Owning Battlespace

[William F. Owen]

Yeah, the HN should be considered the BSO, but at the end of the day, not a whole lot of stock should be put into the term itself. We know what the objective understanding should be, even if the common understanding or threshold leaves a lot to be desired. Even when using doctrinal terms, there are nuances to them that differ between Marine and Army usage, despite joint definitions existing in black and white.

Not a lot of stock, an understatement?

So the host nation is the Battle Space Owner? So during the invasion of Iraq, Iraq was the Battle Space Owner? When did the Iraqi Government become the BSO, and where was that?

Whose ever doctrine this is, it's moronic. "Ownership??" The way we can get around stupid ideas is to stop using them.

I can guess I can add "Battle Space" to my list of "military terms used by 8-year-olds."

[jcustis]

Wilf, it's just a term, and it's battlespace as a single word, not two. Think slang.

No one is saying Iraq was the BSO during the invasion...looking a little closely at the comments above, we are talking about the FID/COIN environment, not conventional conflict.

[William F. Owen]

Wilf, it's just a term, and it's battlespace as a single word, not two. Think slang.

Ahhhh.... Sorry. I thought is was a book-learning term for all that there bank-bank stuff them soldiers boys do of somewhere some when.

Guess reading and all that, don't help you none here.

No one is saying Iraq was the BSO during the invasion...looking a little closely at the comments above, we are talking about the FID/COIN environment, not conventional conflict.

So the slang term "Battlespace" only applies to FID/COIN. OK, so when did the current Iraqi government take possession of it's "Battlespace."

[sullygoarmy]

Not a lot of stock, an understatement?

So the host nation is the Battle Space Owner? So during the invasion of Iraq, Iraq was the Battle Space Owner? When did the Iraqi Government become the BSO, and where was that?

William,
At this point in history, the Iraqi Security Forces own the battlespace, Area of Operations, Operational Environment or whatever term we want to use. They are the lead partner and were the junior partner. Other than some very rare force protection missions, we always requested permission from the Iraqi General in charge of an area we wanted to operate in and always had ISF with us. With only one Brigade in all of Baghdad province we must rely on the ISF to conduct security operations...U.S. forces cannot anymore. The drawdown truly was a forcing function to get the ISF out on their own and keep using U.S. enablers to support them.

Obviously not the same situation in Afghanistan. But when we look at Security Force Assistance, we want the host nation in the lead. Fortunately, we are at that point in Iraq.

Love the discussions!