Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Collection Management Training: A Case For Standardization

Collection Management across the Department of Defense is a complicated process largely because there are so many organizations at all levels who play a role in intelligence collection. This thesis reviews the doctrine associated with collection management across the joint community and all military services. Explanation of the key concepts of doctrine highlight how important doctrinal processes are to the collection management enterprise. Following the discussion on doctrine, each of the available collection management training programs are reviewed to showcase differences in training and how those differences can affect operations in a joint environment. The final recommendation for a standardized joint training program and a professionalized cadre of collection managers will emphasize the importance of collection management in a joint environment.