Necessity and Proportionality in the Operation Enduring Freedom VII Campaign
Abstract
The recent publication of the Army's Field Manual 3-24, Counterinsurgency (FM 3-24) seeks to reduce the complexity of executing counterinsurgent operations and the effect using force has on those operations. Although the manual astutely provides commanders and staffs with insights and offers principles as the one above for consideration in the uncertain environment of countering an insurgency, the use of force still remains a complicated paradox without a scientific checklist for employment. The use of force during counterinsurgency operations in particular remains very much a commander's art fraught with challenges and difficulties. This paper will recount experiences of the Commander, Combined Joint Task Force 76 and staff in applying the principles of proportionality and discrimination as described in FM 3-24 during operations in Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom VII from February 2006 to February 2007. The paper will explore the methods used to balance proportionality of actions and the means used to discriminate in the use of force during counterinsurgent operations. It will examine some of the special challenges faced by staffs working in a counterinsurgent environment, and it will offer guidance to those who may find themselves in such a position. The essay will be divided into five main sections. The first section highlights the difficulty of these operations by describing a typical example from field experience. The second section will explain the background and history of the CJTF-76 mission during OEF VII and review the applicable LOAG principles commanders and staffs must consider as force is applied. The third section will explore the targeting process employed by the CJTF-76 staff and command group. The fourth section will explore time sensitive targeting in the context of FM 3-24. Finally the fifth section will provide scenarios from OEF VII as illustrations of the time sensitive targeting process during a counterinsurgency.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 15, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA479007
Entities
People
- James F. Garrett
Organizations
- United States Army War College