KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION

This case study describes the effects a knowledge management system (KMS) had on a community of practice that consisted of highly distributed network monitors tasked with maintaining a very large, dynamic, and complex communication network during Operation Iraqi Freedom. This communication network spanned hundreds of square miles and supported U.S. forces and coalition forces that went from 700 to over 80,000 personnel in four months. Prior to the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom, these network monitors were communicating and sharing information via different media in combination with an obsolete physical logbook-based KMS. This caused the community of practice to be reactive in maintaining this vast communication network. In addressing this problem, the First Marine Expeditionary Force communication Marines developed a virtual real-time KMS that collected over 8,000 log entries in 5 months. This KMS, called the MEL (Marine Air Ground Task Force Communication Control Center Event Log) was utilized in raising and troubleshooting network issues that are prevalent in maintaining any large communication network. Triangulation and analysis of the multiple interviews, audiovisual material, archival records, and documents formed the basis for the findings of this study. The results indicate that the automation of the physical logbook into the MEL interface increased the community of practice's ability to communicate, share, and troubleshoot issues in maintaining the communication network.