ATTP 5-0.1 Commander and Staff Officer Guide - Army Electronic ...

Liaison
units’ staff coordination and actions. Effective liaison improves commanders’ understanding and reduces
the possibility of conflicting guidance, frequent planning changes, and inefficient execution of deployment
tasks. During deployment, LNOs act as critical information conduits.
9-19. Effective LNOs understand their commander’s information requirements, especially the CCIRs.
Information requirements during deployment might include—
� The type of transportation the unit needs for deployment and resupply.
� The information systems and intelligence products available.
� The level and extent of protection the unit needs as it arrives, disembarks, and prepares for
operations.
� Staging area requirements.
� The sustainment that the Army component of a joint force must provide to other Service
components.
� Local tactical intelligence products otherwise unavailable.
� Unit movement officer responsibilities.
JOINT OPERATIONS
9-20. Current joint information systems do not meet all operational requirements. Few U.S. military
information systems are interoperable. Army liaison teams require information systems that can rapidly
exchange information between commands to ensure Army force operations are synchronized with
operations of the joint force and its Service components.
INTERAGENCY OPERATIONS
9-21. Army forces may participate in interagency operations across the spectrum of conflict, especially
when conducting stability or civil support operations. Frequently, Army forces conduct operations in
cooperation with or in support of civilian government agencies. Relations in these operations are rarely
based on standard military command and support relationships; rather, national laws or specific agreements
for each given situation govern the specific relationships in interagency operations. For example, during
civil support operations, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has overall charge of federal disaster
relief within the United States, its territories, and possessions. Interagency operations may lack unity of
command. All government agencies may work toward a common goal but not under a single authority. In
such situations, achieving unity of effort requires effective liaison. (See FM 3-07.)
9-22. Some missions require coordination with nongovernmental organizations. No overarching
interagency doctrine delineates or dictates the relationships and procedures governing all agencies,
departments, and organizations in interagency operations. Effective liaison elements work toward
establishing mutual trust and confidence, continuously coordinating actions to achieve cooperation and
unity of effort. (See also JP 3-08.) In these situations, LNOs and their teams require a broader
understanding of the interagency environment, responsibilities, motivations, and limitations of
nongovernmental organizations, and the relationships these organizations have with the U.S. military.
MULTINATIONAL OPERATIONS
9-23. Army units often operate as part of a multinational force whose information systems may not be
compatible. Some nations have little or no computerized information systems. Reciprocal liaison is
especially important under these conditions. Mutual confidence makes these multinational operations
successful. Liaison during multinational operations includes explicit coordination of doctrine and tactics,
techniques, and procedures. It requires patience and tact during personal interactions. LNOs need to
thoroughly understand the strategic, operational, and tactical aims of the international effort. Foreign
disclosure limitations often require special communications and liaison arrangements to address cultural
differences and sensitivities as well as ensure explicit understanding throughout the multinational force.
14 September 2011 ATTP 5-0.1 9-7