Troops - PRTs - NGOs: CENTCOM's Winning Combination for the Current Insecurity in Afghanistan
Abstract
The recent insurgency and violence in Afghanistan warrants a reaction from all sources of national power. Department of Defense Directive 3000.05 directs the military to work solutions to the Security, Stability, Transition and Reconstruction problems through interagency, even international organizations. As the Geographic Combatant Commander, Central Command currently uses the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) as its local implementer of SSTR (broadly called development operations). Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are the recognized experts in development operations and should be consulted and included in PRT operations; however the strengths, weaknesses and culture of the two institutions often prevent open coordination. An objective analysis of the inherent benefits of each institution and their inherent weakness reveal synergistic matches which could be exploited for the overall benefit of development work in Afghanistan and to counter to the insurgency. This paper seeks to overcome the objections offered by NGOs to working with the military in Afghan PRTs and cites benefits to working together in development projects. The paper draws conclusions that NGO objections should be reconsidered in light of current data and the benefits of coordination. Also, that the current PRT staffing allows for both counterinsurgency support and humanitarian development and that the PRT framework is also flexible to respond to new tasking as security increases in Afghanistan. Finally, the paper offers recommendations for increasing civilian and NGO participation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 31, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA494218
Entities
People
- Eric A. Wills
Organizations
- Naval War College