3. CONCLUSION
The lessons in this Sampler highlight key themes, including:
Identifying and increasing awareness of civil considerations
If civil considerations are not taken into account during military
operations, there can be damaging consequences – as shown when
forces were not prepared to handle civic administration in Iraq amidst
debaathification. CA officers in this publication proposed various ways to
address this prioritization of civil considerations, from changing the ratio
of Active to Reserve Component CA in the Army to including CA planners
from the very beginning of exercise planning, as in United Accord 2017.
Building understanding/communication wi th various stakeholders
As demonstrated by the 2016 RIMPAC exercise, taking courses on other
agencies/organizations’ approaches to humanitarian assistance could
improve civil-military responsiveness and effectiveness in the event of a
disaster. As shown in Mogadishu, Somalia, establishing an Interagency
Partnership Center provided an opportunity for building understanding of
organizations. Also, as evident from ongoing operations in Mosul,
communication with international organizations (IOs) about operations
allowed IOs to prepare to respond to large-scale displacement.
As noted above, lessons in this SOLLIMS Sampler feature varied keen
observations from CA personnel. Yet, they also raise complex questions, since
CA forces focus on civil considerations while still operating as uniformed military
personnel in support of military missions. This distinction can lead to grey areas
which may concern other stakeholders whose primary mission is humanitarian,
focusing on the dignity and well-being of those in the host nation. Some non-
governmental organizations in Afghanistan, for example, claimed that “the
involvement of coalition military Civil Affairs teams in village improvement
projects blurred the distinction between combatants and relief workers,
endangering their personnel,” (United States Institute of Peace (USIP)’s Guide
for Participants in Peace, Stability, and Relief Operations, p. 104). As such, it is
important not only to listen and learn from experiences of CA personnel –
through the thought-provoking lessons included in this publication (and additional
CA lessons listed on page 25) – but also to study other perspectives on CA,
through resources found in the SOLLIMS CA Community of Practice (CoP) and
in the Resources & References Annex (Annex B).
4. PKSOI Points of Contact
Publication prepared by: Ms. Katrina Gehman, Lessons Learned Analyst (Ctr)
Cover design: Mr. Chris Browne, Publications Coordinator
PKSOI reviewer: Mr. Dave Mosinski, Lessons Learned Senior Analyst
Contact Info: Mr. Dan French, Lessons Learned Branch Chief
(717) 245-3031 // [email protected]
- - - - - - - - - - Publication approved by: COL Greg Dewitt, Director - - - - - - - - - -
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