Prism; A Journal of the Center for Complex Operations, Volume 3, No. 3, 06/2012

149, [3] pages. Notes. Color Illustrations. PRISM is published by the Center for Complex Operations. PRISM is a security studies journal chartered to inform members of U.S. Federal Agencies, Allies, and other partners on complex and integrated national security operations; reconstruction and nationbuilding; relevant policy and strategy; lessons learned; and developments in training and education to transform America's security and development apparatus to meet tomorrow's challenges better while promoting freedom today. To better integrate all the education programs, Congress created the National Defense University in 1976. In 1981, the Joint Forces Staff College was created. The National Defense University (NDU) is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level training, education, and the development of national security strategy. It is chartered by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with Major General Frederick M. Padilla, USMC, as president. It is located on the grounds of Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C. The university's mission is to support the joint warfighter by providing rigorous Joint Professional Military Education to members of the U.S. Armed Forces and select interagency civilians in order to develop leaders that have the ability to operate and creatively think in an unpredictable and complex world. The school's master's program is a one-year intensive study program. The United States Congress authorized the creation of a Center for Complex Operations in the FY 2009 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Center for Complex Operations (CCO) was initially formed in the summer of 2008 in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Policy) and moved in early 2009 to the National Defense University in accordance with an NDU - OSD(P) memorandum of Agreement dated 30 January 2009, subsequently amended. CCO was established to: Serve as an information clearinghouse and knowledge manager for complex operations training and education, acting as a central repository for information on areas such as training and curricula, training and education provider institutions, complex operations events, and subject matter experts Develop a complex operations training and education community of practice to catalyze innovation and development of new knowledge, connect members for networking, share existing knowledge, and cultivate foundations of trust and habits of collaboration across the community Serve as a feedback and information conduit to the Office of the Secretary of Defense and broader U.S. Government policy leadership to support guidance and problem-solving across the community of practice Enable more effective networking, coordination, and synchronization to support the preparation of Department of Defense and other U.S. Government personnel for complex operations Support lessons learned processes and best practices compilation in the area of complex operations Identify education and training gaps in the Department of Defense and other Federal departments and agencies and facilitate efforts to fill those gaps. Presumed First Edition, First printing thus. …