EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Title: WARFIGHTERS AND HUMANITARIANS: INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY TO SAVE LIVES

organizations--NGO) have not effectively integrated communication and data system technologies into their combined humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. Background: Future humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions will require DoD forces to integrate with NGOs. Voice and data communications, critical at all levels, are most challenging at the tactical level. The tactical Civil-Military Operations Center (CMOC) has developed into the binding organization between the military and NGOs. Operations Provide Comfort, Sea Angel, Restore Hope, and Support Hope provided four common themes concerning tactical level military-NGO communications: daily face-to-face meetings have been the most effective communications means; NGOs do not have the capability to provide themselves robust communications capabilities; military commanders often desire to support NGOs communication efforts, allowing for improved military-NGO relief efforts; and the NGOs must have a need to communicate with the CMOC. Today's communications interfaces can take three forms: meetings, single channel radio (SCR) communications, and host nation infrastructure use. Military-NGO meetings must be tailored to emphasize relief, vice warfighting, and provide the NGOs utility. These meeting