Ken, thanks for the ref.s (this one
USAREur Pam 550-1 Dated 27 Nov 1963
and the others), I'll see if I can dig them up this weekend. Also thanks for your thoughts.

Norfolk - I appreciate the ref.s as well, but I really liked that last paragraph:

If military force may often amount to a fist into water in COIN, paramilitary police, conversely, may act as a sort of sponge, soaking up the insurgency's armed strength. The military is potentially useful, often even necessary in COIN; but effective paramilitary Police, who live amongst and know the people and land intimately, are utterly essential. The Police are the cake in COIN; the Military is the icing.
it gets me thinking about priority of effort.

Between both of your comments maybe the thread accommodates a few more questions, and considers ways to conduct an assessment of what the HN might need to gain and maintain domestic security in terms of a policing force, or a broader use of security forces. Questions that help consider the security environment the HN is plugged into, and will likely be plugged into for some time to come (I mean geographically they are stuck, but as other conditions internally and externally change for better or worse). Maybe we could consider advantages and disadvantages of helping them develop capacity in one area vs. another.

David(fbpro) - wanted to also ask you for your thoughts.

Best, Rob