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Peace Operations

(US Views)

Peace operations (PO) are a type of MOOTW. US doctrine is consistent with the doctrine of many nations in recognizing the important but limited role of military forces in the creation of peace in today’s turbulent world. That peace is a product of the will of the parties to a conflict. Influencing that will requires the concurrent application of all the instruments of national and international power – military, diplomatic, economic, and informational. These instruments are closely linked with the conduct of PO.

There are no standard PO, each having a unique setting with its own political, diplomatic, geographic, economic, cultural, and military characteristics. All US military PO support strategic and policy objectives.

The UN Charter provides several means for the international community to address threats to peace and security. Chapter VI of the Charter addresses peaceful means of establishing or maintaining peace through conciliation, mediation, adjudication, and diplomacy. Chapter VII provides the UNSC with a wide range of enforcement actions, from diplomatic and economic measures to the extensive application of armed force. Although the terms peacekeeping and peace enforcement are not in the UN Charter, they generally describe actions taken under Chapter VI and Chapter VII, respectively. The US Constitution, the UN Charter, and US law and policy provide the legal underpinnings for US participation in PO. Although the US will normally participate in PO under the sponsorship of the UN or other multinational organization, it reserves the right to conduct PO unilaterally. Because of the dynamic nature of the PO mission, changes may occur and gray areas can develop requiring close political-military communication and coordination, assessments of the situation and threat, and prior contingency planning for practical requirements.

The United States may participate in PO under various command and control (C2) arrangements. These arrangements might include a unilateral US operation, a multinational operation with the United States as the lead nation, or a multinational operation with the United States as a participant or in support. For both unilateral and multinational operations, US forces will probably be structured as a joint task force (JTF). The composition of the JTF will depend on the mission, political objectives, and the threat.

PO take place under different circumstances characterized by three critical factors: consent, impartiality, and use of force. Key documents in PO include the mandate, status-of-forces agreement (SOFA), terms of reference (TOR), and rules of engagement (ROE). PO encompass peacekeeping operations and peace enforcement operations.

Fundamentals of Peacekeeping Operations

Peacekeeping operations (PKO) are military operations undertaken with the consent of all major parties to a dispute, designed to monitor and facilitate implementation of an agreement (ceasefire, truce, and other related agreements) and support diplomatic efforts to reach a long-term political settlement.

The peacekeepers’ main function is to establish a presence which inhibits The objective of PKO is to fulfill a mandate, to reduce or eliminate violence, facilitate the implementation of an agreement, and support diplomatic efforts. Fundamentals of PKO include firmness, impartiality, clarity of intention, anticipation, consent, integration, and freedom of movement.

Coordination between peacekeeping (PK) military forces and international organizations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and private voluntary organizations (PVOs) is an important feature of PKO.

US military personnel may be detailed to serve on a multinational staff or in an observer group as military observers. The USA may also participate in PKO by providing PK forces. These may include ground, air, maritime, space, and special operations forces.

The organization of a PK force headquarters will generally be structured around common military staff functions such as administration, intelligence, operations, logistics, communications, and civil affairs. The commander will also have a personal staff and civilian staff.

Fundamentals of Peace Enforcement Operations

Peace enforcement operations (PEO) are the application of military force or the threat of its use, normally pursuant to international authorization, to compel compliance with resolutions or sanctions designed to maintain or restore peace and order.

In PEO, the enemy is the dispute, not the belligerent parties or parties to a dispute. Although PEO may require combat, they are not wars and may have more restrictive ROE than wars. Conflict, violence, disorder, a high level of mistrust, and possibly even chaos, rather than peace, describe the environment surrounding PEO. PEO may be conducted in interstate conflicts, but increasingly have involved intrastate conflicts.

In PEO, consent of the parties to the dispute is not a requirement, although some parties may extend it. Although there may be some restrictions on weapons and targeting, peace enforcers generally have full combat capabilities, depending on the mandate, ROE, and tactical situation.

Fundamentals of successful PEO include impartiality, restraint in the use of force, a goal of settlement rather than victory, the use of methods of coercion, and the presence of civilians.

Peace enforcement (PE) missions may include enforcement of sanctions and exclusion zones, protection of humanitarian assistance (HA), operations to restore order, and forcible separation of belligerent parties or parties to a dispute.

