Getting It Right: Operationalizing Civilian Capacity for Conflict and Post-Conflict Environments
Abstract
The U.S. Government must develop and institutionalize mechanisms to identify, train, and deploy civilian expertise in a unified manner with military command structures from the outset of conflict to accomplish the political-military objectives of complex contingency and Phase IV post-conflict operations. Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom starkly demonstrated the need for standardized procedures to deliver civilian expertise to the tactical level, but more importantly to deliver it to the operational level -- theater commands -- where they can provide crucial expertise, advice, and interpretation of strategic directives, as well as oversight of the on-the-ground implementation. New civilian-military interfacing methods and structures also will require changes to current military doctrine and to current budgeting procedures. New procedures and mechanisms can be established relatively quickly, without the need for new legislation, and several are now being created through the development of the State Department's Office for Crisis Response and Stabilization (S/CRS). The U.S. Government must conduct future conflict and post-conflict operations with not just joint and combined operations, but with unified civilian-military operations to achieve its political and military objectives.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 14, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA464898
Entities
People
- James A. Mcnaught
Organizations
- Naval War College