PKSOI

Toward a Risk Management Defense Strategy Mister Nathan P Freier PKSOI Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "Current fiscal and operational realities no doubt constrain the defense decision space. It is realistic to view the coming era as one of general defense and national security evolution, complemented by some targeted revolution within the Department of Defense (DoD). Toward that end, the current Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR 10) must rationalize competing visions about the certainty of future unconventional threats and lingering uncertainty about evolving traditional challenges. Doing so requires adoption of a new risk management defense strategy."

Guide to Rebuilding Governance in Stability Operations: A Role for the Military? Professor Susan Merrill Guides and Handbooks by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, Strategic Studies Institute "This guide focuses on the military’s role in rebuilding and establishing a functional, effective, and legitimate nation-state; one that can assure security and stability for its citizens, defend its borders, deliver services effectively for its populace, and is responsible and accountable to its citizens. Neither a handbook nor a checklist, the document provides a comprehensive approach to planning and implementing a program to rebuild governance by U.S. peacekeeping forces during stability operations. Recognizing that the extent of U.S. Government and military involvement is determined by the mandate, the mission, the level of resources and most importantly, the host country context, this guide provides options and trade-offs for U.S. forces in executing these operations."

Known Unknowns: Unconventional "Strategic Shocks" in Defense Strategy Development Mister Nathan P Freier PKSOI Paper by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, Strategic Studies Institute "The current defense team confronted a game-changing “strategic shock” in its first 8 months in office. The next team would be well-advised to expect the same. Defense-relevant strategic shocks jolt convention to such an extent that they force sudden, unanticipated change in the Department of Defense’s (DoD) perceptions about threat, vulnerability, and strategic response. Their unanticipated onset forces the entire defense enterprise to reorient and restructure institutions, employ capabilities in unexpected ways, and confront challenges that are fundamentally different than those routinely considered in defense calculations."

Known Unknowns: Unconventional "Strategic Shocks" in Defense Strategy Development Mr Nathan P Freier Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The current defense team confronted a gamechanging “strategic shock” in its first 8 months in office. The next team would be well-advised to expect the same. Defense-relevant strategic shocks jolt convention to such an extent that they force sudden, unanticipated change in the Department of Defense’s (DoD) perceptions about threat, vulnerability, and strategic response. Their unanticipated onset forces the entire defense enterprise to reorient and restructure institutions, employ capabilities in unexpected ways, and confront challenges that are fundamentally different than those routinely considered in defense calculations."

The American Military Advisor: Dealing with Senior Foreign Officials in the Islamic World Michael J Metrinko PKSOI Paper by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, Strategic Studies Institute "The American Military Advisor: Dealing with Senior Foreign Officials in the Islamic World is a comprehensive guide for American military officers assigned as advisors to regional officials in places very different from the United States. Starting with a definition of terms and a brief description of the advisory role, it brings the reader into today’s Islamic political and social context, pointing out the complexities inherent in the advisory position, as well as the tools an advisor must use in order to perform successfully..."

The American Military Advisor: Dealing with Senior Foreign Officials in the Islamic World Mr Michael J Metrinko Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The advisory role is at best loosely defined in military career terms, and realities on the ground further complicate the advisory mission. These include differences in American and foreign perception of the advisory position, differences in the way Americans and host country officials view time lines, the impact of the local calendar on the advisor’s work, and the importance of cultural adaptation and intellectual openness. In the end, establishing personal rapport with a host country official is the basis for success as an advisor, and the qualities in an advisor’s personality that allow for such a relationship are difficult to quantify."

Building Governance Capacity through the Commander's Emergency Response Program LTC Peter Andrysiak, COL Scott A Spellmon Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "Field Manual (FM) 3-24 Counterinsurgency offers ten paradoxes of counterinsurgency (COIN) operations that illustrate the unique demands, difficulties, and complexities in this form of warfare. The paradoxes range from “sometimes the more force is used, the less effective it is” to 'tactical success guarantees nothing.' While each of these notions can be counterintuitive to a conventional view of tactics and operations, they serve to stimulate our thought toward a significantly different mindset required for the successful conduct of COIN operations."

Elections in Afghanistan: Looking to the Future Michael J Metrinko Issue Paper by the US Army War College, US Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "Modern Afghan political history has witnessed a series of violent power struggles, bloody coups, assassinations and unstable transfers of authority. The various forms of government over the past 50 years have included a monarchy, varieties of socialism, a communist state, and a theocracy. Although many officials of these previous regimes still play a role in Afghan politics, a very large number – including several heads of state – died violently in the various upheavals. The Afghan government has now been restructured as an Islamic republic consisting of three branches of power – executive, legislative and judiciary – with powers and responsibilities clearly delineated in a new Constitution. Elected in 2004, Hamid Karzai is now the President of Afghanistan, and a Parliament and Provincial Councils were elected by popular vote in 2005."

Civil Military Operations: Afghanistan Professor William J Flavin Peacekeeping Institute Publication by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "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."