The Cognitive Crucible

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, Dr. Tom Ferris discusses his fascinating research related to cognitive ergonomics.

Research Questions: Tom thinks the following questions need additional study:

1. Human sensing and cognitive insights obtrusive physiology; making inferences during human studies; finding ways of measuring workload, stress and emotional workload in humans.

2. Design for what we know about humans; sensing and detecting emotional states and having machines respond accordingly; control science and getting machines to work better based upon human cognitive sensing.

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned

• • #71 Hasard Lee on the F-35 and Cognitive Load

• Tom Ferris

• The Design Of Everyday Things by Don Norman

• IPA Monthly Brown Bag Meetings

• Calling Authors & Thought Leaders: LLMs and GPT-3

• IPA Blog Submission Guidelines

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-140

Guest Bio:

Dr. Thomas Ferris is an Associate Professor, Industrial & Systems Engineering at Texas A&M University. Dr. Ferris' research interests are in human factors and cognitive ergonomics, and can be described as the study of cognition in human-machine engineered systems. His primary focus involves human information processing and design to support attention and interruption management. In particular, he investigates novel interface design techniques, employing alternative display modalities such as the sense of touch. Other research interests include human error, decision making under time pressure and human-automation interaction. He has interest and experience in applying his research to the domains of medicine (anesthesiology), military operations (command and control, UV control and operations), aviation (cockpit automation and air traffic control) and ground transportation.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

Austin Branch and Andy Whiskeyman, both professors of the practice at the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS), discuss the recent Phoenix Challenge Conference which was held in London from Feb 27th to Mar 3rd 2023. The Conference was meant to bring together: Academia, Industry, and Government. Those three communities are vital to success in the information field.

The first two days were plenary sessions meant to orient the group and ensure common focus for the day three working groups.

The day three working groups were split into three:

1. Industry/Government: creating a forum for dialog and creating shared solutions.

2. Academia: preparation for the Academic Phoenix Challenge. Creating an environment to harness academic excellence in support of common obstacles and opportunities.

3. Government session: Integrated deterrence, Narrative, Assessment.

These were all the initial working groups designed to create the initial conditions for future success. These themes will continue throughout the year. Conference outputs will work to develop solutions, recommendations, etc. for key leaders in Government (in the information field, specifically OIOP (OSD), and for Head MSE (MoD).

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-139

Guest Bio:

Austin Branch is Professor of the Practice at the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS).

Andy Whiskeyman is Professor of the Practice at the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security; Associate Professor at the College of Information and Cyberspace at National Defense University, and a non-resident fellow at Joint Special Operations University

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, Dr. Matthew Canham discusses the importance of cognitive security, and his neurosecurity framework.

Research Question: Are there a finite and discoverable set of Principles of Influence for AI analogous to the Principles of Influence in humans? (Reference: Dr. Robert Cialdini's Seven Principles of Influence in Humans which form the basis of (most) social engineering attacks: Reciprocity, Social Proof, Liking, Authority, Commitment & Consistency, Scarcity, Unity)

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #113 Jeff Engstrom on Chinese Systems Warfare
  • #135 Dave Maxwell on North Korea and Influence Operations
  • #110 Sean McFate on The New Rules of War
• Matthew's personal website
• Cognitive Security: Exploring the Human Layer w/ Dr. Matthew Canham | CSI Talks #1
  • https://youtu.be/OGmvoj5Dj_A
• Unrestricted Warfare: China's Master Plan to Destroy America by Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui
• AntiFragile, 2014, Nassim Nicholas Taleb
• Unrestricted Warfare: China's Master Plan to Destroy America, 2015, Qiao Liang & Wang Xiangsui
• War Without Rules: China's Playbook for Global Domination, 2022, Robert Spalding
• The New Rules of War: How America Can Win--Against Russia, China, and Other Threats, 2020, Sean McFate
• The Weaponisation of Everything: A Field Guide to the New Way of War, 2022, Mark Galeotti
• The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age, 1997, James Dale Davidson & Lord William Rees-Mogg
• The Network State: How To Start a New Country, 2022, Balaji Srinivasan
• What Technology Wants, 2010, by Kevin Kelly
• Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion, 2021, Robert B Cialdini PhD
• Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade, 2016, Robert Cialdini Ph.D.
• Security risks of ChatGPT and other AI text generators Paul Wagenseil January 17, 2023

