# United States Army Field Manual 3-13 Information Operations/Preface

Preface
Information is an element of combat power. Commanders conduct information operations (IO) to apply it. Focused IO—synchronized with effective information management and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance— enable commanders to gain and maintain information superiority. IO is a prime means for achieving information superiority. Users of FM 3-13 must be familiar with the military decisionmaking process established in FM 5-0, Army Planning and Orders Production; the operations process, established in FM 3-0, Operations; and commander’s visualization, described in FM 6-0, Mission Command: Command and Control of Army Forces.
PURPOSE
As the Army’s key integrating manual for IO, this manual prescribes IO doctrine and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP). It also establishes doctrine and TTP for the IO elements of operations security and military deception. This manual implements joint IO doctrine established in JP 3-13, Joint Doctrine for Information Operations; JP 3-54, Joint Doctrine for Operations Security; and JP 3-58, Joint Doctrine for Military Deception. This manual establishes the following as the definition of IO used by Army forces: Information operations is the employment of the core capabilities of electronic warfare, computer network operations, psychological operations, military deception, and operations security, in concert with specified supporting and related capabilities, to affect or defend information and information systems, and to influence decisionmaking. This definition supersedes the definition of IO in FM 3-0. It is consistent with joint initiatives.
SCOPE
The publication addresses IO doctrine in Part I and TTP in Part II. Part I also establishes Army operations security (OPSEC) and military deception doctrine.
APPLICABILITY
This publication applies to Army forces from Army service component command (ASCC) to maneuver brigade. It is most applicable to corps and divisions. The primary users of this manual are ASCC, corps, division, and brigade commanders and staff officers—specifically the G-2, G-3, G-7, and staff representatives for military deception, electronic warfare, operations security, fire support, psychological operations, civil affairs, and public affairs. Battalions normally execute higher headquarters IO. In stability operations and support operations, they may be given IO assets. Thus, they need to know their role in brigade and division IO. ​TRADOC service schools and branch proponents should use FM 3-13 as a point of departure for integrating IO into branch doctrino and military instruction
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Terms that have joint or Army definitions are identified in both the glossary and the text. The glossary lists most terms used in FM 3-13 that have joint or Army definitions. Terms for which FM 3-13 is the proponent manual (the authorityare indicated with an asterisk in the glossary. Definitions for which FM 3-13 is the proponent manual are printed in boldface in the text. These terms and their definitions will be incorporated into the next revision of FM 1-02. For other definitions in the text, the term is italicized and the number of the proponent manual follows the definition.
The glossary contains referents of acronyms and definitions of terms not defined in JP l—02 and FM 1-02. It does not list acronyms and abbreviations that are included for clarity only and appear one time, nor those that appear only in a figure and are listed in the legend for that figure. Some common ab- breviations and acronyms—for example, the abbreviations for military ranks and publications—are not spelled out; refer to the glossary. Since ARFOR is a dttined term as well as an acronym, it is not spelled out.
"President" refers to the President and the Secretary of Defense, or their duly deputized alternates and successors.
All references to annexes refer to annexes to operation plans (OPLANs) or operation orders (OPORDs) unless stated otherwise.
Unless stated otherwise, masculine nouns or pronouns do not refer exclusively to men.
Headquarters, US Army Training and Doctrine Command, is the proponent for this publication. The preparing agency is the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate, US Army Combined Arms Center. Send written comments and recommendations on DA Form 2028 (Recommended Changes to Publications and Blank Forms) directly to: (Commander, US Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth. ATTN: ATZL-CD (FM 3-13), 1 Reynolds Road (Build- ing 111), Fort Leavonworth, KS 66027-1352. Sand comments and recommendations by email to web-cadd@leavenworth.army.mil. Follow tho DA Form 2028 format or submit an electronic DA Form 2028.