'A new strategy' an update on the Joint Network Management System

Army Communicator, Fall, 2006 by Russell Benoit, Billy Rogers

Currently Joint Network Management System has been fielded to Detachment 1 of the 311th Theater Signal Command and the 335th TSC; the 3rd, 11th, 35th and 93rd Signal Brigades; and the 112th Special Operations Signal Battalion.

On March 17, 2006, the JNMS Milestone Decision Authority and the vice director, Joint Staff J6, agreed that a 60-day follow-on assessment of how joint networks are being planned and managed was necessary to help determine what, if any, changes needed to be made in the JNMS Program of Record to meet today's and future operational objectives.

Representatives from the Joint Staff/J6C, Product Manager, Network Operations--Current Force, and Training and Doctrine Systems Managers Warfighter Information Management-Tactical composed the survey team that conducted the follow-on analysis to collect and further refine empirical data. The team visited and interviewed or had teleconferences with several operational units and Combatant Command J6 staffs.

The results of the survey were briefed to the MDA and VDJ6 in May 2006 and the decision was made that a new strategy for the JNMS was required to meet changes in the joint operational environment. The services and the NetCentric Functional Capabilities Board were briefed by PdM NetOps in June 2006 and concurred with the new strategy.

The new strategy focuses on a software-only solution which retains the planning functionality but re-scopes the management capability. It also reduces the overall system footprint by implementing the JNMS software on laptop computers.

The next major JNMS software build effort is going to be developed with two incremental builds (Builds 1.4 and 1.5) in an effort to deliver additional enhancements/capabilities to the field earlier.

The Army's Test and Evaluation Command is planning on conducting independent government assessments to meet testing requirements for these incremental builds prior to their release to the field. Build 1.4 is projected for release in second quarter fiscal year 2007 with Build 1.5 following about six months later. The joint fielding plan is currently being revised to reflect the changes in what units will be getting which functionality (planning, management, or both) and when.

The Inter-Service Training Review Organization study that was conducted to determine the feasibility of consolidation all service's resident JNMS training at one location has now been approved be the Army and Air Force. Marine Corps approval is expected by mid- September. Once the study is approved, actions necessary to establish the joint school and resident training program not later than first quarter fiscal year 2008 will begin.

For further information on JNMS, contact Russell Benoit or Billy Rogers, TSM WIN-T, (706) 791-7501/ 2334, respectively. DSN prefix is 780. Email addresses are benoitr@gordon.army.mil or rogersb@gordon.army.mil.

Mr. Benoit is currently an Assistant TSM and Senior Telecommunications specialist for TSM WIN-T. Benoit has been working Network Operations and JNMS since 1997.

Mr. Rogers is a currently a Senior Systems Analyst with Femme Comp, Incorporated and provides TSM WIN-T with contract support services for the JNMS program. Rogers has been the primary TRADOC point of contact for the JNMS and has worked program issues with representatives of the Joint Staff, other services and agencies since the contract was awarded to Science Applications International Corporation in 2001. Rogers managed network management programs for the Defense Information Systems Agency prior to his retirement and also provided contract support services to TSM Network Management before its merger with TSM WIN-T in 2001.

ACRONYM QUICKSCAN

ATEC--Army's Test and Evaluation Command

COCOM--Combatant Command

FY--fiscal year

ITRO--Inter-Service Training Review Organization

JNMS--Joint Network Management System

MDA--Milestone Decision Authority

PdM NetOps--Product Manager, Network Operations

TSC--Theater Signal Command

VDJ6--vice director, Joint Staff J6