Data Literacy and Its Importance to the Army Warrant Officer

By CW5 Jennifer Wolf and CW5 Derrick Kanouse

January 1, 2024 | Warrant Officer Journal, January-March 2024 Edition

Read Time: < 9 mins

Image created using ChatGPT 4.0 / DALL-E 3.0 (2024)

U.S. Army Warrant Officer Career College

The year is 2030, and tensions are escalating in a region that demands the deploy-ment of a military force to maintain stability. CW4 Sam Rodriguez, an experienced logistics officer, has been assigned to lead the logistics division of a multinational coalition force preparing for Operation Data Harmony.

Background:

Operation Data Harmony involves coordinating the efforts of multiple nations, each with its own military equipment, supply chains, and communication systems. The success of the mission hinges on the seamless integration of data from various sources to ensure efficient resource allocation, timely deployment, and effective communication among the allied forces.

Scenario:

CW4 Rodriguez finds himself facing a complex web of challenges due to the diversity of equipment, technology, and procedures among the coalition forces. The need for data literacy skills becomes apparent as he navigates the following scenarios:

Interoperability Issues:

Different nations use varied logistics management systems and databases.

Real-Time Decision-Making:

Intelligence reports and operational data are streaming in continuously.

Supply Chain Optimization:

The coalition relies on a diverse set of suppliers and transport networks. (OpenAI, 2023).

Data literacy is “the ability to read, understand, and utilize data in different ways” (Stobierski, 2021, para. 4). Data literacy “enables successful and sustainable action that is based on evidence” (Schüller, 2022, p. 478). Data drive innovation and enable strategic planning because they provide empirical evidence. Sure, intuition absolutely can be of great value. Department of the Army (DA) Doctrinal Publication (ADP) 6-22 “Army Leadership and the Profession” (2019) stated “ … leaders rely on intuition, experience, knowledge, and input from subordinates, peers, and superiors” (p. 4-2); but the decisions that stem from intuition should be supported with facts. Having data to support courses of action is crucial, but that’s not all there is to data-driven decision-making.

Data literacy involves an understanding of different types of data, sources of data, valid analysis, data hygiene, and the tools and techniques for using data (Stobierski, 2021). Warrant officers are technical integrators and communicators, so data literacy is a fundamental component of our roles as advisors and leaders. Data provide a picture of reality and whether progress is being made or when there is a problem. Data can “identify correlations and trends relevant to informing policy design” (Umbach, 2022, p. 445). Umbach goes on to say that the use of data enhances “legitimacy, transparency, and accountability” (p. 445).

The immense amount of data in our world demands the ability to decode and interpret. The skills required in today’s Army range from “data collection and production; to data analysis, interpretation and visualization; to trends analysis and predictive analytics … “ (Umbach, 2022, p. 446). Along with the practice of those skills comes the development of strategies and courses of action. This is the meat of the idea: the warrant officer, as an integrator, communicator, operator, leader, and advisor, must fully understand and be able to articulate what the data demonstrate, then integrate those data into decisions, actions, and advice.

Beyond reading, understanding, and utilizing data is evaluating data. Are the data you collect relevant, and are you able to infer relevance? Can you discern “when data are being used in misleading or inappropriate ways” (Sabbati, 2022, p. 463)? Are you able to communicate and display the data in informative and visually appealing ways?

Standards for Data Development and Interpretation

If you’ve been in the army for more than 3 weeks, you understand there are standards for everything: height and weight, physical readiness, wear of the life-saving PT belt. There are global standards for the development, production, and dissemination of statistics (Sabbati, 2022). These standards keep users of data honest. Just as with physical readiness and training your body, you must train your mind to reliably extract and utilize data in the most effective and applicable ways.

ADP 6-22 (DA, 2019) stated that “trust is shared confidence among commanders, subordinates, and partners in that all can be relied on and all are competent in performing their assigned tasks” (p. 1-2 – 1-3). This same reference also noted Soldiers and Army civilians “demonstrate character, competence, and commitment through career-long training, education [emphasis added], and experience” (p. 1-1). Are you a warrant officer who can claim competence because you have sought education and self-development?

