Commanders Requirements: What Do New Zealand Commanders and their Staffs Expect of Military Intelligence Officers in the 21st Century

Military intelligence supports commanders, operations and planning staffs, and their evolving needs. With few foundations for what is expected of military-intelligence officers in scholarly literature, this article attempts to determine what military-intelligence soldiers, planning officers, operational staff, and commanders expect of military-intelligence officers in the 21st century operating environment. Literature, training doctrine, and public resources provide no data or succinct analysis justifying how New Zealand military-intelligence officers comprehend what their roles required of them. This research surveyed New Zealand Defence Force personnel to determine what they believe is best military-intelligence practice. While commanders’ preferences differ, doctrine indicates military-intelligence officers should train for the most likely situations, and therefore commanders’ most likely expectations. This article presents analysis of what is required to be a good military-intelligence officer.