Forging a Comprehensive Approach

The United States will face a myriad of new strategic challenges and opportunities in the 21st century that will further test its capability to succeed in an increasingly competitive, dynamic, and uncertain operating environment. The single most important prerequisite to success in future counterinsurgency operations is the establishment of conditions that facilitate and enable a whole-of-government approach that is forged from a unity of effort and purpose. To realize this, key governmental stakeholders must foster permissive rather than restrictive organizational environments where cooperation and coordination are the standard rather than the exception. While this transformation of agency culture represents an enduring effort on the part of key stakeholders, the authors of this article offer several short-term solutions based on first-hand experiences upholding American foreign policy "at the tip of the spear" as military commanders. These include the elimination of interdepartmental barriers and the establishment of innovative training and educational paradigms. The most pressing obstacle is arrogance that hinders our cultural understanding of the fabric of the host nation society and our ability to establish relationships and partnerships based on mutual trust and respect.

Read the full article: Forging a Comprehensive Approach to Counterinsurgency Operations.