Image created using ChatGPT 4.0 DALL-E 3.0 (2024)

Manifesting Data Literacy

Data literacy can manifest in various ways depending on the context. For example, can you accurately interpret graphs and charts? When you’re in a briefing, are you able to make inferences based on the data displays presented? When I taught 5th and 6th grade math, a standard for the students was to be able to understand and apply basic statistical concepts (e.g., mean, median). The students could identify the value that answered the question, but it was challenging for them to understand why we care about those values. Those involved with Army recruiting look at vast amounts of data, including population demographics, lifestyle behaviors, and the characteristics of those who join the military or choose not to. This is just one example that I hope drives home the importance of knowing statistical measures and how they can enable decision-making.

Data enhance the ability to dominate the decision-making process and are “essential to how the Army operates and will sustain future success” (Ringold, 2023, para. 1). The question, then, is does the army have a culture of data literacy? Centers of Excellence and other training sites recently received direction for additions to primary military education at all levels: Athena, conventional-nuclear integration, SHARP, talent management, and data literacy, to name a few. Army operations generate countless amounts of data in a number of areas: personnel performance, network functionality, readiness, and cost analysis, just to name a few. The army is recognizing its daily practices must be rooted in the ability to derive, analyze, and present data in ways that are useful to commanders on the ground and staff in the headquarters.

Self-Development as an Army Professional

Nieves et al. (2023) advised Soldiers and units not to wait for senior leaders to direct training in data literacy. Instead, “each unit must take charge of its own literacy in a way that is customized to its unique mission requirements” (p. 2). This begs the question how does one get training in data literacy? There are a number of commercial products, some even at no cost. You can do an Internet search for “Data Literacy Training,” and many options will display.

The Army’s Center for Data Analysis and Statistics offers a free “Data 101 Training Course,” which is an introductory course. You can get certifications in data literacy, analytics, and more through the army’s credentialing assistance program. The army’s sustainment command at Fort Gregg-Adams offers a 10-day course in data analysis and visualization.

The bottom line is that if you’re interested in this area of self-development, enhancing your skills for both the army and when you retire, think about data literacy as a crucial skillset that you should have. As the Army undergoes the most significant organizational transformation in its history, leaders at all levels have recognized that timely analysis will give us the edge we need to enhance our ability to master the tenets of multi domain operations. This skillset is critical for operating on modern battlefields and enhancing internal operations. Quantitative analysis supports a wide array of activities, such as force design, process/system development, acquisition, and most importantly, combat operations to enhance lethality. As the United States Army Warrant Officer Career College modernizes its professional military education, the cohort will be expected to obtain proficiency in data literacy at an appropriate level. Although it is unlikely for everyone to be taught at the level of an Operations Research Systems Analysis (ORSA), many will find basic analysis and data literacy in common-core education.

Adding data literacy to the common core knowledge base of the U.S. Army warrant officer is an opportunity for the cohort to deepen its technical expertise within each specialty. The path that led one of us (Kanouse) to serving as a data analyst certainly strayed from the normal progression of a UH-60 aviation warrant officer; however, these skills enable one to bring efficiencies to each organization one serves in. This skillset can apply to the entire cohort regardless of branch. Whether you are monitoring the progress of your flying hour program funds, solving manning deficiencies in a fiscally constrained environment, identifying a targeted population with feeder MOSs to fill critical vacancies, or determining the efficacy of your training programs, data literacy is a skill that will enhance the warrant officer’s role as the Army’s primary integrators, communicators, operators, leaders, and advisors.

Data Literacy in Action

Here is a brief scenario, courtesy of OpenAI (2023), of when an army Soldier would need data literacy skills.

CW2 Emma Jones, a recent graduate from the Intelligence Warrant Officer Advanced Course, is assigned to a new unit that specializes in intelligence and reconnaissance. The unit is tasked with gathering, analyzing, and interpreting vast amounts of data to support military operations. Emma, though well-versed in traditional military tactics, quickly realizes the importance of data literacy in her new role.

Scenario:

CW2 Jones is tasked with planning a reconnaissance mission in a complex urban environment. The mission requires gathering information about the enemy’s movements, potential threats, and the local population. In the past, such missions relied heavily on field reports, maps, and human intelligence. However, the modern battlefield demands a more sophisticated approach.

Do you see yourself in this scenario?

We hope the short examples in this paper will help you understand how developing your ability to analyze, understand, and communicate data can mean the difference between mission success or failure. That the army believes data literacy is crucial to winning wars is enough for the authors to realize our current understanding of and training in data literacy can be broadened and strengthened.

Are you willing to invest time and energy, and maybe money, in this critical skill? Will you decide to leave analysis to the ORSAs? That is an option, but is it one you feel comfortable settling on?

References