FM 100-5 Operations - Survival Ebooks Military Manuals Survival ...

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COMOPERATIONSsignify victory. These may be open-ended objectivessuch as the continued prevention of hostilities in peacekeepingoperations, or they may be specific such asthe reopening of public schools on a target date followinga national disaster.Theater assessments that incorporate informationand intelligence from a variety of sources form thebasis for theater planning. Peacetime operations relyheavily on cultural orientations and regional expertise.A diverse group of forces—military units, internationaland national relief groups, police and fire departments,local governmental agencies, and others—integrate their efforts and cooperate to achieve specificobjectives. Other military and nonmilitary headquartersdevelop supporting plans, allocate resources,and provide services to assist committed forces. Theentire effort is brought together in an overarching campaignplan that synchronizes each agency’s effort withothers to achieve the desired end state.Operations other than war will not always bepeaceful actions. Determined opponents may resort tofighting or other aggressive acts in an attempt to defeatour purposes and promote theirs. While all militaryforces have an intrinsic right of self-defense, theuse of overwhelming force may complicate the processtoward the Army’s stated objectives. As a result,operational commanders may find themselves operatingunder restrictive ROE.The operations other than war environment is acomplex one that will require disciplined, versatileArmy forces to respond to different situations, includingtransitioning rapidly from operations other thanwar to wartime operations. Counterdrug operations,for example, may move through various activities, beginningwith education and training and eventually includinginterdiction and direct action. Drug dealers,in turn, may resort to propaganda and legal protectionactivities and outright armed combat that employs significantfirepower. While the dividing line betweenthe two may not always be clear, commanders seekingto retain the initiative should plan for combat operationsas a branch or sequel to the overall campaignplan.In the turbulent period immediately following theend of combat operations, a number of units will berequired to transition to operations other than war.Pending the reestablishment of a civilian infrastructure,military forces may be in the best position to conductrefugee control, to reestablish civil order and publicservices, and to provide health assistance and otherpostconflict activities. While military forces willHistoricalPerspectiveIn late November 1989, conditions in El Salvador intensified when the Farabundo Marti National LiberationFront (FMLN), a communist front organization, launched a major offensive. It involved countrywideattacks against the El Salvadorian Armed Forces (ESAF). The FMLN used newly acquired SA-7surface-to-air missiles against ESAF aircraft. This early FMLN success impacted immediately on theESAF. The balance and momentum could have shifted in favor of the FMLN.USSOUTHCOM responded rapidly to restore ESAF initiative by coordinating an interagency responsehelpful to the military balance. ESAF received additional small arms and ammunition. The continutedresolve of the ESAF was due in part to this responsive US support. This type of support continued throughthe following summer, allowing the ESAF to maintain a high tempo of operations. This period of sustained,hard-hitting operations kept the FMLN on the defensive, while reacquiring lost territory. It alsofacilitated the ability of the government of El Salvador in peace negotiations. The signing of a peacetreaty between the FMLN and the government on 16 January 1992 was the end result.13-2