Civilian and Military Integration
From Complex Operations Wiki
There are several principles involved in integrating the activities of military and civilian organizations during counterinsurgency operations.
Example interagency coordination checklist:
- Identify organizational structures and leadership.
- Identify key objectives, responsibilities, capabilities, and programs.
- Develop common courses of action or options for inclusion in planning, movement, coordination, and security briefings.
- Determine how to ensure coordination and communications before and during the execution of the organization's activities in the unit's area of operations.
- Develop relationships that enable the greatest possible integration.
- Assign liaison officers to the most important civilian organizations.
- Define problems in clear and unambiguous terms.
- Determine the intended duration of operations.
- Determine the location of bases of operations.
- Determine the number, names, and descriptions of personnel.
- Determine the type, color, number, and license numbers of civilian vehicles.
- Identify other agency resources in the area of operations.
- Identify local groups and the agencies with whom they are working.
- Establish terms of reference or operating procedures, especially in the event of incidents that result in casualties.
- Identify funding for interagency projects.
Joint Interagency Coordination Group
Interagency coordination, within the context of Department of Defense involvement, is the coordination that occurs between elements of Department of Defense and engaged U.S. Government agencies for the purpose of achieving an objective (JP 1-02). Joint interagency coordination groups (JIACGs) help combatant commanders conduct COIN operations by providing interagency support of plans, operations, contingencies, and initiatives. The goal of a JIACG is to provide timely, usable information and advice from an interagency perspective to the combatant commander by information sharing, integration, synchronization, training, and exercises. JIACGs may include representatives from other federal departments and agencies and state and local authorities, as well as liaison officers from other commands and DOD components. The interagency representatives and liaison officers are the subject matter experts for their respective agencies and commands. They provide the critical bridge between the combatant commander and interagency organizations. (See JP 3-08, volume I.)
| Caption | Source |
|---|---|
| Sample country team | Counterinsurgency Field Manual 3-24 |
Country Team
At the HN level, the U.S. country team is the primary interagency coordinating structure for COIN. The country team is the senior in-country coordinating and supervising body, headed by the U.S. chief of mission, usually the Ambassador. It is composed of the senior member of each represented department or agency. In a foreign country, the chief of mission is the highest U.S. civil authority. As the senior U.S. Government official permanently assigned in the host nation, the chief of mission is responsible to the President for policy oversight of all United States government programs. The chief of mission leads the country team and is responsible for integrating U.S. efforts in support of the host nation. As permanently established interagency organizations, country teams represent a priceless COIN resource. They often provide deep reservoirs of local knowledge and interaction with the HN government and population.
However, given the limited resources of the Department of State and the other U.S. Government agencies, military forces often represent the country team in decentralized and diffuse operational environments. Operating with a clear understanding of the guiding political aims, members of the military at all levels must be prepared to exercise judgment and act without the benefit of immediate civilian oversight and control. At each subordinate political level of the HN government, military and civilian leaders should establish a coordinating structure, such as an area coordination center or civil-military operations center (CMOC), that includes representatives of the HN government and security forces, as well as U.S. and multinational forces and agencies. CMOCs facilitate the integration of military and political actions. Below the national level, additional structures where military commanders and civilian leaders can meet directly with local leaders to discuss issues may be established.
Civil-Military Operations Center
CMOCs coordinate the interaction of U.S. and multinational military forces with a wide variety of civilian agencies. A CMOC is not designed, nor should it be used as, a command and control element. However, it is useful for transmitting the commander’s guidance to other agencies, exchanging information, and facilitating complementary efforts. Overall management of a CMOC may be assigned to a multinational force commander, shared by a U.S. and a multinational commander, or shared by a U.S. commander and a civilian agency head. A CMOC can be used to build on-site, interagency coordination to achieve unity of effort. There is no established CMOC structure; its size and composition depend on the situation. However, CMOCs are organic to Army civil affairs organizations, from civil affairs command to company. Senior civil affairs officers normally serve as the CMOC director and deputy director. Other military participants usually include civil affairs, legal, operations, logistic, engineering, and medical representatives of the supported headquarters.