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-138

Guest Bio: Dr. Matthew Canham is a security consultant and researcher dedicated to understanding and addressing the human element in cybersecurity. His research focuses on human susceptibility to mis-dis-mal (MDM) information operations and remote online social engineering attacks. He is also the host of the Cognitive Security Institute, an organization which holds monthly online meetings to discuss topics in cognitive security. You may watch past presentations here: https://www.youtube.com/@cognitivesecurityinstitute579/videos

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, Vic Garcia and Mike Berger of Peraton give a deep dive into IO-related challenges facing the United States and allied nations, plus dynamics between the intelligence and the operations communities, and the importance and current state of IO assessments.

Research Question:

• Vic Garcia suggests: How are the Chinese leveraging the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in order to build influence across the globe? What are the implications on US foreign policy?
• [Expanding off of the question above] Mike Berger asserts: What are examples of strategic competitor (Chinese and Russian) efforts to build influence* in different information environments across the globe? How successful have they been in these efforts, and what challenges do they present to US national interests?

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #82 John DeRosa and Alex del Castillo on Measuring Effectiveness of Operations in the Information Environment
  • #81 Cassandra Brooker on the Effectiveness of Influence Activities
  • #115 Russ Burgos on Information Supply, Demand, and Effect
  • #129 Eliot Jardines on Open Source Intelligence
• Axis of Disinformation: Propaganda from Iran, Russia, and China on COVID-19 by Andrew Whiskeyman, Michael Berger
• The Hundred-Year Marathon: China's Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower by Michael Pillsbury and Malcolm Hillgartner
• Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences by Alexander George and Andrew Bennett (2004).
• Like War: The Weaponization of Social Media by P.W. Singer and Emerson Brooking (2018).
• Intelligence Support for Operations in the Information Environment, by RAND—authors include Michael Schwille, Anthony Atler, Jonathan, Welch, Christopher Paul, Richard C. Baffa (2020).

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-137

Guest Bio:

Colonel (Ret) Vic Garcia culminated his 30-year Army career after having served as the J39 Information Operations Division Chief at two separate combatant commands: U.S. Special Operations Command (2016-20) and U.S. Central Command (2013-16). During his tenure at SOCOM he oversaw the creation of the Joint MISO Web-operations Center (JMWC), and helped lead organizational change for the PSYOP, Civil Affairs, Cyber and Space communities within the SOF enterprise. Prior to this, while at CENTCOM, Vic led the command's IO efforts against ISIS/Daesh propaganda, leading to improved web operations including development of a team directly supporting JSOC. Vic served in a variety of infantry and PSYOP assignments, including command of information warfare task forces in Iraq for Multi-National Forces -Iraq, and in Qatar for Special Operations Command – Central. He also saw service in Kandahar, Afghanistan as an infantry deputy Brigade commander; and as a MIST Team leader supporting Joint Task Force Liberia, created to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in that country. His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal (2 awards), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards), the Expert Infantryman's Badge, Ranger Tab, Senior Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and others. His education includes a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point; a Master of Science in International Relations from Troy University; and a Master's of Science in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College. Vic currently works for Peraton supporting information warfighting capability development.

Dr. Mike Berger is Chief of Research for the Information Warfare organizational unit (OU) in Peraton's Cyber Mission Sector. In this capacity, he serves as the lead for analysis and assessments for the Operational Planning, Implementation, and Assessment Services (OPIAS) contract—the largest information warfare support contract in the US Government (USG). Dr. Berger oversees primary source research, personnel, and operational assessments supporting information operations (IO) / irregular warfare (IW) activities across OPIAS's supported Geographic Combatant Commands (GCCs) and USG agencies. Through the course of his work, Dr. Berger has established and successfully managed the most expansive foreign audience opinion research portfolio in the Department of Defense, including over 700,000 survey interviews, 600 focus groups, and 2,000 elite interviews in a variety of sensitive locations across the globe. A central focus of his research includes illuminating the current challenges faced by America and its partners in the information environment. Dr. Berger holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of St. Andrews (Scotland, United Kingdom). He enjoys establishing new research projects, leveraging new technologies to enhance data analysis, and developing operational assessment teams in support of forward deployed warfighters.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, Dr Vicki Nash discusses the Oxford Internet Institute, Internet governance, and regulation related to children.

