In December 2010, the U.S. Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI) and the Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy co-hosted a workshop on Mass Atrocity Response Operations (MARO). The event followed the earlier publication of the MARO Military Planning Handbook, and was attended by 85 people from a diverse range of organizations. Read more...

This is a concept paper. Its overall purpose is to discuss the viability and potential of the author’s War to Sustainable Positive Peace analytical framework for better understanding the elements and dynamics of a peace and stability operation environment, and preparing leadership and personnel for related planning, decision making, and engagement. The data shown is real data from the author’s Bosnia in-country field-testing (2009) of the framework. Read more...

This handbook defines the “Rule of Law;” explains the interrelationship between rule of law, governance, and security; and provides a template to analyze the rule of law foundation essential to successful stability operations. Read more...

This handbook outlines joint force support to economic development. It addresses conducting a comprehensive economic assessment, employment and business generation, trade, agriculture, financial sector development and regulation, and legal transformation. Read more...

The last comprehensive guide to military governance was written in 1943. Combatant commanders have directed joint forces to rebuild media, support election preparations, and provide advisors to embryonic executive ministries and legislative committees in recent and current operations. This handbook provides pre-doctrinal guidance for joint force support to good governance, political competition, and support to media. Read more...

The handbook outlines joint force roles and responsibilities in the Interagency Management System (IMS) and existing interagency coordination authorities and mechanisms it aligns with the USG Planning Framework for Reconstruction, Stabilization, and Conflict Transformation. It will also align with the IMS Guide under development at the Department of States’ Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization. Read more...

The U.S. Army Peacekeeping Institute (PKI), located at the U.S. Army War College has previously conducted studies of Civil Military Operations (CMO) in U.S. military engagements abroad. Based on comments from various levels of command engaged in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, PKI felt that the one-year mark was the proper time to do an assessment of CMO there. Most participants would be completing tours and have the time and perspective to reflect on their experiences. In late FY 03, PKI was reorganized into the U.S. Army Peace Keeping and Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI). This report is therefore published under the auspices of PKSOI. Read more...

This paper attempts to capture the key features of an asymmetric warfare arena that may provide the military war fighters suitable touchstones in the planning and conduct of a counterinsurgency campaign. This effort besides digging into a plethora of literature also takes into account the experiential base of the author. Read more...

“Stage-setting” and “right-sizing” are critical to the success of any major Stability operation. The
U.S. Government needs to learn the right lessons, and the right lessons do not come from Iraq or
Afghanistan. Operation Iraq Freedom (OIF) was a total failure. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and
Resolute Support (RS) were likewise total failures. The U.S. Government would be wise to learn the
right lessons – which come from Operation Joint Endeavor and the Implementation Force (IFOR) in
Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1995-1996. “Stage-setting” and “right-sizing” were done smartly; resultantly, the
Stability operation was a resounding success. The U.S. Government needs to learn these lessons. Read more...

This Conflict Prevention Lessons Learned Report uses a unique organizational approach. Rather than a conventional chronological or topical style, we’ve opted to present a lead lesson based on a study by the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) entitled “Preventing Extremism in Fragile States: A New Ap-proach.” Supported by the analysis and recommendations presented in the study, a bipartisan group of Congress members recently introduced the Global Fragility Act of 2019 bill that requires the Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Department of Defense to coordinate on a global initiative aimed at stabilizing conflict affected areas and preventing the violence and fragility that allow terrorists, criminal networks, and war lords to take hold in the first place. It provides for Congressionally-mandated funding and executive branch organization to prevent conflict in much the same way 1986’s Goldwater-Nichols Act helped the Department of Defense focus its Joint warfighting capability. Thirty-three years after Goldwater-Nichols, the U.S. arguably possesses the most integrated, powerful military force in the world. The Global Fragility Act similarly promises to provide Congressional and Executive Branch support for a holistic approach based on the principle of unity of effort to stopping terrorist conflict before it even starts. Read more...