Army Knowledge Online

Army Knowledge Online
Name	Army Knowledge Online
Developer	United States Army, Computer Sciences Corporation, General Dynamics
Released	2001
Discontinued	2010s
Replaced by	Defense Information Systems Agency, Army.mil
Language	English

Army Knowledge Online was a web-based information portal and collaboration platform used by the United States Army to provide centralized personnel management services, email, and knowledge management tools for soldiers, civilians, and contractors. It integrated identity verification, content hosting, and group collaboration functions to connect units, commands, and support organizations across domestic and international deployments such as Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The platform interfaced with enterprise systems operated by agencies including the Department of Defense, Defense Information Systems Agency, and U.S. Army Forces Command.

Overview

Army Knowledge Online functioned as an enterprise portal combining email services, shared calendaring, document repositories, and collaboration suites to support lifecycle management for personnel assigned to formations such as United States Army Reserve and United States Army National Guard. It hosted communities of practice for commands like U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and operational elements including III Corps and 1st Infantry Division, enabling dissemination of policy, training curricula, and operational notices. The system depended on identity credentials and interoperated with directories maintained by Defense Manpower Data Center and U.S. Army Human Resources Command.

History and Development

Development began in the late 1990s as part of broader information technology modernization efforts after initiatives like Project Warrior and lessons from Gulf War. Contractors such as Computer Sciences Corporation and General Dynamics delivered initial capability under task orders awarded by U.S. Army Information Systems Command and later Army Materiel Command. AKO scaled during deployments connected to Global War on Terrorism operations, supporting personnel movements associated with Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Program management involved offices such as Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) and aligned with Federal Information Security Management Act compliance timelines.

Services and Functionality

AKO provided enterprise email, secure webmail, calendaring, instant messaging integration, and file storage used by formations including FORSCOM, U.S. Army Europe, and medical organizations like Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. It hosted portals for schools such as United States Army War College and United States Military Academy to distribute curricula, distance learning content, and accreditation documentation. Identity and access used systems tied to Common Access Card infrastructure and directory services like Lightweight Directory Access Protocol implementations. Administrative tools supported personnel actions interfacing with Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System and readiness reporting used by commands during deployments.

Security and Access Control

AKO implemented multifactor authentication leveraging the Common Access Card and username/password credentials to control access for users ranging from soldiers to contractors sponsored by organizations such as Northrop Grumman and Booz Allen Hamilton. Security policies referenced risk management frameworks promulgated by National Institute of Standards and Technology and aligned with Federal Information Processing Standards. Incident response and auditing involved coordination with United States Cyber Command and Defense Information Systems Agency for vulnerability management, penetration testing, and notifications following reported breaches affecting credentials used by personnel supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom rotations.

User Base and Organizational Use

The user population included active component soldiers assigned to units such as 1st Cavalry Division, Reserve elements like Army Reserve Command, civilian employees from Department of the Army, and vetted contractors working for firms including Lockheed Martin. Commands used AKO for administrative orders, education resources for schools like United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, and operational messaging across theater commands such as U.S. Army Central. Coalition partners and interagency users with appropriate sponsorship occasionally received access under memoranda with entities like Department of State for contingency coordination.

Criticisms and Controversies

AKO was criticized for usability problems cited by personnel from institutions including United States Military Academy and units assigned to III Corps, reporting slow performance, complex account management, and interoperability limits with emerging commercial collaboration suites used by contractors like Amazon Web Services and Google. Security incidents and credential compromises triggered investigations involving Government Accountability Office and prompted audits addressing compliance with Federal Information Security Modernization Act. Costs and contracting choices led to scrutiny over acquisition practices with firms such as Computer Sciences Corporation and debates in hearings before committees like House Armed Services Committee.

Decommissioning and Successor Systems

Over time, the Department of Defense and United States Army migrated capabilities to enterprise platforms administered by Defense Information Systems Agency and service-specific sites such as Army.mil, adopting identity solutions built on Common Access Card and DoD single sign-on initiatives. Transition plans moved email and collaboration to cloud and hosted services procured under programs involving vendors like Microsoft and Amazon Web Services, aligning with mandates from Office of Management and Budget for cloud adoption. The phase-out addressed lessons learned from AKO during operations including Operation Enduring Freedom and informed successor architectures supporting modern force management and joint operations.

Category:United States Army information systems