Abstract: This article is a first cut at quantitatively exploring the conditions under which the fundamental tenets of the Network Centric Warfare doctrine might be valid. It is based on a somewhat more extensive study of the subject published by the author [1] and covers three related topics: the situational awareness that is made possible by networking of battlefield sensors, the onset of cohesive behaviour amongst the human actors involved in operating networked systems, and the limits of human proficiency. The paper shows that the situational awareness obtained through the network is not automatically better than that obtained from individual sensors and identifies the conditions under which it might be; it shows how the cohesive behaviour is increased by the size of the networked community, by the quality of leadership controlling that community, and by the degree of individual proficiency with which members join the community; and it shows how recruiting, training, retention, and the quality of life will affect that individual proficiency. In the end, the article summarizes the various factors which must be addressed before the promise of networking can be realized.