Research Question: What are the benefits of technology use in children or young people; for example: benefits related to forming one's own identity, one's own sense personality, self-efficacy?

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned

• • #18 Tom Sear on Xenowar

  • #41 Toomas Ilves on the Estonian Perspective

• Victoria Nash's OII Webpage

• Unicef Growing Up in a Connected World report

• OfCom Children and Parents Media Users survey

• It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens by danah boyd

• Cloud Empires: How Digital Platforms Are Overtaking the State and How We Can Regain Control by Vili Lehdonvirta

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-136

Guest Bio: Victoria Nash is Director of the Oxford Internet Institute (OII). Her research interests draw on her background as a political theorist, and concern the normative policy implications of evidence characterising children's use of Internet technologies. Recent research has included an analysis of age verification policies as a tool for balancing the interests of children and adults online, and an examination of the data risks posed to children by connected toys and the Internet of Things. She holds several digital policy advisory roles, including membership of the UK Government's multi-stakeholder UK Council on Internet Safety (UKCIS) Evidence Group, and serves on the Advisory Board of Internet Matters. She is frequently called on to give expert evidence in UK and EU policy consultations on broader issues such as platform governance and Internet regulation.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, Dave Maxwell discusses the importance of human rights upfront, influence campaigns, the pursuit of a free and unified Korea, resting on a foundation of deterrence and defense in the context of countering North Korea.

Research Questions: Dave suggests technologies be developed which help Western governments access and penetrate North Korea. Also, he believes the potential succession in North Korea is an important research area, as well as mapping out the entire human terrain of key personalities and communicators. He also asks: how can we use defectors and escapees to help with the above research projects and bridge the North and the South. Finally, Dave thinks these "big 5" questions related to North Korea are important:

1. What do we want to achieve in Korea?
2. What is the acceptable durable political arrangement that will protect, serve, and advance US and ROK/US Alliance interests on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia?
3. Who does Kim fear more: The US or the Korean people in the north? (Note it is the Korean people armed with information knowledge of life in South Korea)
4. Do we believe that Kim Jong-un has abandoned the seven decades old strategy of subversion, coercion-extortion (blackmail diplomacy), and use of force to achieve unification dominated by the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State in order to ensure the survival of the mafia like crime family cult known as Kim family regime?
5. In support of that strategy do we believe that Kim Jong-un has abandoned the objective to split the ROK/US Alliance and get US forces off the peninsula? Has KJU given up his divide to conquer strategy - divide the alliance to conquer the ROK?

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #99 Roger Carstens on Hostage Negotiations & Diplomacy
• National Strategy for Countering North Korea by Robert Joseph, Robert Collins, Joseph DeTrani, Nicholas Eberstadt, Olivia Enos, David Maxwell, and Greg Scarlatoiu
• Otto Warmbier
• Unified Republic of Korea
• Marked For Life: Songbun: The North Korean Social Classification System by Robert Collins
• Army of the Indoctrinated: The Suryong, the Soldier, and Information in the KPA by George Hutchinson
• Becoming Kim Jong-un: A Former CIA Officer's Insights into North Korea's Enigmatic Young Dictator by Dr. Jung H. Pak
• See IPA's website at the link below for many other book and online resource suggestions related to North Korea

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-135

Guest Bio: David Maxwell is a retired US Army Special Forces Colonel and has spent more than 30 years in Asia as a practitioner and specializes in North Korea and East Asia Security Affairs and irregular, unconventional, and political warfare. He is the Editor of Small Wars Journal. He is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Senior Fellow at the Global Peace Foundation (where he focuses on a free and unified Korea), and a Senior Advisor to the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, US Air Force LtCol Dan "Plato" Morabito discusses his theory of information warfare. Plato takes what may be considered a first principles approach by defining objectively information, knowledge, and problems with knowing. Then, he assembles a novel taxonomy of information warfare which combines trust, access, and cognition–all of which are required for knowledge creation. After discussing "problems of knowing," he defines information warfare and a theory for victory.

