Force Tracking Numbers FTN

1
Force Tracking Numbers (FTN)

• Force Tracking Numbers is a current initiative
  that US Joint Forces Command J9 has submitted to
  the JPEC for inclusion into the FDPE process.
  The initiative came out of discussions at the
  Joint Deployment Distribution Conference that
  ultimately created Unified View 05.
• Joint Staff J3 submitted a tasker into MCATS for
  recommendation from the JPEC. PLN requisitioned
  information from the JPEC prior to providing the
  Marines Corps position through MCATS. The
  Preliminary reply from PLN was to concur with
  both major and substantive issues.
• There were major issues with the implementation
  of the FTN. Although some commands agreed with
  the effort, without firm business rules, at the
  Action Officer level chop, the Marine Corps
  position will change to a Non-concurrence.

2
Major Issues With Implementation of the FTN

• No set business rules
• Currently there is no enforcement of the Force
  Requirement Number (FRN) so who will enforce the
  FTN
• There were issues when US NorthCom attempted to
  utilize FTN during Hurricane Katrina relief.
  These issues were due to the lack of a system to
  properly create FTNs.
• US Joint Forces Command has advertised the system
  to be a no cost and should be able to implement
  and enforce the FTN immediately. (This is an
  untrue statement because currently the only
  command that has a FReD type database is US
  Central Command!)

3
Major Issues With Implementation of the FTN
(cont.)

• This concept came about because the use of the
  Request For Forces and Request For Capabilities
  (RFF/RFC) got out of control.
• If the Marine Corps accept this concept as a
  whole, Combatant Commanders will require that the
  each ULN that is submitted to US Transportation
  Command for lift not be validated until an FTN is
  in the system.
• US Joint Forces Command has submitted to Joint
  Staff J3 that an FTN field be placed into JOPES
  that will give an warning prior to validation
  of any ULNs for submission to USTRANSCOM. (any
  MAGTF planner knows that this can be ignored and
  the validation process can continue)

4
Major Issues With Implementation of the FTN
(cont.)

• If we are forced to use FTN, will the requirement
  be solely for rotationary forces from USCENTCOM
  for will it be required for exercise support such
  as Ulchi Focus Lens, CAX, etc.
• Joint Staff J3 has already submitted a 136
  transmittal requesting that the FTN be added into
  the JOPES Rep. (The Marine Corps position on
  this was a Non-concurrence because it has yet to
  be determined from the JPEC if the FTN is going
  to be implemented into the FDPE process. There
  is no way we could possibly concur with placing
  this data field into the JOPESREP prior to a
  determination being made about the use of the
  FTN)
• In order to non-concur with the use of the FTN in
  MCATS, we as the JPEC must be prepared to arm
  Major General Benes with supportable data for the
  non-concurrence.
• Additionally, there is currently no DAA
  authorization for the FReD database to be placed
  on the SIPRNET, but USCENTCOM somehow wants to
  require all forces to use this system.

5
Business Rules (USMC)