Stability Operations Definition: For the purposes of this Instruction, stability operations is defined as an overarching term encompassing various military missions, tasks, and activities conducted outside the United States in coordination with other instruments of national power to maintain or reestablish a safe and secure environment, provide essential governmental services, emergency infrastructure reconstruction, and humanitarian relief.
Key Excerpts: Stability operations are a core U.S. military mission that the Department of Defense shall be prepared to conduct with proficiency equivalent to combat operations. The Department of Defense shall be prepared to:
(1) Conduct stability operations activities throughout all phases of conflict and across the range of military operations, including in combat and non-combat environments. The magnitude of stability operations missions may range from small-scale, short-duration to large-scale, long-duration.
(2) Support stability operations activities led by other U.S. Government departments or agencies (hereafter referred to collectively as "U.S. Government agencies"), foreign governments and security forces, international governmental organizations, or when otherwise directed.
(3) Lead stability operations activities to establish civil security and civil control, restore essential services, repair and protect critical infrastructure, and deliver humanitarian assistance until such time as it is feasible to transition lead responsibility to other U.S. Government agencies, foreign governments and security forces, or international governmental organizations. In such circumstances, the Department will operate within U.S. Government and, as appropriate, international structures for managing civil-military operations, and will seek to enable the deployment and utilization of the appropriate civilian capabilities.
The Department shall have the capability and capacity to conduct stability operations activities to fulfill DoD Component responsibilities under national and international law. Capabilities shall be compatible, through interoperable and complementary solutions, to those of other U.S. Government agencies and foreign governments and security forces to ensure that, when directed, the Department can:
(1) Establish civil security and civil control.
(2) Restore or provide essential services.
(3) Repair critical infrastructure.
(4) Provide humanitarian assistance.
Integrated civilian and military efforts are essential to the conduct of successful stability operations. The Department shall:
(1) Support the stability operations planning efforts of other U.S. Government agencies.
(2) Collaborate with other U.S. Government agencies and with foreign governments and security forces, international governmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and private sector firms as appropriate to plan, prepare for, and conduct stability operations.
(3) Continue to support the development, implementation, and operations of civil-military teams and related efforts aimed at unity of effort in rebuilding basic infrastructure; developing local governance structures; fostering security, economic stability, and development; and building indigenous capacity for such tasks.
The Department shall assist other U.S. Government agencies, foreign governments and security forces, and international governmental organizations in planning and executing reconstruction and stabilization efforts, to include:
(1) Disarming, demobilizing, and reintegrating former belligerents into civil society.
(2) Rehabilitating former belligerents and units into legitimate security forces.
(3) Strengthening governance and the rule of law.
(4) Fostering economic stability and development.
The DoD Components shall explicitly address and integrate stability operations-related concepts and capabilities across doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and applicable exercises, strategies, and plans.
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SWJ Hat Tip to Dave Maxwell.