Research Question: What is the role of the US Government to counter malign influence when the enemy is fighting for a strategic advantage directly with America's center of gravity, the American people, and can this be accomplished while preserving freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and other democratic principles?

Resources:

• How We Lost the Information War of 2028 (December 2021) by Dan "Plato" Morabito
• National Security and the Third-Road Threat: Toward a Comprehensive Theory of Information Warfare (Fall 2021) by Dan "Plato" Morabito
• Cyber Persistence Theory: Redefining National Security in Cyberspace by Emily Goldman, Michael Fischerkeller, and Richard Harknett
• Why America Loses Wars: Limited War and US Strategy from the Korean War to the Present by Donald Stoker

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-134

Guest Bio:

Lieutenant Colonel Daniel "Plato" Morabito, commander of the 834th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, 67th Cyberspace Wing, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, holds a master of science in leadership and information technology from Duquesne University, a master of science in cyberspace operations from the Air Force Institute of Technology, a master of military operational art and science from the USAF Air Command and Staff College, and a master of arts in military operations from the US Army Command and General Staff College.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, US Army MAJ Joe Littell discusses his recent article: the Future of Cyber-Enabled Influence Operations–including emergent technologies, disinformation, and implications for democracy. Joe also presents some of the things we can do to protect ourselves.

Research Question: How did China use social media to control the COVID narrative within China? How was Chinese state media messaging oriented, both in frequency and content, prior to their invasion of COVID19 Lockdown Protests?

• Was Chinese messaging uniform, both in frequency and content, across languages and regions, or was it tailored by either?
• Did Chinese messaging change, either in frequency or content, in response to increased publicity from Western outlets?

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #41 Toomas Ilves on the Estonian Perspective
  • #86 Nick Starck and David Bierbrauer on Vulnerabilities in the Military Use of AI
  • #129 Eliot Jardines on Open Source Intelligence
• Littell, Joseph, "The Future of Cyber-Enabled Influence Operations: Emergent Technologies, Disinformation, and the Destruction of Democracy" (2022). ACI Books & Book Chapters.

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-133

Guest Bio:

Joe Littell enlisted in the Army in 2003 as an infantryman and attained the rank of Sergeant before commissioning in 2010. Upon commission, Major Littell has served as a Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, and Battalion Logistics Officer while assigned to the 83rd Chemical Battalion. As a 1LT, MAJ Littell applied for, assessed, and completed the Psychological Operations Qualification Course and served within the ARSOF community as a Tactical Detachment Commander and Company Commander with 9th PSYOP Battalion (Airborne). MAJ Littell currently serves as a research scientist at the Army Cyber Institute at West Point on the Information Warfare team working on computational propaganda, narrative warfare, radicalization, and microtargeting through publicly and commercially available data. He holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of South Florida and a MS in Data Science from Duke University.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, Brian Russell returns to the Cognitive Crucible to discuss what he calls: "OIE Truths." Based on his extensive information operations experience, these truths represent the best advice he can give to commanders and service members on how to embrace and exploit emerging OIE doctrine and capabilities.

Research Question: Brian asks: How do we establish a model for conditions-based command and control? Can we have a construct where a force is trained and certified to a certain standard which can quickly chop to a command with the authority to implement that capability?

