Jennifer Taw

Operations Other Than War: Implications for the U.S. Army

Abstract : Post-Cold War political pressures are likely to increase the demand for the U.S. military in general and the U.S. Army in particular to conduct operations other than war (OOTW). This report analyzes how changing demographics worldwide will affect the operational requirements of future OOTW missions. Two key factors that have influenced U.S. success or failure in the past are 1) political-military communication, and 2) mission creep and mission swing. Without effective political-military communication, military planning may be derived from political rhetoric or, alternatively, political decisions may be based on faulty understandings of military capabilities or considerations. Equally critical is sufficient recognition of, and planning for, mission creep (in which political goals shift, requiring military operations different from those planned at the interventions outset) and mission swing (in which the operational environment undergoes quick deterioration or improvement unrelated to the presence or efforts of intervening forces). The report concludes with specific recommendations regarding Army doctrine, training, equipment, and force structure.

U.S. Support for Regional Complex Contingency Operations: Lessons from ECOMOG

In the aftermath of the Cold War, intervention in internal conflicts has taken on new characteristics: it is often driven by a humanitarian imperative; it is usually a combination of civilian and military efforts; and, it is usually a multilateral, rather than a unilateral, endeavor. This last characteristic, driven by international politics, represents a complex set of requirements: coalitions must be both politically and militarily viable, able to take decisions and act on them effectively. In this paper, the intervention in Liberia (1990-1997) by the Economic Community of West Africas Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) is examined for insights into the potential for effective regional, coalitional, peace operations. The factors that determined the coalitions political and military viability are examined, and broader implications are drawn for future regional coalitions. Perhaps predictably, this case study suggests political viability can exist only when the coalition members have strong mutual interests and ...

Mission revolution : the U.S. military and stability operations

AcknowledgmentsList of AbbreviationsIntroduction. Mission Creep Writ Large: The U.S. Militarys Embrace of Stability Operations1. Stability Operations in Context2. Doctrine and Stability Operations3. Practical Adjustments to Achieve Doctrinal Requirements4. Explaining the Militarys Mission Revolution5. Implications of Mission Revolution6. A New World Order?NotesBibliographyIndex

The Perils of Humanitarian Assistance in Armed Internal Conflicts: Somalia in the 1990s

The 1990s saw several international attempts to provide humanitarian assistance – often bolstered by military forces – to populations embroiled in armed internal conflicts. Examining the events in one instance – Somalia – makes it clear that the common misperception of humanitarian assistance as apolitical and neutral is dangerously counterproductive and can create unintended negative consequences for donors and intended recipients alike. The provision of aid during a conflict is an inherently interventionist action and future relief efforts, if they take this into account, will have a much better chance of success than did the aid efforts of the 1990s.

Stability and Support Operations: History and Debates

U.S. military doctrine has recently elevated stability and support operations (SASO) to be a mission on par with the traditional combat missions, offense and defense. The new doctrinal approach to SASO represents a revolutionary change in the militarys raison d’être; now the armed forces’ job is not only to win battles, but to create space for political negotiations and accords through the provision of controlled, nonviolent environments and other forms of military assistance to civilians. This article puts this change into context, looking at the American militarys history of SASO and the longstanding debates about the militarys priorities and roles.