A quick aside on presence patrols: If you assign a task and purpose, they're more than just "providing presence." They're gaining intelligence, providing reconnaissance, or adding to security operations. Presence patrol, as I've said before, translates in my mind to "trolling for RPG."


Let's look at this on the larger scale and widdle it down.

If you look in terms of Lines of Operations (LOOs), which should all inter-relate;

and ...

If you take the big 5 LOOs...
a. Combat Operations
b. Information Operations
c. Civil-military Operations
d. ISF Operations
e. Economic Development

A smart unit is going to have a plan of action for each of the LOOs and how they are going to improve in their specific AO. Now understanding what I do tactically in the "Combat Operations" LOO is going to have some potential blowback in the "Civil-Military" realm, potentially all the way up to the operational and possible even the strategic level, then it so follows that if I don't go into the fight taking all 5 of the LOOs into consideration and factor in the second and third order effects of each then I'm probably in for a rather unproductive year. Let's take a quick look at a skeleton hypothetical endstate for each for a BN's year tour (long range goals from the day after RIP/TOA):

a. Combat Operations: Cut IEDs in half on specific lines of communication in my AO; Cut mortar attacks by 1/3; Capture or kill 10 high value targets (HVTs) on my unit's "black list;" Incorporate IA/IP into all operations, making all operations combined coalition force patrols.

Summary: I have to make my goals attainable and quantifiable. Quantitative and tangible goals are easier to assess, so it's easier to mark progress.

b. Information Operations: Issue 2 good products (leaflets, posters) a month denouncing attacks on civilians; reinforcement of civil-military projects through education of what improvements are made; televised city council meetings once a month; televised sheik/tribal leader meetings once a quarter; An "Iraq's Most Wanted" type show, much like 1/25IN maintained in Mosul; Unit talking points each month talking about where the AO has been and where it's going; IA/IP recruiting posters; Traffic Control Point (TCP) awareness handouts (what do I do if I come upon a CF checkpoint, what is expected of me, etc); Tiplines

Summary: The big one here, obviously, is the bold point. I know for a fact that they're out there. I remember each month getting the Regimental talking points in a FRAGO. They were based upon whatever MNF-I Effects was putting out that month. It's like Ragu; It's in there. Sometimes we need to put our nuggets together and put it into something usable at our level.

c. Civil-Military Operations: School improvements in 80% of AO's gradeschools (chalkboards, new books, writing utencils, etc); 18 hours electricity a day; Trash removal services twice a week; Unemployment cut by 25%; No breaks in potable water service (whether bottled or piped); medical supply enhancement at rural clinics; new x-ray machine for local hospital; road/bridge improvements

Summary: Some fairly ambitious endstates here. Improving quality of life is the overarching goal. In some cases, restoring things to "the way things used to be" is success and will be seen as success by the locals. Improving anything in the SWEAT-MS realms will go a long way. It's like we talked about with Dr. Kilcullen's 28 Articles - proliferation of small projects is beautiful, quantifiable, and cheap. But it's still improvement nontheless.

d. ISF Operations: Turn over no less than 50% of the AO to ISF at the end of the year; fully equip and man the IA BDE my unit partners with; fully man and equip the IPs in the towns I work; All IPs are graduates of IP Academy; IP vehicles have ballistic glass; All American patrols are combined with IA/IP, though IA/IPs will patrol independently with an American QRF; Integreate MiTT and IA leadership into MDMP; Conduct combined targeting and effects meetings with IA leadership

Summary: The goal here has to be getting the IA/IPs into the independent operating mode - otherwise, what's the point? If when you enter your AO your unit conducts 25% of your patrols with IA, by the end of the year, you should be operating without the IA or IPs 0%. Certain covert exceptions are made - chances are you're not in that kind of a unit. Equipping is a huge part of this LOO. How can they fight if they have nothing to fight with or protect themselves with? It's your job to figure out how to breakdown the bureaucracy and get them what they need.

e. Economic Development: Reopening of town's glass plant which employed 30% of the town before the war; Cut unemployment by 25% through project employment (trash removal, construction, etc); force protection measures around market areas;

Summary: A good area to put the resident economist in a staff position looking for a way to contribute. For all intents and purposes, we need to find a way to pour money back into the community to jumpstart economic development. Buy some chi, have a goat for dinner, haggle for a new rug.


What does all this mean? Success must be exploited and the successful story should be told. Telling the story of success must be an intricate part of your IO campaign. Let the people see the good being done and then leave it up to them to decide which direction they're going to support. The Overarching aspect of all of this is your ability to provide security to the people. The quicker you are at determining the enemy course of action, the better you will be in keeping him from even getting to the start point (again, it goes back to Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield, which works fundamentally in COIN like it does in the tank on tank battle - it's just a different accplication).