easy or cheap is not appreciated until Army leaders find themselves involved in
them. It appears that under fiscal austerity we’ve adopted a strategy that risks
Army leaders not understanding that in stability operations, international
consensus and support fades quickly in the pressure to go home. Post war
efforts cannot be sustained indefinitely. There is a short period of time to
"manage down" the continuing local conflict in stages to local actors so the peace
process can be sustainable over time. Army leaders involved in stability operations must understand that equal emphasis on a safe/secure environment,
supporting a sustainable economy, supporting sustainable government, the
complex details of repairing social well-being, and the nuances of returning rule
of law and justice require cultural appreciation and personal/routine relationships
with individuals who are not in the military. Again, though this is understood at
the senior leader level (O6 and above), these details and considerations are
rapidly withering at the O5 and below level.
Recommendation.
1. The War College should NOT be the first time Army leaders are exposed in
detail to the complexity and considerations of peacekeeping and stability
operations. The strategic level is not the only level in which a fundamental
understanding of approaches to solutions in stability operations is made. The
War College must include adequate coverage of peacekeeping and stability
operations in the core curriculum for theater cooperative strategy and joint
military operations. As well, CGSC must include peacekeeping and stability
operations in the core curriculum and not exclusively focus on joint employment
in theater operations.
2. In addition, tactical level officer and NCO education must review, at a
minimum, Army doctrine covering stability operations. Even this minimal
incorporation of stability operations into the officer basic/advanced courses and
NCO education course fails to adequately cover stability operations, as fewer
(and even existing) instructors lack experience or familiarity in how other
agencies operate or consi