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(U) What Is a J-2?
FROM: (U//FOUO)
SIGINT Communications
Run Date: 02/02/2005
(U) Are you a lifelong civilian? Have you seen references to a military "J-2" or "J-3" and
wondered what it means? Here's an explanation:
(U) The headquarters of each military command makes use of several staffs, each assigned a
different function. They break out as follows:
J-1: Manpower and Personnel
J-2: Intelligence
J-3: Operations
J-4: Logistics
J-5: Strategic Plans and Policy
J-6: Command Control and Communications and Computer Systems
In addition, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) at the Pentagon has two more:
J-7: Operational Plans and Interoperability
J-8: Force Structure, Resource and Assessment
Collectively, they are called the "j-staffs."
(U//FOUO) For obvious reasons, SID has particularly close interactions with the J-2's, who
handle all aspects of intelligence for their Commands. For example, they:
Make sure the Intelligence Community is aware of their intelligence needs;
Monitor intelligence reporting and keep the combat commanders (i.e. those in the J-3
Operations Directorate) aware of what's happening;
Maintain their own intelligence analysis centers (such as the Joint Analysis Center
Molesworth for the European Command, or the Joint Intelligence Center in the Pacific
Command (JICPAC)) to determine how the intelligence will affect the Command; and
Direct certain tactical intelligence collection programs, such as reconnaissance flights.
(U) The term "J-2" or "J-3," etc. can refer to the Director of the staff personally, or to the entire
staff organization, depending on context.
(U) In the above abbreviations, the "J" stands for "joint," that is, military commands composed
of more than one military service. If a Command is not joint, but rather an Army-only affair
(e.g. USAREUR - U.S. Army Europe), the letter changes to "G" as in G-1, G-2, etc. Likewise, the
Navy uses the letter "N" and the Air Force uses "A." (The Marine Corps, like the Army, uses the
letter "G.") If U.S. forces are involved in an international coalition, you will see the letters CJ-1,
CJ-2, etc., used (the "c" is for "combined").
(U) That's it in a nutshell!
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108
