AFDD 2-1.9, page 94

84 the “Califon” scenario), it is important for targeteers (and other intelligence personnel) to be involved with the exercise planning at the earliest stages in order to inject as much realism as possible into the scenario. Constant coordination between targeteers, the combat plans squadron, and exercise A-Staff A-5 (Plans) is necessary to ensure exercise objectives and planning timelines are known. It is often difficult to exercise the full targeting effort in C2-only exercises. For notional scenarios, target materials are not available and must be created, which is an extremely time consuming effort. Many times, target materials are simply not created at all. This severely limits the CAOC’s ability to fully exercise targeting. In many cases targeting simply consists of management of a list of targets without any intelligence available to train planners on how and why certain targets are chosen for attack. Such “target servicing” is contrary to an effects-based approach and should be discouraged. This lack of realism also harms assessment efforts. As the exercise runs, targets are simulated struck (or not). However, there is no imagery to correspond to strikes. All information that CAOC personnel would normally receive (INFLTREPs, MISREPs, imagery, SIGINT, etc.) is at best simulated by reports created electronically by the simulation. This can also result in negative training. Without a comprehensive game plan for training, targeteers and assessors will simply be regurgitating information produced by the simulation. Again, getting involved in the planning of the exercise at the earliest stage is critical if the exercise is to have as much realistic targeting and assessment training as possible. It is critical that training be as realistic as possible. Airmen who learn operational art using fictional countries, with no live targets, no live ISR platforms, no real imagery, no real weapons risk, and without fully developing exercise targeting scenarios will not have adequate experience in targeting to be effective during wartime.