Operations in Counter Insurgency

Prepared for the Scabbard and Blade Society

by

CPT ADAM LANDSEE

The Counter Insurgency (COIN) fight in Afghanistan is truly a joint operation.  On my Special Forces Operational Detachment - Alpha (ODA or A-team) we have worked with an Air Force and Marine Corp JTAC, FBI, Asymmetric Warfare Group (AWG), Paladin (a joint service/multi-national IED exploitation team) and both a Marine Corp and Air Force Dog Team.  Additionally on several operations the ODA has been supported by forces from New Zealand as well as air support from a British AH64 Pilot and several foreign Close Air Support (CAS) Platforms.  On the fire base there is a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).  The two PRTs that I have worked with had Navy commanders and a mix of all branches filled out their ranks.  Other services and organizations maintained forces on our fire base as well.  In addition to the military there were State Department Representatives, USDA, USAID and other US government organizations. 

ANA Recon Awards	ANA Training

On a near by Forward Operating Base (FOB)  There is a large conventional force composed mainly of a Field Artillery (FA) unit.  The FA unit maintains their 155mm howitzers but more importantly they are spread throughout the Province at district centers working with the local government and Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). (Most combat arms branches are working in an infantry and capacity as there is a shortage of those skill sets in both Afghanistan and Iraq. When you choose a branch of service realize that the majority of your operations will not remain within the historic parameters of your service or branch. Additionally Infantry tasks are a small part of operations, the more important tasks include, ground level diplomacy, host nation force training, and civil affairs, Rule of Law, and governance) These district centers are essential to the COIN fight as the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (IRoA) works to separate the people from the insurgents.  By developing and fortifying these district centers the lieutenants and captains in command are creating the space for the IRoA to flourish in formerly denied territory.

ANA Training	Bahgram Flags

    The ANSF forces that I have worked with include Afghan Border Police (ABP), Afghan National Police (ANP), Afghan National Army to include the much publicized Commandos and the National Directorate of Security.  An Afghan face is required for practically all offensive operations.  This means that US forces train and work closely with ANSF at all times.  Special Forces conducts a Foreign Internal Defense (FID) mission in Afghanistan.  FID is an umbrella term that includes training, combat advising, COIN operations as well as a host of other activities.  SF is not alone in training ANSF; Embedded Training Teams (ETT) train regular ANSF. ETTs in Afghanistan a composed of joint US forces and are usually drawn from Reserve and National Guard units  The majority of ANSF work closely with conventional forces throughout the province to include the district centers.

District shura on Paki-Afghan border.	Joint planning with ANSF and local government.

As lieutenants in Afghanistan you will be working in either joint service and multinational organizations or both.  I include ANSF and the IRoA as part of the multinational organization.   Who you work with will depend on where you are deployed but in all locations you will be working with the IRoA.  Be prepared to learn the culture, customs and a rudimentary understanding of the language(s) spoken in your Area of Responsibility (AOR).  The cultures in both OEF and OIF include a mix of Islamic sharia and tribal law that does not always mesh with the Geneva Convention or Rule of Law. Understanding this back ground is essential to working closely with the people and the government. American military officers are generally type A personalities who want to solve problems quickly and efficiently. This is usually not the case in Afghanistan or Iraq. Local officials and the people will not address problems immediately, initially drink tea and socialize before getting to the business at hand. You may spend 80% of your time socializing and building rapport. Eventually you will be able to transition to the topics that are of importance to your mission. Learning basic language greetings will help to show that you are interested in their culture. Do not talk to your interpreter talk directly to the person you are addressing.

Additionally understand what you can leverage to accomplish your mission.  Many times this will require the carrot or the stick and usually both. Talk to the people and find out their priorities. The governor in our province wanted bank improvements and a guest house for visitors (this is important in the Muslim culture due to sensitive family issues). We immediately began to get the funds for the bank as it was an improvement that benefited the entire province. We withheld approval for the guest house until we were sufficiently sure the governor would support us, the use of the stick when necessary and the majority of our operations. Many politicians are barely holding on to power, care must be taken in pushing them on areas that are sensitive to the people. You do not want to alienate the government from the people and destroy their already weak influence.

