Operational Design for Peace Enforcement: Lessons for the Operational Staff

Abstract

U.S. involvement in Somalia serves as a useful case study of the unique challenges an operational staff may face when applying operational design to the planning and execution of a peace enforcement operation. U.S. and UN strategic aims were not achieved in Somalia. The root problem was a lack of emphasis on what is known today in joint doctrine as operational design. When planning and executing a peace enforcement operation, the Commander, Joint Task Force and his staff must use operational design in order to create a campaign plan that achieves strategic objectives. Peace enforcement operations may require combat. Planning such missions must include the key elements of operational design: understanding strategic guidance, identification of critical factors, and development of the operational concept. The absence of the key elements of operational design in the planning and execution of operations in Somalia had a direct bearing on the outcome achieved.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 18, 2004
Accession Number
ADA426070

Entities

People

  • Michael D. Neumann

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Case Studies
  • Combat Forces
  • Combat Operations
  • Command And Control
  • Doctrine
  • Governments
  • Identification
  • Interagency Coordination
  • Lessons Learned
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • National Security
  • Task Forces
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

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  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.
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