Book excerpt: Army Techniques Publication ATP 5-0.6 Network Engagement JUNE 2017 Humans are complex, social creatures. Attempting to analyze them to determine if we should engage them is a combination of art and science and often depends upon the purpose for that engagement and the paradigms from which we perceive them. The Army engages human networks through the range of military operations in order to achieve U.S. objectives. Network engagement provides staff orientation for unity of effort Network engagement supports the overarching framework provided by mission command to guide the tailored application of current doctrinal processes, such as the Army design methodology, the military decisionmaking process (MDMP) and intelligence preparation of the battlefield/battlespace, targeting, or assessment. Network engagement helps to bind the staff together and introduces them to the networks that exist within their area of operation. As described in this publication, network engagement, can and should be applied in any operational environment (OE) and across the spectrum of conflict. Network engagement is an evolution of attack the network. While attack the network focused on neutralizing the threat network, this focus often led commanders to overlook friendly and neutral networks. Past techniques to grapple with the challenges of some of the different components of network engagement have included forming ad hoc fusion centers, employing the civil military operations center (CMOC), establishing an information operations working group, and enforcing the use of a District Stability Framework (DSF). Network engagement provides the doctrinal guidance to conduct network engagement activities integrated into the Operations Process. These activities change the commander's focus from attacking threat networks to identifying, defining, and effectively interacting with friendly and neutral networks, while simultaneously engaging threat networks. There are significant overlaps between network engagement and information operations. Both seek to affect the behavior and will of relevant actors (nodes) and audiences (networks) in the human domain. Network engagement and information operations are tightly connected, mutually supporting, and mutually reinforcing. All echelons from the BCT up to the Army Service component command level can use the information and techniques within this publication as appropriate. The more widespread these techniques are understood and applied, the more effective network engagement will be executed across echelons. However, network engagement is neither analyzed, planned, nor executed in isolation at any echelon. Effective network engagement is a shared and collaborative effort across all unified action partners, the entire intelligence enterprise, other communities (for example, civil affairs and information operations), and all echelons down to the BCT Network engagement requires the detailed integration and synchronization of all warfighting functions and many unique capabilities. As a part of network engagement, it is important to understand small unit information collection doctrine within ATP 3-55.4. The analytical requirements to support network engagement are significant. This associated analytical support is both advanced and time-intensive. It requires a certain level of expertise to effectively analyze information from sensitive, technical, and unique sources of information. BCT inclusion of network engagement considerations and execution of specific network engagement tasks is critical. However, BCT analytical capabilities are limited and the BCT is dependent on the other echelons to provide detailed network engagement analytical products. This should be thought of as a top-down push of analytical support and products.