Knowledge Networks for Future Force Training: Illustration of Searching, Retrieval, and Communication Concepts

U.S. Army units are transforming to become a lighter, more mobile Future Force that can operate within joint and coalition environments. To enable Future Force units to achieve successful deployment, the Army is developing knowledge networks to provide access to a wide range of information across military operations. To use the vast amount of available information effectively, knowledge networks must include procedures that organize information, identify the most relevant information to meet a user request, authenticate retrieved information, and allow the user to add new information to the network. This project develops and demonstrates a prototype knowledge network that illustrates methods to retrieve information needed to facilitate mission accomplishment, and to share this information among Soldiers and units. This research began with an information engineering activity that analyzed the functions and tasks of Future Force units to identify information requirements. The effort proceeded to develop a prototype knowledge network incorporating relevant existing technologies, including (a) Web crawlers, (b) searching and indexing, (c) rich site summary news feeds, (d) Web logs, (e) user profiling, and (f) personal messaging. The prototype was demonstrated to four Army officers and enlisted personnel, whose impressions provided feedback used to revise the prototype and to make recommendations for future system enhancements. Prepared in collaboration with Texas A&M University System, College Station, Tx.