Director's Comments:
During the March 2010 Train the Trainer Course (T3C) at the COIN Training Center-Afghanistan (CTC-A) in Kabul, GEN McChrystal underscored to joint and multinational COIN trainers that his operational priority for ISAF is counterinsurgency, and that COIN is not merely a recommended technique -- it is a requirement. Receiving this COMISAF guidance firsthand were representatives from the USA/USMC COIN Center and Battle Command Training Program who will rapidly retransmit this guidance and additional insights to multiple training audiences preparing for deployment.
In support of COMISAF's population-centric approach to COIN, we recently engaged in a number of endeavors to include: continued training of the Human Terrain Teams that provide units with a deeper understanding of their operational environment; support to the Tribal Engagement Workshop sponsored by Small Wars Journal to better understand implications of tribal dynamics (report will soon be posted at http://smallwarsjournal.com); and participation in the Wilton Park's Winning Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan: Assessing the Effectiveness of Developmental Aid in COIN Operations, specifically focused on this complex and multi-dimensional challenge (Blog and Conference Report).
Would encourage your continued great feedback on COIN Center blogs on topics such as root causes and tribal engagement. Recent blog activity [Stabops ATTP blog link here] was so useful that it served as the catalyst for the Army to develop an on-line ATTP to address a crucial doctrinal gap in Stability Operations tactics, techniques, and procedures. Recommend you also review The Azimuth, a primer focused on preparing for COIN challenges.
During his recent orientation as Commander, Combined Arms Center (CAC), LTG Robert Caslen, stressed the imperative to ensure the Army is prepared both for this and the next fight and the need to ensure institutional pre-deployment training leads to the knowledge and skills required by our soldiers to conduct their operational missions. In that light, the COIN Center has been chartered to establish a CAC operational planning team (OPT) to increase focus on efforts to ensure doctrinal and training products reflect relevant lessons from operational application. We will keep you apprised on ongoing initiatives in this line of effort.
Thanks for your efforts in support of our troops,
Colonel Dan Roper