The Universal Joint Task List was developed to empower Joint Commanders and the Services with a common language to communicate mission requirements.

Early in the development of the UJTL the decision was made to allow each Service to develop its own tactical level Task List. This held the promise of a richer task list for describing mission requirements. The result has been an unacceptable divergence of language, rather than a convergence. The Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard issued Universal Naval Task List is fully compatible with the UJTL. The Navy is using it extensively. Unfortunately, when it came time to update the latest version of the UNTL, the Marine Corps balked. The Army Universal Task List, compatible with the UJTL, is close to but still not published. Unfortunately, the AUTL has begun to diverge from the UJTL. The Air Force developers rejected the hierarchical framework of the UJTL, believing their mission capabilities demanded a single-level Task List. The Air Force Task List is incompatible with the UJTL and violates a number of the rules of the UJTL taxonomy. At the same time, the US Forces Command developed its own supplement to the UJTL, providing an additional set of Tactical Tasks.

From 11 September 2001, we have seen increased emphasis on emerging and non-traditional threats. This has given new urgency to the development of an Interagency Task List to complement the UJTL. Thus, while the Services diverge, new players are joining the game.

It is time to remerge the Service Tactical Task Lists with the UJTL and to once again provide a common language for all. A new process is needed that focuses on agency and interagency capabilities along those of the Services. This process must provide the basis for the affirmation of a common language and a hierarchical structure--the objective of the UJTL since the beginning. Greater commonality will increase communication, not only within the DoD, but also across agencies, as we move to cope with non-traditional threats.