On August 29, 2005, the category three Hurricane Katrina made landfall, and in less than 48 hours the scope of that natural disaster overwhelmed Gulf Coast state and local response capabilities. When the category four Hurricane Rita made landfall...
The Family Readiness Group (FRG) provides an avenue of mutual support and assistance and a network of communication among family members, the chain of command, and community resources. The primary purpose of any FRG is to encourage self-sufficiency...
Provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs) were established as a result of the need to develop the infrastructure necessary for the Afghan and Iraqi people to succeed in a post-conflict environment. The efforts of PRTs take place every day during a...
This recollection of combat nightmares is dedicated to those who "stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat."
A little more than a century ago, my great-great-grandfather Backsight...
This newsletter makes the case for changing public relations and media relations to support contemporary operations, especially in a counterinsurgency environment. It explains why commanders, not just the public affairs office, must be involved in...
This newsletter contains a collection of previously published articles that focus on Afghan culture and provides insight into effectively communicating with Afghans in order to achieve positive results. More specifically, the articles contained in...
This handbook is designed to aid the requiring activity in developing a performance work statement (PWS). Army reliance on contracts for equipment, supplies, and services has significantly increased in recent years. Identifying the requiring...
This Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) handbook assists company-, battalion-, and brigade-level officers and noncommissioned officers to effectively use money as a weapons system on the counterinsurgency (COIN) battlefield. Coalition money is...
The task of protecting borders and ports of entry from transnational and other threats to the security of the United States is a colossal undertaking, requiring the coordination and cooperation of many U.S. government agencies. This newsletter is a...
Natural and man-made disasters in the United States cause pain and heartbreak to our fellow citizens. Picking up the pieces of shattered lives and homes is devastating, even to the stoutest among us. While the military cannot repair the emotional...
The following collection of articles focus on U.S. joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational (JIIM) activities, challenges, issues, and operations in the six U.S. geographic combatant commands (GCCs). Today, stability operations in...
Increasingly, Canada's military is being called upon to deploy into complex operational environments where it must deal with highly adaptive adversaries seeking to destabilize society through a variety of asymmetric means. Articulating this new...
Iraq and Afghanistan have proven that achieving victory in today's ideological conflicts is a task beyond the capabilities of any single U.S. agency. It demands that the efforts of multiple agencies be brought together and coordinated in a whole of...
The following collection of articles, reports, and interviews focuses on civil support and the U.S. Army. These articles are categorized in the following areas: background information; command and control; support to disaster response; support to...
Accurate assessment and usable measures of effectiveness are essential to success in stability operations. Improving the ability of a host nation (HN) government to deliver services expected by its populace is necessary to enhance the stability of...
The intent of this publication is to provide a menu of available capabilities that can accelerate the response and increase the capability of a JTF. It describes the mission, capabilities, and contact information for a vast collection of joint...
This newsletter provides information on the basics of the Afghan culture and how Soldiers should apply this information while living and working
with the Afghans. The key points covered in this newsletter are: 1.) Effects of Afghan culture on...
Purpose. Identify key aspects of the Command Supply Discipline Program (CSDP). Commanders must become actively involved in their units to ensure successful development, implementation, and maintenance of the CSDP. 2. Facts. Commanders' time is...
The following collection of articles is focused on interagency operations as they relate to the U.S. Army and other joint forces. Current counterinsurgency (COIN) operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have underscored the importance of achieving unity...
The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is combating an insurgency and simultaneously rebuilding its infrastructure to become a strong sovereign state no longer requiring assistance from the U.S. government (USG) or other nations. Key...