Civil-Military Interaction During Infantry Operations

Abstract

Military intervention demands complex sets of goals that integrate the objectives of defeating hostile forces, political reforms within the host nation, civil society capacity building at the local level, and economic development distributed across the populace. These objectives are intended to promote stability and conflict resolution.

With a number of actors incorporated into civil-military operations, a lack of unity of effort springs from failure to reach common understanding of challenges and agreement on combined actions.

To achieve unity of effort, a civil-military team must possess shared goals and metrics. This is accomplished by creating organizational structure and decision making that avoids the inclination for inclusiveness at the cost of focused execution.

The structure and scope of civil-military operations is constrained by resources available and organizational needs to meet its goals and measure its success. Efforts must be tailored to fit the limitations of available resources.

While complex and difficult, civil-military operations are often the primary means by which the international community addresses internal conflicts. Field commander must understand that, while general principles for operations are generally strategic, there is discretion available to implement tactical solutions. Effective field commanders must understand the tenets of unity of effort, the institutional cultures of the partners, and the basic elements of successful organization.