Army Civil Affairs Shares Expertise in Defense Data Analytics at Seton Hall

Seton Hall University assembled a panel of experts on data analytics in the defense sector that included an Army Civil Affairs officer from the 353rd Civil Affairs Command in April. The two other panelists present at Seton Hall University’s Stillman School of Business for the panel on April 22, 2024, were the CEO of a defense-focused civilian business and a professor from Florida Atlantic University.

The 353rd CACOM’s Capt. Venkatesh Srinivasan was selected for the panel because of his expertise in the military application of data analytics. In addition to serving in a part-time status as an Army Civil Affairs officer, he also works as a civilian for the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) at the Pentagon. Prior to accepting the position at the Pentagon, Srinivasan was the data management and cloud computing lead for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, Rhode Island.

"Both in the modern battlefield and internal operations, data analysis and technology are critical to adequately support a wide variety of military activities," said Renu Ramnarayanan, Ph.D., who introduced the panel of experts. "As the volume of data generated in the digital age continues to grow, so will the role and importance of big data analytics in modern warfare with applications spanning intelligence gathering, predictive maintenance and strategic decision-making to name a few."

The panel’s moderator, Army Lt. Col. Adam Scher, described the use of data analytics in the military as helpful in lifting what Clausewitz termed "the fog of war."

"We live in a world of massive amounts of data," said Srinivasan "It is an information age filled with big data. There are many systems. There are manned systems and unmanned systems. So, the most important thing at this point is how do you parse through that data? How do you understand and make sense and make decisions with that information?"

During the panel, Srinivasan described how his military service and civilian career complement each other. The experience of being in the Army benefits his civilian work and his civilian work qualifies him for the specific role he holds in the Army: 38G6R – Civil Affairs Technology and Telecommunications officer.

"There are a lot of connections on your Army side that you can make into your civilian side," said Srinivasan. "It feeds into a lot of the work I do today because I am a program manager. I design new technologies. Then I put on my soldier hat and I think about how my technology would work." In his civilian role, Srinivasan now manages advanced research and development programs that focuses on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and unmanned systems in support of U.S. military operations. His past work involved managing automated processes for analyzing acoustic data from the seafloor, then organizing that information into a format that can be put to use by the war fighter.

The United States military needs people like Srinivasan who understand this emerging field of big data analytics. To that end, Srinivasan believes the military would benefit from bringing more academics into the ranks.

"I believe there is a lot of future in collaboration between the 353rd CACOM and academia," said Srinivasan. "Academic institutions are producing a lot of advanced programs in A.I. and machine learning that the Department of Defense needs."

Srinivasan forecasts that military drone development will continue to the point that there will be large units of drones – be they aerial, naval or terrestrial – and that skilled soldiers will be required to command those units and operate the drones.

Such drone commanders and operators are an entirely different type of soldier than Srinivasan. Although he started his military career as an Army biomedical specialist, Srinivasan is now an Army Civil Affairs officer. Civil Affairs officers are assigned to Special Operations command. Their mission is to manage the civilian components of the military operational environment. Specifically, Srinivasan is a 38G with a focus on technology. 38Gs are a subset of Civil Affairs officers with extensive expertise in one of 18 specialty fields ranging from economics to judicial systems. These officers provide analysis, insights and guidance to military and civilian leaders all over the world in support of U.S. interests and worldwide security.

Many 38Gs are assigned to Srinivasan’s unit, the 353rd Civil Affairs Command, which is principally comprised of senior soldiers and officers with particular expertise in a broad range of skills in civil-military matters used for furthering global stability. For more information, visit.

To see a recording of Seton Hall University’s panel on the role of data analytics in modern warfare, visit.

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