Peace Operations

(US Views)

Peace operations (PO) are a type of MOOTW. US doctrine is consistent with the doctrine of many nations in recognizing the important but limited role of military forces in the creation of peace in today’s turbulent world. That peace is a product of the will of the parties to a conflict. Influencing that will requires the concurrent application of all the instruments of national and international power – military, diplomatic, economic, and informational. These instruments are closely linked with the conduct of PO.

There are no standard PO, each having a unique setting with its own political, diplomatic, geographic, economic, cultural, and military characteristics. All US military PO support strategic and policy objectives.

The UN Charter provides several means for the international community to address threats to peace and security. Chapter VI of the Charter addresses peaceful means of establishing or maintaining peace through conciliation, mediation, adjudication, and diplomacy. Chapter VII provides the UNSC with a wide range of enforcement actions, from diplomatic and economic measures to the extensive application of armed force. Although the terms peacekeeping and peace enforcement are not in the UN Charter, they generally describe actions taken under Chapter VI and Chapter VII, respectively. The US Constitution, the UN Charter, and US law and policy provide the legal underpinnings for US participation in PO. Although the US will normally participate in PO under the sponsorship of the UN or other multinational organization, it reserves the right to conduct PO unilaterally. Because of the dynamic nature of the PO mission, changes may occur and gray areas can develop requiring close political-military communication and coordination, assessments of the situation and threat, and prior contingency planning for practical requirements.

The United States may participate in PO under various command and control (C2) arrangements. These arrangements might include a unilateral US operation, a multinational operation with the United States as the lead nation, or a multinational operation with the United States as a participant or in support. For both unilateral and multinational operations, US forces will probably be structured as a joint task force (JTF). The composition of the JTF will depend on the mission, political objectives, and the threat.

PO take place under different circumstances characterized by three critical factors: consent, impartiality, and use of force. Key documents in PO include the mandate, status-of-forces agreement (SOFA), terms of reference (TOR), and rules of engagement (ROE). PO encompass peacekeeping operations and peace enforcement operations.

Fundamentals of Peacekeeping Operations

Peacekeeping operations (PKO) are military operations undertaken with the consent of all major parties to a dispute, designed to monitor and facilitate implementation of an agreement (ceasefire, truce, and other related agreements) and support diplomatic efforts to reach a long-term political settlement.

The peacekeepers’ main function is to establish a presence which inhibits The objective of PKO is to fulfill a mandate, to reduce or eliminate violence, facilitate the implementation of an agreement, and support diplomatic efforts. Fundamentals of PKO include firmness, impartiality, clarity of intention, anticipation, consent, integration, and freedom of movement.

Coordination between peacekeeping (PK) military forces and international organizations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and private voluntary organizations (PVOs) is an important feature of PKO.

US military personnel may be detailed to serve on a multinational staff or in an observer group as military observers. The USA may also participate in PKO by providing PK forces. These may include ground, air, maritime, space, and special operations forces.

The organization of a PK force headquarters will generally be structured around common military staff functions such as administration, intelligence, operations, logistics, communications, and civil affairs. The commander will also have a personal staff and civilian staff.

Fundamentals of Peace Enforcement Operations

Peace enforcement operations (PEO) are the application of military force or the threat of its use, normally pursuant to international authorization, to compel compliance with resolutions or sanctions designed to maintain or restore peace and order.

In PEO, the enemy is the dispute, not the belligerent parties or parties to a dispute. Although PEO may require combat, they are not wars and may have more restrictive ROE than wars. Conflict, violence, disorder, a high level of mistrust, and possibly even chaos, rather than peace, describe the environment surrounding PEO. PEO may be conducted in interstate conflicts, but increasingly have involved intrastate conflicts.

In PEO, consent of the parties to the dispute is not a requirement, although some parties may extend it. Although there may be some restrictions on weapons and targeting, peace enforcers generally have full combat capabilities, depending on the mandate, ROE, and tactical situation.

Fundamentals of successful PEO include impartiality, restraint in the use of force, a goal of settlement rather than victory, the use of methods of coercion, and the presence of civilians.

Peace enforcement (PE) missions may include enforcement of sanctions and exclusion zones, protection of humanitarian assistance (HA), operations to restore order, and forcible separation of belligerent parties or parties to a dispute.