To win the wars of the 21st century, the United States (US) must be able to exploit information power to achieve strategic, operational, and tactical effects. The US must not only be prepared to persevere in the "long war" against terrorists, where the battlefield is bounded by ideas and technology is often of limited use, but also remain ready for a potential war against a near-peer competitor or more technologically advanced nation, which could threaten the information technology infrastructure underpinning much of US national power. Information operations (IO) are an essential part of the military instrument of power charged with protecting US interests across the range of potential conflict. Like other operational forces, IO must have appropriate doctrine, organization, trained personnel, and leadership to support the national security interests of the US. As the US National Security Strategy (NSS) suggests, the US must transform its major national security institutions to match the changing security challenges.1 If the US truly wishes to exploit IO in defense of the nation, the Department of Defense (DoD) should fashion an appropriate organizational structure to take advantage of all the capabilities of IO, not merely those that supplement existing forms of warfare.
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