Finally think about the second and third order effects of your actions to include Information Operations (IO). Iraq and Afghanistan are still war zones; however there are many security differences throughout each country. Each province and district must be treated differently based on the threat and the enemy situational template. In one instance a company grade officer was conducting an operation and a capture/kill target was identified in the village. The target was a know IED builder. The target was initially captured by ANSF. As he was being brought out of his house he was wearing heavy clothes that could have concealed an explosive device. The captain felt the target was a threat and ordered his sniper to fire. The target was killed. This was well within the Rules of Engagement as this was a capture/kill target. The captain and his senior NCO were removed from their command and entered the UCMJ system. The case was dismissed but both of them were sidelined from operations for over a year as well as all operations in their province were shut down for an extended period of time. The IO fallout was great and was compounded because the military is much slower at exploiting IO then the enemy. It was a much publicized event that inflamed extremtist activity and fuelled their propaganda machine. The take away is a "could you/should you decision" and how it will look from a media or propaganda view. ROE in OEF and OIF is ambiguous to allow commanders the ability to fight as they see fit. The things commanders cannot do are very few; however the things you should not do are numerous depending on the situation.

• The military personnel under your command and leadership are diplomats for the United States, the average citizen in Afghanistan or Iraq will never talk to any higher ranking officials. Stress the importance of this to your lower ranking personnel.
• The war in Afghanistan and Iraq is a marathon and not a sprint. Politics aside it will take generations for real change to occur. Prior to deploying conduct mission analysis and define that are attainable during your deployment. Develop milestones, maintain your focus and do not overextend yourself while in country. If you attempt to do to much you will accomplish nothing.
• Do not force your ideals and standards on the situation. Nation building is not a perfect science and Afghanistan and Iraq will never have the same democracy as the United States. Understand what is acceptable to accomplish the mission and place your goals there.
• One mistake can completely destroy all of the hard work that has been accomplished. Think about how your actions will have second and third order effects and how they will be viewed by the world. With the current media situation your actions have the potential to have strategic effects.
• Plan for contingencies. Cover the possible outcomes from operations and what your response will be. Missions never go as planned and the enemy always has a vote.
• Have situational awareness of your AOR. You will not be able to control all of the actors in your AOR but have a plan to react to their activities if they cause massive IO problems. There are many IO disasters that can be dealt with if you are prepared and have laid the groundwork with the people and the government. Bad news does not get better with time, go ugly early and get your story out to the media first. The first version to hit the media has the greatest effect, use an attached combat camera to help win the IO fight.
• When conducting offensive operations to capture or kill targets conduct a good cost benefit analysis. Will the removal or the target have a worthwhile effect in relation to the possible IO fallout. For lower level targets work with the local government and law enforcement to bring low level targets in through non-kinetic means Fight corruption when possible. One of the biggest complaints of the people is a corrupt government. Corruption cannot be completely stopped but arresting a punishing a few individuals will carry huge weight with the people.
• If there is something you want to accomplish work with the local government, convince them that it is their idea and in their best interest.
• Read about the history of the area that you will conduct operations. It will give you a good basis for the general feelings of the people and the situation.
• Work within the restrictions that are place on you by your command and the theatre operating parameters. You cannot make the red tape go away. Learn to work within it to accomplish you mission.

Captain Landsee is currently a Special Forces Operational Detachment Commander in the 3^rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) that recently returned from Operation Enduring Freedom XI. He was previously assigned to the 1^st Brigade, 25^th Infantry Division (Light) as Infantry and Stryker Platoon Leader and Executive Officer. Captain Landsee deployed as a Stryker Company Executive Officer for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Captain Landsee is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Airborne School, Ranger School, the Infantry Captains Career Course, and the Special Forces Qualification Course. Captain Landsee graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science and the Law.