC-P and JCR digital computer sets.
  • The JBC-P computer set AN/UYK-128D(V)3 carries NSN 7010-01-626-9244 and EIC K8V, and the JCR computer set AN/UYK-128F(V)3 carries NSN 7010-01-659-9814 and EIC 2NZ.
  • The JBC-P computer set AN/UYK-128C(V)3 carries NSN 7010-01-627-0554 and EIC K4V, and the JCR computer set AN/UYK-128E(V)3 carries NSN 7010-01-659-9703 and EIC 2KQ.
  • Two technical bulletins are cited across the module - TB 11-7025-297-10-1 and TB 11-7010-439-23.
  • The WinTAK lesson plan lists no references at all - its reference block reads None.
  • The module primer's reference slide cites only two publications, ATP 6-0.5 and FM 6-02.
  • Study assignments for Module G are posted to Blackboard and to the class Teams channel.
  • The module primer names the two-hour MCIS Practicum as the student study assignment for the module.
  • The MCIS instructor requirements include a minimum of four years of experience in the interworking and integration of devices in the Battle Command Common Services, and working knowledge of the Division Exercise Training and Review System simulation.
  • The MCIS Handout cites TC 6-0.1 for its opening statement that crews must be technically competent and tactically proficient in the employment of their MCIS.
  • The MCIS Handout cites FM 6-02 for its section on the role of the S6.
  • Two web resources are given repeatedly for system information - the Logistics Information Warehouse, where each system has a training wiki under the Mission Command link, and the JBC-P site for technical manuals and bulletins not held in the warehouse.
  • The lesson material also points to the United States Army Combined Arms Center site and to an S6 community of purpose site.

References

FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations (12 Sep 2019)FM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations (May 2022)ADP 6-0, Mission Command: Command and Control of Army Forces (31 Jul 2019)ADP 5-0, The Operations Process (31 Jul 2019)FM 5-0, Planning and Orders Production (May 2022)FM 3-0, Operations (21 Mar 2025)TC 6-0.1, Mission Command Information System Integration Training and Qualification: Digital Crews (10 May 2018)TC 6-0, Training the Mission Command Warfighting Function (1 Mar 2021)TC 6-02.1, The United States Army Signal Corps Training Strategy (10 Jul 2019)ATP 6-0.5, Command Post Organization and Operations (MAR17)AR 25-2, Army CybersecurityAR 380-5, Department of the Army Information Security ProgramAR 190-13, The Army Physical Security ProgramMCIS Handout v2