CLOs assessed by this DBF:
- CLO-1: Understand the professional and ethical responsibilities and challenges associated with decision-making as a national security professional.
- CLO-2: Analyze the global security environment and how U.S. national security interests influence the development of U.S. security strategies.
- CLO-3: Analyze the factors that influence national security decision-making and the relationships between the institutions responsible for U.S. national security.
- CLO-4: Examine and apply the processes used to develop military strategy to achieve desired end-states and the relationship between ends, ways, and means to ensure the advancement of U.S. interests.
NWC PLO supported by this DBF:
- PLO-2: Create theater military strategies designed for contemporary security environments.
This DBF covers the topics and concepts discussed in SDX-4 through SDX-5.
The DBFs in LPA/TSDM provide students an opportunity to interact and discuss session concepts with the Professor and fellow students. The DBFs also allow students an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and ability to effectively apply session concepts. DBF interaction is a significant part of the Program’s requirements and is evaluated by the Professor as part of the student’s overall preparation and contribution grade. Students must support (and cite using parenthetical author, page format) their responses using additional information from the applicable student preparation materials.
For the purposes of this DBF, the Professor will divide the cohort into groups of 4-5 students. Each student’s primary DBF post must be between 400-500 words in length and posted via Blackboard no later than 2359 Eastern Time on Tuesday of Week 11. Once a student has posted their primary post in Blackboard, the primary DBF posts of other students will become visible. Secondary DBF posts must be between 300-350 words in length and posted to Blackboard no later than 2359 Eastern Time on Thursday of Week 11.
Further guidance on DBFs can be found in paragraph 9.a of the LPA/TSDM syllabus.
DBF-6 PRIMARY POST QUESTION:
Drawing on all TSDM preparation materials and the concepts covered in SDX-4 through SDX-5, in 400-500 words, provide:
- A USINDOPACOM theater strategic outline.
- Having determined the most significant major trends that would need to be addressed to ensure U.S. interests in the region are secure, develop a sub-heading-level outline (challenges, ends, ways) of the strategic approach from the USINDOPACOM perspective.
- Develop a coherent strategic framework that links clearly defined strategic ends to operational and institutional ways, grounded in the realities of the projected security environment outlined in the theater strategic estimate.
- What is the vision or desired strategic end-state or outcome (ends) for the USINDOPACOM theater in both the near term (0-2 years) and medium term (3-8 years) time period? Consider threats and opportunities in terms of likelihood and severity as well as urgency and order of occurrence.
- Describe and discuss concepts (ways) required to achieve the strategic objectives. This is the sub-heading level discussion that goes beyond a catchy bumper sticker and gets into the concepts the student proposes to achieve the strategic goals. These concepts can be outside the scope of the DoD.
- Consider alignment with national strategic direction from the United States National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy and National Military Strategy.
- A prioritized list of required capabilities.
- A list of four (4) prioritized (1 to 4) capabilities (means) necessary to carry out the regional strategic proposal. Determine and defend the relative priority of the listed capabilities and how these means are linked to the ways to achieve the desired objectives (ends).
- Conceptualize these as capabilities across the DOTMLPF-P. They can be hardware, doctrine, organization, training, personnel, etc. Discuss how it would work in the field, and how it would help to achieve the desired strategic outcomes.
This will serve as an initial draft of the last two deliverables for the final SDX assignment SA-4.
DBF-6 SECONDARY POST RESPONSE QUESTION:
Read all primary DBF posts from the classmates in your group. In 300-350 words each, respond to one (1) student’s primary posts (in your group) and either support or refute the analysis provided in the student’s answer. Students must make their initial response to a student who has not yet received feedback from another student. Students are also required to respond to any questions posed to them by the Professor.
NOTE: Although each student is required to respond to one (1) primary post as a minimum, all students are encouraged to respond and offer substantive comments as outlined above to more posts, and to respond to any comments or questions provided by their peers (either in your group or not). Additional student-to-student interaction that is of high quality, and not duplicative of previous posts will be weighted as additional credit towards the student’s preparation and contribution grade. Students are also required to respond to any questions posed to them by the Professor.