I'm sorry I missed this topic on the original run through... If there is still interest I would like to ask those with OEF KLE experience how they would compare it to the OIF (especially post Sons of Iraq genesis) version. My experience in uniform is limited to the latter, but I would imagine that when it comes to it, the basic skill sets would be the same.

This brings to my other thought on KLEs. My work civilian-side is in diplomacy, and at negotiations or international meetings it is invariable that the majority of problem-solving happens on the margins. In other words, if you are at the table at the scheduled time and you are hearing something for the first time, it is either that 1. you are behind the power curve or 2. this new item just added work for you on the next break or after the meeting closes. I found this to be true in OIF as well. If a couple of Sheikhs and the local IA commander are present for a KLE it would be mostly posturing, rehashing of known points, and/or expression of outrage over some recent event or development. At no point did I find those meetings to be the appropriate time to solve anything or get anything meaningful done other than work on the posturing in the room. One-on-one meetings before or shortly after the big scheduled one is where the real negotiating happened.

OIF KLE's were my first major exposure to negotiating outside of the stateside business world. In retrospect, the KLE prep that attempted to apply "TTP's" to something as unscientific as negotiation was wanting. The TTP's needed context to make sense, which was often very superficial "culture stuff". I am still perplexed by how a KLE is different from an international negotiation.....