WASHINGTON — The Army will unveil an unprecedented doctrine Monday declaring that nation-building missions probably will become more important than conventional warfare and defining “fragile states” that breed crime, terrorism and religious and ethnic strife as the greatest threat to U.S. national security.
The doctrine holds that in coming years, American troops are not likely to engage in major ground combat against hostile states as they did in Iraq and Afghanistan but instead will be called upon frequently to operate in lawless areas to safeguard populations and rebuild countries.
Such “stability operations” will last longer and ultimately contribute more to the military’s success than “traditional combat operations,” according to the Army’s new Stability Operations Field Manual, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post.
“This is the document that bridges from conflict to peace,” said Lt. Gen. William Caldwell, commander of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., where the manual was drafted over the past 10 months. The U.S. military “will never secure the peace until we can conduct stability operations in a collaborative manner” with civilian government and private entities at home and abroad, he said.
The stability operations doctrine is an engine that will drive Army resources, organization and training for years to come, Caldwell said, and Army officials already have detailed plans to execute it. The operations directive underpinning the manual “elevated stability operations to a status equal to that of the offense and defense,” the manual reads, describing the move as a “fundamental change in emphasis” for the Army.
Yet the concept has drawn fire from many sides: Military critics say it will weaken heavy war-fighting skills — using tanks and artillery — that have atrophied during years of counterinsurgency campaigns.
