Worth the Risk: Balancing Force Protection Versus Effective Coin
Abstract
Counterinsurgency (COIN) operations have been a reality for nation-states for millennia and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. The US military should strive to understand how to conduct them successfully. All military activities have associated risks and COIN is no different. Commanders who aptly manage these risks are more likely to achieve success. In COIN, force protection is one key risk commanders must balance to create the opportunity for success. This paper concludes that although protecting the force is necessary in any threat environment, an overemphasis on force protection actually limits the effectiveness of COIN operations. The US effort in Iraq, viewed as a case study, provides a key lesson for conducting successful COIN. The posture of US forces prior to the surge overemphasized force protection and inhibited mission success. The perception of the US publics intolerance for casualties helped shape this counterproductive posture. In implementing the surge, US commanders employed sound COIN doctrine and focused primarily on securing the population. This shift increased force protection risks but achieved appreciable operational gains that created conditions to enable strategic success.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- AD1020120
Entities
People
- Kevin L. Parker
Organizations
- Air Command and Staff College