It is debatable whether Afghanistan historically meets most accepted definitions of a nation-state. Afghanistan has historically been governed by local and tribal leaders with short-lived attempts at a strong central unitary government. Whenever...
Phase III Operation Iraqi Freedom has shown our military’s propensity to focus on major combat operations (MCO) often at the expense of post-MCO security and reconstruction. Without clear doctrinal guidance of how to establish effective security...
Victory is determined not only by what happens during a period of conflict but also by what happens after the fighting ends, during post-conflict operations. This monograph examines what joint military capabilities are required for post-conflict...
The U.S. government states that agriculture is its most important non-security priority in Afghanistan and emphasizes the importance of agricultural development in Afghanistan's long-term stabilization and reconstruction. The extent to which USDA...
The execution of the post-hostilities phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom has prompted many to ask did why the U.S. military plan so poorly for stability and reconstruction operations (SRO)? Many studies have suggested that the lack of interagency...
The conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have resulted in an unparalleled level of cooperation between government agencies in spite of the fact that no codified congressional legislation has directed cooperation. Due to historical precedent and...
Negotiation has become for many military leaders a daily task in their role of stabilizing, securing, transitioning, and reconstructing. Negotiation is a means of providing commanders with an alternative to solutions involving the use of force....
The United States is committed to on-going involvement with Iraq to rebuild the country. Marines, who deploy to Iraq or are involved with Iraqis, need a basic knowledge of the country, its culture, history and present-day state of affairs. This...
The contemporary operational environment includes a host of variables that make the management of post-conflict transitions a challenge. Constructing the optimal management organization is a key component of successful post-conflict transition....
This monograph analyzes the interrelationship between new way the US forces will fight their wars in future 13 effects based operations (EBO) with network centered forces (NCO) 13 and the challenges after the major combat operations (MCO) ended,...
The U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq demonstrates that in the twenty-first century the U.S. will become more involved in stability operations as it continues to deny sanctuaries for transnational and non-state threats. The reprioritizing of...
Accepting that post-conflict operations are part of campaign planning continues to be a challenge for the U.S. military. This monograph proposes that current Joint and U.S. Army doctrine is deficient in addressing the importance of post-conflict...
In meeting the challenges of post-hostility Iraq, the area of information operations (IO) has received a great deal of attention. Unlike combat operations, the center of gravity in post-conflict Iraq has been restoration of basic services and...
Abstract: The United States involvement in the Philippine War from 1899 to 1902 and The Landing in Veracruz, Mexico in 1914 demonstrate the adaptability and tenacity of the American military to recognize and adapt to the environment of...
Like the post-9/11 Bush administration, the Obama administration must confront numerous security threats to U.S. national interests at home and abroad. The Obama administration, however, has the added challenge of a severe domestic economic...
This study examines adaptations made by State, on adherence to directives requiring coordination with other USG departments and agencies, to effectively respond to current and future national security threats. Without the staff, tools, and training...
Stability operations are not a recent phenomenon, but have been particularly common since the end of the Cold War. All the major deployments of the US Army since 1991 have involved such operations. In all these deployments, the US Army has been...
Campaign planning for major operations including Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW) continues to be a challenge for the United States military. This monograph proposes that a major deficiency in current Joint doctrine is the failure to...
Effective operational transitions are crucial for success, but recent interventions indicate that U.S. forces, and the Army in particular, struggle with planning and executing the transition to post-combat operations. By developing and applying a...