Theater Information Advantage Element: A Construct To Gain Advantage Against Near-Peer Adversaries in Great Power Competition
Speaker(s): Hancock, B. (G9, 79th Theater Sustainment Command); Sleevi, N. (Military Analyst, Irregular Warfare Proponent, Mission Command Center of Excellence, US Army TRADOC); Gaines, J. (Public Affairs Officer, Cyber National Mission Force)
Date: 27 January 2022
Speaker Session Summary
SMA hosted a panel discussion with MAJ Brian J. Hancock (G9, 79th Theater Sustainment Command), COL (Ret) Neil Sleevi (Military Analyst, Irregular Warfare Proponent, Mission Command Center of Excellence, US Army TRADOC), and MAJ Jack Gaines (Public Affairs Officer, Cyber National Mission Force) as part of its SMA General Speaker Series.
For the US and its Western allies—including NATO—to effectively compete against adversaries, they must better integrate information operations (IO) into traditional military operations. This need led to the development of the Theater Information Advantage Element (TIAE), which attempts to combine information operations across the joint force and helps establish authority for officers to react quickly in the information environment. MAJ Hancock commented that a past challenge has been getting military officers across all branches to choose a career in IO. To remedy this issue, the TIAE should work on developing a clear and long-term IO career path for officers. The availability of a long-term career will encourage officers to integrate IO operations into their military activities more regularly and help build overall institutional knowledge. However, there is no one tool to assist these officers in incorporating IO regularly. Instead, several tools need to be developed. Among these tools are the Athena model and the Perceptions Research for stabilization, Competition, Verification, and Evaluation (PRSCVE).
COL (Ret) Sleevi commented that the Athena model measures the relationship between populations, which is something that can help TIAE better message their target audience. Furthermore, the Athena model found that with effective messaging, the US can lessen its adversaries’ overall messaging effectiveness; including an adversary’s ability to create effective fake or deceptive news. Similarly, to the Athena model, PRSCVE is a tool that can help TIAE to achieve its objectives. PRSCVE tries to include as many analysts as possible from the region being studied which helps it gather data on and communicate with isolated populations. These populations—which are hard to reach—can potentially shift the outcome of future conflicts. By using these tools alongside others, TIAE wants to increase convergence between traditional military operations and information operations. The desired convergence effects are: a) discovery, b) initial implementation, c) collective response, and d) innovation.
MAJ Hancock Brief Bio
Major(MAJ) Brian J. Hancock was the CEO of a small information company for16 years. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2005 and went forward to serve the nation in Afghanistan. He is currently the G9 in charge of civil military operations for the 79thTheater Sustainment Command, the second largest military unit in the Department of Defense, headquartered in Los Alamitos California. MA J Hancock is Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) qualified for and has served in intelligence, psychological operations, and civil affairs. As a civilian, he is the Assistant Operations Officer for the Marine Corps Ground Center of Excellence Advanced Training Department located in Twentynine palms, California. He has been published in the National Federation of Advanced Information Services, the Military Intelligence Professionals Bulletin, the Small Wars Journal, the Pentagon Strategic Multilayer Assessment, and the Civil Affairs Issues Journal. This businessman possesses bachelor’s in political science and psychology, a Master of Science in Management and National Security and certifications in project management, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and Adult Learning.
COL(Ret) Sleevi Brief Bio
Neil Sleevi, Colonel, USA, Retired, holds a Master of Science Degree from the University of Colorado and a Master of Strategic Studies from the US Army War College. Neil Sleevi served from 2014 to 2021 as a Research and Simulation Analyst in contract support to TRADOC G-2 M&S Office at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. There he provided expertise to visualize the Operational Environment (OE) and improve understanding of Political, Military, Economic, Social, Infrastructure, Information, Physical Environment, and Time(PMESII-PT) variables in military operations. He provided simulation support to studies and experimentation primarily usingAthena and other human, social, culture models and simulation. He hasprovided support to Athena simulation-based studies, reports andanalyses supporting TRADOC and other military organizations. He hasauthored papers published in Signal Magazine (1975), RoundTable Magazine (1976), The Interservice / Industry Training, Simulation andEducation Conference (I/ITSEC) (2015, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2021)OPNET Contributed Papers, and for the Military Operation ResearchSociety (MORS). Neil has served as a military officer in Vietnam,Iraq, Afghanistan. He is currently a Military Analyst with their regular Warfare Proponent, Mission Command Center of Excellence, TRADOC.
MAJ Gaines Brief Bio
Jack Gaines is an Army Reserve Major on active duty to serve as the Public Affairs Officer for the Cyber National Mission Force. His work focuses on how public affairs can collaborate with Cyber and Information Operations in strategic competition. His last tour included helping design how Army Public Affairs responds to foreign malign influence and propaganda. He then worked as a reserve communication strategist at the U.S. Southern Command and operations manager at the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command to support to U.S. Forces, Korea. Additionally, he worked as a civilian communication strategist at the U.S. Africa Command, overseeing messaging for the Ebola response in Liberia and the assault on ISIS in North Africa. Before that, he served on a special appointment to the U.S. Embassy Kabul to lead the Embassy's counter Taliban influence for the 2014elections. Then, Major Gaines worked as deputy of public affairsplans at the U.S. European Command, leading social media monitoringin support of operations in Libya.
Outsideof the military, Jack Gaines is a strategist and advisor for Booz Allen Hamilton. Additionally, he has a private advocacy firm tosupport his work in countering Illicit finance and trade thatthreatens national security. Lastly, Mr. Gaines leads a socialmovement called "46x", the fight to reform DOD publicaffairs (www.46x.us) to reanimate the trade so the force can better respond to current conditions.
Jack's education includes a Master's Degree in Communication Management from USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism (Go Trojans!).
Site-wide Search
Search all site content, including all NSI and SMA publications, SMA Speaker series, NSI Team member bios, services, portfolio projects, company info, and more.
