AFDD 2-1.9, page 84

74 ASSESSMENT In the “traditional” view of assessment, there is little to do outside of ongoing operations. This is untrue. Personnel involved in assessment can review pre-conflict target development materials and try to determine appropriate MOE for them. In fact, this should go hand-in-hand with peacetime target development, just as it should during conflict. Assessment personnel should also cultivate relationships with federated partners during peacetime, to expedite flow of information once conflict begins. Finally, information and other non-kinetic weapons, as well as the low-intensity transnational nature of the Global War on Terror, have made the possibility of less overt force employment a reality. Things may be happening in many parts of the world that require astute and thorough assessment, even if major campaigns are not being conducted. The traditional approach to assessment has led to underutilization of “assessors” in peacetime. Often, there is little emphasis on their specialty until a commander asks, “How are we doing?” during operations. Commanders should ensure assessors are properly utilized in peacetime by encouraging them to foster the necessary federated relationships and by encouraging them to study targeting and assessment from prior operations to determine how a conflict in their theater would be affected. Every conflict is different, but many concepts hold true regardless of where the conflicts are fought. For example, adversaries may use the same aircraft and munitions regardless of theater. Many nations have similar weaponry, even if how they use them differs. Also, as CAOCs become more standardized, the opportunity to learn lessons from other CAOCs increases. For instance, assessors may learn from a conflict like OIF about the difficulties associated with accurately assessing how a nation’s C2 network is functioning once it has been attacked and can take steps to minimize this in their theater. Peacetime commanders can further assist wartime performance of their assessment personnel by protecting them from excessive non-assessment taskings and by ensuring adequate manning of assessment cells. These cells should include personnel from operations, intelligence, IO, and space specialties at a minimum. Another important aspect of assessment during peacetime is the role MEA plays in helping guide munitions procurement. The specifics of this subject are outside the scope of this publication, but one of the main purposes of MEA is to guide the process of weapon acquisition and modification and to feed JMEM revision in order to produce better weapons and weaponeering solutions. BASIC ENCYCLOPEDIA NUMBER (BE#) AND DPI STANDARDIZATION All targeteers in the CAOC should understand the theater BE# plan for a conflict. While many targets already have BE#s assigned, many identified during combat do not have them. Without an established plan for assigning BE#s, components may take it upon themselves to assign them, creating the potential for confusion and lack of situational awareness on what targets are being struck. Confusion can adversely affect