Formed in 2011 at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), the original Information Dominance Senior Leadership Symposium (IDSLS) focused on developing the leadership and teambuilding skills of senior enlisted leaders, captains/commanders, and civilian personnel — GS-GG 14s/15s. The symposium has evolved into part of the IDC’s learning continuum for officers and senior enlisted leaders with a focus on personal and professional development in teambuilding. Moreover, it is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Navy’s Leadership Development Continuum.
IDSLS integrates and restyles the former community specific Navy Intelligence Executive Business and Information Professional Senior Officer Courses, in concert with the Navy Corporate Business Course, and later Navy Senior Leader Seminar models.
IDSLS is scheduled four times per fiscal year with the intent of meeting the IDC’s leader development needs as information dominance matures as a warfighting discipline. In that vein, the symposium also focuses on the key tenets of Assured Communications, Battlespace Awareness and Integrated Fires.
Following initial iterations at NPS, a decision was made to take the course to areas with heavier concentrations of information dominance professionals. The first symposium outside of Monterey was successfully piloted at Fleet Intelligence Training Center (FITC) in San Diego, Calif., in June 2012.
Two courses have been conducted in FY13, one in Monterey in January and another in Norfolk in June. The tentative schedule for the remainder of FY13 includes two courses: August 6-14 at Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Norfolk, Va., and September 10-18 at the Office of Naval Intelligence in Suitland, Md. The length of the course has been adjusted to eight days to accommodate the possibility of civilian furloughs.
Initial planning is underway for a December 2013 (FY14) session in Gulfport, Miss., to be hosted by the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Professional Development Center. An additional San Diego session is also under consideration.
Quotas and selection are managed by IDC community leaders and coordinated by Navy Cyber Forces N7. Key speakers and class activities are developed from participant feedback and input.
IDC leaders must understand the operational advantage afforded by information dominance in 21st century maritime warfare. Operational advantage is a key to warfighting, and the IDSLS emphasizes attainment of this advantage through leader development. Attendance at an IDSLS is an investment in our leaders, ensuring they are developed for success. The IDSLS reinforces the IDC’s cultural shift from warfare support to warfighting in the electromagnetic/information age.
The IDSLS brings Information Dominance Corps leaders together to develop leadership, teaming and warfighting skills. Attendees typically include a foreign partner, a U.S. Marine Corps representative and a mix of uniformed and civilian leaders. Sessions include 30 to 32 participants; travel and per diem costs (TAD/TDY) are paid by parent commands.
For more information and to register for an IDSLS, please visit the Information Dominance Center for Excellence on the Web at http://www.nps.edu/Academics/Centers/IDCFE/CoursesEvents/coursesevents.