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #13 Brian Russell on Behind Enemy Lines
  • #38 Lori Reynolds on Operations in the Information Environment
  • #102 Brian Schweers on the All Domain Effects Team Concept
  • #95 LtGen Matthew Glavy on MCDP 8 Information
  • #126 Edgar Hollandsworth on Talent Development and Intelligence Support for OIE
• The Five OIE Truths: What it takes to be successful in the information environment by Col Brian Russell
• Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein
• Brief: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less by Joseph McCormack
• Marine Corps Gazette Editorial Policy and Writers' Guidelines

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-132

Guest Bio: Brian Russell is a recently retired colonel in the United States Marine Corps. After commissioning from North Carolina State University, he served the earliest parts of his 27 year career as an artillery officer with multiple combat deployments including service as a Military Transition Team Leader in Habbaniyah, Iraq, the executive officer of Brigade Headquarters Group in Helmand Province, Afghanistan and Plans Director in Bagram, Afghanistan for a combined joint special operations task force. After giving up command of 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company in Camp Pendleton CA, he was selected to attend the College of Information and Cyberspace at National Defense University as the sole Marine student in the inaugural resident cyberspace strategy war college program. This educational opportunity earned him a set of orders to US Cyber Command where he served in Fires and Effects division and subsequently served as the J5 Plans Director of Joint Task Force ARES. Most recently he commanded II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group (II MIG) in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina where he provided joint all domain effects for the MEF commander, 2d and 6th Fleets and multiple key allies and partners.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, US Army LTC Brian Burbank discusses the Ghost Team's immersive information operations training capability at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California. The Ghost Team challenges brigade-sized units with multi-domain dynamics so that we can win the first battle of the next war.

Research Question: Brian Burbank observes that everyone is talking about Artificial Intelligence and how it's going to change modern warfare. The real question is how, and how do we make it useful to help a Commander win? Lots of value to automate the science of Leadership, so Commanders can apply the Art to enhance our information dominance (Our OODA loop is faster than our adversaries). But if it doesn't help Commanders win, then it won't be of value.

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #129 Eliot Jardines on Open Source Intelligence
• Army FM 3-0 OPERATIONS
• Sooner Than We Think: Command Post Survivability and Future Threats with COL John Antal (USA, Ret.)
• Stratagem: Deception and Surprise in War by Barton Whaley
• Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life by Rory Sutherland

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-131

Guest Bio:

LTC Brian Burbank is a lifelong Maniac (born and raised in Maine) and enlisted in the United States Army Reserves in September 1998. He served in the 94th Military Police Company until 2003 and deployed to Bosnia in 2000-2001. He also briefly served in the Maine Army National Guard prior to commissioning. LTC Burbank commissioned from the University of Maine Army ROTC program in 2003 and was branched Aviation and became a qualified UH-60 pilot. He mostly flew a desk, despite a deployment to Afghanistan (2006-2007) and to Iraq (2008-2009), which led him to transfer into Information Operations (Functional Area 30) in 2013.

As an Information Operations Officer, LTC Burbank served on the I Corps staff, participating in exercises in Thailand, Japan, and Australia, and numerous CONUS locations. In 2016, LTC Burbank was assigned to 1st Information Operations Battalion, 1st Information Operations Command at Fort Belvoir, VA where he served as a Field Support Team Leader during a deployment in support of a JTF in Afghanistan (2017), Battalion Executive Officer, Force Management Officer, and Social Media Detachment Chief. He then was assigned to III Corps and immediately deployed to Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve in Kuwait (2020-2021).

LTC Burbank is currently assigned as the Ghost Team Chief within the Operations group at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California. Ghost Team is comprised of key enablers to support Information Advantage, specifically Civil Affairs, Cyber Electromagnetic Activities, Public Affairs, Psychological Operations, and Space Operations. Ghost Team is responsible for simultaneously coaching rotational training units and adjusting the scenario to provide a controlled, realistic, and contested training operational environment for the Army. Ghost Team derives its heritage from the World War Two famed unit, the 23rd Headquarters, Special Troops, better known as "Patton's Ghost Army".

LTC Brian Burbank has been married to the lovely Olivia Burbank for almost 20 years and they share two children, Abby (16) and Evan (12). They collectively enjoy shenanigans wherever they go. Brian enjoys working on his 1969 Volkswagen Beetle (Herbie), brewing beer, gardening, terrorizing children and the neighborhood in his inflatable T-Rex costume, and most recently, dabbling with his wood pellet smoker.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.