Winning the Economic Firefight: Translating Reconstruction Into Combat Power
Abstract
As our Army deals with insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is becoming ever more apparent that the precise application of infrastructure development and reconstruction can markedly contribute to the overall success of our operations. This becomes extremely important as operations transition from military to nonmilitary centers of gravity; at some point, the traditional military effort becomes subordinate to more inherently nonmilitary tasks. Then it becomes more than just winning the fight on the battlefield, but also about winning hearts, minds, and even pocketbooks. It is about winning the economic firefight. While conducting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, our forces are continually exposed to crumbling and dysfunctional infrastructure that inhibit both establishing effective democratic governance and producing the economic revitalization necessary to ensure secure and stable environments. Inextricably linked, governance, economic revitalization, and security impact each other and together spiral upward or downward. As we face an enemy that exploits any weakness in our own forces and leverages dissatisfaction and hesitation in the civilian population, all of our tools are needed to create effects outcomes along these three lines of operations. The interrelationship of each capability kinetic and nonkinetic, inherently military or not must be both understood and exploited for maximum effect.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA596223
Entities
People
- Christopher J. Toomey
Organizations
- United States Army Engineer School