Charles Martel,

Awesome namesake!

Anyway, I have been discussing this on the CAC blog, too. According to a string I read there, AR 600-3 is being changed to identify Information Operations Officers as Information Engagement Officers. This is in line with your notion that there is only one operation. As it really defines and clarifies the role of the G-7, I think I like this change. Of course the G-7 should have oversight of the other Information tasks, but I do not think it advisable that the G-7 should take full responsibility of C2W, OPSEC, IP, and MILDEC. There is a lot of variance in the types of skills that these competencies require. That being said, I keep coming back to the same question in my mind. If IE is the primary mission of the G-7 staff, why do we have a PSYOP career path? Aren't we doing the same thing? I keep thinking that the G-7 is kind of like a political officer whose job it is to make sure that the actions of the PSYOP (enemy focused) and PAO (friendly focused) officer are not too divergent from the over all strategic message. As FM 3-13(DRAFT) states, "The same combination of acts, words, and images that influence a particular group of people in one instance inevitably influence other groups of people in the same area of operations, adjoining geographic areas, and in locations on the other side of the globe." Because of the information revolution, these two skill sets cannot operate in a vacuum thereby necessitating the need for a G-7 staff.

I don't know. Still trying to work it out; it is fun, though!