Stability and support operations

Stability and support operations is an anachronistic term briefly used by the U.S. military for stability operations.

Stability Operations

Stability Operations is one of five core activities of irregular warfare and seeks to “establish or re-establish order in a fragile state.” Stability operations are an inherently inter-agency undertaking, with military in providing “a safe and secure environment to support other government agency programs to build host nations capacity.” However, in many cases, due to the hazards in the operating environment or lack of manpower available from other agencies, the military may conduct such activities itself. Stability operations generally place the military in direct, prolonged contact with civilian populations and generally involve the intentional restructuring or resetting of the civilian population's relationship with their government. Stability Operations are often employed when there are spoilers attempting to undermine the government, whether for political purposes or for personal gain. However, in many cases, stability operations may not involve a clear opposition force, but be undertaken as a prophylactic measure following a natural disaster or in the face of rampant but unorganized crime.

Whether opposed or not, the basic goal of stability operations is to maintain or reestablish public order and safety of the civilian population, and if necessary return the state to its legitimate government. As the US military has learned over the last decade and a half, this requires in the short term, the establishment of a safe and secure environment, provision of essential government services, and the responsible delivery of aid. Each of these closely intertwined activities is enormously complex, and while we briefly take each in turn, doing any of them complete justice will necessarily be beyond the scope of this blog. In the longer term, stabilization of a post conflict state also requires transfer of these responsibilities to a host nation government that is legitimate, effective, and has the capacity to manage the activities transitioned to it.

U.S. military doctrine on stability operations generally takes the point of view of a state conducting stability operations abroad. The view is substantially different for those attempting to stabilize their own state. According to the strategic framework developed by USIP and PKSOI, from the point of view of the host nation population there are five “end states” that must be sought, whom they rightly describe as the “final arbiters of whether peace has been achieved.” These end states are a safe and secure environment, rule of law, stable governance, a sustainable economy, and social well-being. However, from the perspective of an irregular warfare force provider, these end states are developed primarily through securing the environment, assisting with essential governmental services, and provision of aid.

Stability operations may be confused with operations during the “stabilize” phase of a conflict, the notional point of the conflict in which stability operations are the predominant military concern. However, DoDD 3000.07 and several joint pubs make clear that stability operations are carried out throughout all phases. In fact, in the vast majority of modern conflicts, the stabilize phase is purely notional in that it begins before major combat operations are actually over, and even once they are over, they will likely be employed again at several points in an attempt to crush strongholds of insurgent activity.