Peace & Stability Operations Journal Online
Harmonizing the Army’s Security Cooperation Doctrine
by COL Jody Petery
Security Sector Reform (SSR) is the set of policies, plans, programs, and activities that a government undertakes to improve
the way it provides safety, security, and justice. The overall
objective is to provide an effective and legitimate public service
that is transparent, accountable to civilian authority, and
responsive to the needs of the public.
U.S. DOS/DOD/USAID Statement on SSR (January 2009)
After 10 years of prolonged, costly conflict in Afghanistan
and Iraq, and six years of economic decline, the United States
has entered an era, referred to frequently as a “strategic inflection point,” where U.S. Security goals and strategy must be
developed in an economically constrained environment. A key
component of this strategy is a reliance on conflict prevention,
and shaping of conditions to either prevent or quickly resolve
conflicts.
Hohenfels, Germany—Croatian and Minnesota National Guard
soldiers prepare to clear a room during an Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team training exercise at the Joint Multinational
Readiness Center.
A critical aspect of prevention and shaping is Security Cooperation (SC), specifically building a partner country’s capacity
to share defense burdens around the world. SC is viewed as a
small investment to secure US interests. Simultaneously, the
Army in particular has recognized that after 10 years of counterinsurgency and stability operations in Iraq and Afghanistan,
that a generation of Soldiers is not proficient in offensive and
defensive operations.
costs. U.S. Army training requires a training audience, a scenario (which must include the complexities envisioned in the
contemporary operating environment which include civilians,
infrastructure, and coalition members), an opposing force
(comprising a hybrid threat), and some training support including a Higher Headquarters Control Element (HICON), subordinate forces (live or constructive units) to provide stimulus,
and some exercise controllers.2
The Army’s new doctrine, dubbed Unified Land Opera