A New Tool for the FAO Rucksack

LTC Karl Prinslow, Infantry,
Sub-Saharan Africa FAO

Every Foreign Area Officer relies on open source and unclassified information at every stage of his/her training and subsequent utilization tours. The Open Source Information System (OSIS) is a tool that should be added to every FAO's rucksack.

The OSIS is a private virtual network, or intranet, that provides US government employees worldwide access to dozens, if not hundreds, of government and commercial databases. This provides the FAO access to background information and current analysis of events and issues from virtually any region of the world. The OSIS is firewall and password protected. However, any personal computer using the Windows 95/98/NT operating systems with access to a quality telephone line can be authorized the ability to connect to the OSIS. All access and movement within the OSIS is via a Web browser (e.g. Netscape Navigator).

A PC that currently has access to a commercial Internet Service Provider such as AOL can still connect to the OSIS. Once connected to the OSIS intranet the individual can contact any public Internet site and return the OSIS server/database as well.

In addition to the more well known material, the FAO will find on the OSIS network the following types of databases:

Air and Trade Show imagery

Jane's Publications

Sanitized or unclassified IIR's

IC-Rich Open Source Environment (IC-ROSE)- access to over 900 international journals, magazines and newspapers

Counter Drug Links

Foreign Broadcast Information Sservice (FBIS)

Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA) Expeditionary Factbooks

Library of Congress Country Studies

Infantry Weapons Identification Guide

Technical Equipment Library

AFMIC Infectious Disease Assessments, medical capabilities

Machine Translation software

Mines CD

NIMA products and maps from other sources

Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia of the Orient, Bartletts Quotations, dictionaries

Of course, one will also find links to Unified Commands, Intelligence Commands, government agencies and organizations.

The Foreign Area Officer needs this type of information as he conducts his graduate school research requirements. He further needs it while conducting in-country training as a convenient way to remain in touch with news and developments throughout his region. He needs it all the more when assigned to a non-FAO position, yet retains a desire and need to stay abreast of developments within his region, its activities and languages.

Easy access to this wealth of unclassified information may also prove invaluable to the FAO in any number of assignments or tasks in which close interaction with foreign nationals occurs. Although one cannot violate copyright laws, the ability to openly share important and timely information can be an instrumental element in building closer and more credible relations and in breaking down national or cultural barriers of suspicion.

The next step to gain OSIS connectivity is to contact the service manager for the OSIS accounts. They are:

Army - Ms Emma Covin, Ground Intelligence Support Activity (GISA), Ft Bragg, NC phone 910-396-

Air Force - Mr Dan Carrigan, National Air Intelligence Center (NAIC), Wright Paterson Air Force Base, OH (937)-257-6298 or by e-mail: jdc301@naic.wpafb.af.mil

Navy - COSPO, 703-733-5802/6468 or via e-mail at; info@cospo.osis.gov

Marine Corps - Ms Maxine Wise, MCIA-Quantico, (703)784-6167

Reservists of all services - Mr Ed Waller, COSPO, 703-733-6009 or by e-mail:rew@copso.osis.gov

Among the potentially more useful database on the OSIS is the World Basic Information Library (WBIL) managed by the US Army's Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO). The WBIL is a computer database of catalogued information about regions and countries of the world as well as transnational issues and emerging threats.

The WBIL is a 'virtual library' designed to provide open source and unclassified information that satisfies the US government's information requirements, specifically those of the Intelligence Community (IC), the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice and assorted law enforcement organizations. This database is not intended to nor can it compete with current intelligence assets. It is intended to be the best first source of basic information, catalogued in accordance with an Intelligence Community's hierarchy of about 750 separate topics. Furthermore, this information is analyzed prior to being catalogued so that the results of a WBIL database search will be more effective and efficient than the more traditional "surfing" of the Internet.

Source documents submitted to the library are entered into a HTML form interface, which enables meta-data describing a document to be entered such as URL, title, description and abstract. These source documents can be obtained from many different sources including the WBIL "sources" repository, the OSIS network, the Internet and manually created from computer files, or paper copy documents.

The WBIL has two unique characteristics. Firstly, is the cataloguing the information. Secondly, the WBIL is built by members of the all services' Reserve forces, especially those Individual Ready Reservists and IMA's with few or no other Reserve commitments but a desire to continue their service. Managed by the Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO), the work is done via "virtual drilling" or "distance drilling", which allows the Reservist to perform the work at a time and place of their choosing. Presently, there are over 75 Reservists participating and the project is undergoing a recruitment effort to support the database expansion to all regions of the world. Participation is not limited by regional expertise, military specialty or grade. Participants include a medical doctor in West Africa, Foreign Service personnel around the world, oil executives in multiple regions, university librarians, computer software salesman and college students. Participation in the project is an excellent way for the Reservist to make a valuable and valued contribution, earn drill points, utilize their foreign language(s) and learn more about specific regions of expertise.

Reservists interested in the distance drilling concept and working on the World Basic Information Library project should contact CAPT John Aaron, e-mail nja@cospo.osis.gov, phone: (770) 938-0018 or LTC Karl Prinslow at the Foreign Military Studies Office, 604 Lowe Drive, Ft. Leavenworth, KS 55027, phone: (913) 684-5963 or via e-mail prinslok@leav-emh1.army.mil.

1999, Foreign Area Officer Association
Springfield, Virginia
Maintained by LTC Steve Gotowicki.
http://www.faoa.org