Actionable Intelligence

H100

Actionable Intelligence

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December 11, 2010

Actionable Intelligence

The collection and dissemination of actionable intelligence has unequivocally contributed to the battle field success of the United States Armed Forces for as long as they have been in existence. Actionable intelligence played a vital role during the 1914 Battle of Vera Cruz in Mexico as well as the initial U.S. strikes in Afghanistan in late 2001. The United States Army relies on credible, dependable intelligence in order to plan and conduct combat operations. Planning and conducting the time sensitive combat operations on today’s battlefield would be impossible without timely, reliable intelligence…actionable intelligence. The techniques for gathering intelligence have improved greatly from the 1914 Battle of Vera Cruz. This is due mainly to significant leaps in technology. These improvements have resulted in a more agile and lethal Army with the capability to provide leaders on the ground with timely, actionable intelligence.

Intelligence and intelligence gathering techniques have always played a vital role as the U.S. Army has fought and won our Nation’s wars. Actionable intelligence, that information that is accurate, timely and can be used to conduct time sensitive combat operations, is often difficult to gather, develop, and disseminate. Intelligence collection methods have developed and advanced over the course of history. These techniques range from the fundamental methods of HUMINT such as local informants, military ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) assets, and conversations with the local population to the most advanced technological assets of modern warfare. Modern intelligence gathering methods include the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and satellites and provide today’s Army with a significant advantage on the battlefield.

Woodrow Wilson was the President of the United States in 1914 when the Battle of Vera Cruz, Mexico, occurred. He was quite unyielding in his desire to demonstrate his leadership to other world leaders of the time. This is evidenced in the amount of combat operations conducted by the United States at his direction. President Wilson declared that he would improve the leadership in South America by demonstrating to them what a good leader was through his own actions and the way he conducted operations. (Birtle, 2004) Mexico would be the first place he chose to reform.

On the 9th of April 1914, several U. S. Navy personnel were detained by Mexican authorities in Tampico, Mexico. President Wilson would use this incident as the catalyst to