Thomas C Schmidt

Tactical Information Gathering in the High Technology Command and Control Environment: a Division Commander's Leadership Challenge Thomas C Schmidt

Publisher Marketing: This study investigates the US Army division commander's leadership responsibilities in directing the information gathering effort of his high technology command and control systems. The study first summarizes some major criteria for effective command and control. The study briefly describes today's command and control environment, recognizing the effects of the latest technology, revised doctrine, and the timeless human element of war. It then examines the potential effects of high technology information gathering on effective command and control. The study identifies five leadership requirements for the division commander in directing the information gathering effort. Those requirements are to: emphasize "command" over "control," organize the systems for the information gathering effort, focus the information gathering effort, discipline the information gathering systems, and train for the effort. The study concludes that the division commander's personal and organizational leadership is necessary to gain the great advantages of the US Army division's modern information gathering systems while minimizing the inherent adverse effects of those systems on effective command and control. Contributor Bio:  Schmidt, Thomas C Schmidt retired from his position as Senior Educator at the World Bank in 1993. He graduated cum laude from Princeton University, earned a M. Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary and a Ph. D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. His career has included thirteen years as a parish priest in the Episcopal Church serving in Latin America, Africa and the USA. He spent ten years in state government in the USA serving as an aide to the Governor of the State of Rhode Island and as the state's Commissioner of Education. In addition to the ten years spent at the World Bank, he has worked as an organizational development consultant for business, industry, NGOs and governments in the USA, Asia, Africa, the South Pacific region and the Middle East.