Joint Publication

Joint Publication
Name	Joint Publication
Subject	Doctrine and guidance
Country	United States
Language	English

Joint Publication is the consolidated doctrinal framework promulgated by the United States Department of Defense to provide authoritative guidance for planning and conducting combined and joint operations. It is maintained and promulgated by the Joint Staff and intended to align activities across the Department of Defense, United States Army, United States Navy, United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps, and allied partners such as NATO, United Kingdom, and Australia. The publications interface with other instruments including policy directives from the President of the United States, statutory guidance from the United States Congress, and operational directives from combatant commands like United States Central Command and United States European Command.

Definition and Scope

Joint publications define doctrine, terminology, and procedures for combined force employment across services and agencies. They are authoritative for commanders in United States Northern Command, United States Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Special Operations Command, and component headquarters, and they articulate relationships among entities such as the National Security Council, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and partner militaries including Canada, France, and Germany. Scope typically covers campaign planning, targeting, intelligence, logistics, command and control, information operations, and stability activities relevant to operations like the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

History and Development

Origins trace to interwar and World War II efforts to coordinate service doctrine between institutions including the War Department, United States Strategic Command predecessors, and the Combined Chiefs of Staff. Cold War drivers included crises such as the Korean War and the Vietnam War, leading to formalized joint doctrine after legislative and organizational changes influenced by reports to Congress and commissions like the Packard Commission. Post-Cold War conflicts including the Persian Gulf War and interventions in the Balkans prompted revisions coordinated with allies like NATO and organizations such as the United Nations. The terrorist attacks of September 11 attacks and subsequent operations in Afghanistan and Iraq further accelerated doctrinal updates and the incorporation of lessons from institutions like the Combatant Commanders and academic centers such as the National Defense University.

Classification and Types

Publications are organized by numbered series covering concepts, operations, logistics, intelligence, and command relationships, used across services including the United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard when operating under Title 10 authorities or in defense support to civil authorities. Types include capstone doctrine, operational-level publications, tactical procedures, and special topics that interact with legal authorities from the Department of Justice and policy guidance from the White House. They reference standards and interoperability protocols for alliances such as NATO Standardization Office and coalition partners like Japan and South Korea.

Creation and Review Process

The Joint Staff, working through directorates and panels that include representatives from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, service doctrine centers such as the Army Training and Doctrine Command, the Navy Warfare Development Command, and the Air Force Doctrine Development Division, drafts publications through coordinated reviews. Drafts undergo staffing across agencies including the State Department and the National Security Agency, solicitation of feedback from combatant commands like United States Africa Command, and engagement with academic institutions such as the Naval War College and the Air War College. Formal approval follows adjudication processes and issuance by senior leaders including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Implementation and Use in Military Operations

Commanders employ publications during operational planning cycles with tools and centers such as the Joint Operations Planning and Execution System, joint task force headquarters, and multinational headquarters used in operations like Operation Unified Protector and Operation Inherent Resolve. They inform targeting processes coordinated with the Defense Intelligence Agency, logistical support coordinated with Defense Logistics Agency, and rules of engagement informed by the Judge Advocate General's Corps and legal advisors attached to service components. Training institutions including National Training Center (Fort Irwin) and exercises such as RIMPAC and BALTOPS test and refine doctrinal application.

International and Interagency Coordination

Joint publications are developed to ensure interoperability with allies and partners, embedding compatibility with NATO doctrines, coalition procedures for partners such as Australia and Italy, and cooperation with international organizations including the United Nations. Interagency coordination involves procedures for collaboration with civilian agencies like the US Agency for International Development, Department of Homeland Security, and regional organizations. Agreements such as Status of Forces Agreements negotiated with host nations like Iraq and Afghanistan influence how doctrine is applied in multinational contexts.

Criticisms and Revisions

Critics in think tanks such as the Center for Strategic and International Studies and academic journals have argued that publications can lag behind technological change exemplified by developments from the National Reconnaissance Office and private defense contractors, or may insufficiently integrate insights from conflicts like Iraq War (2003–2011) and the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021). Revisions have addressed concerns raised by congressional oversight committees, and by studies at institutions such as the Rand Corporation and the Brookings Institution, leading to updates that incorporate cyber considerations, space operations referenced to United States Space Force responsibilities, and lessons learned from multinational operations with partners like NATO.

Category:United States Department of Defense publications