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

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COMOPERATIONSthemselves together for the duration of operations.Maintaining cohesion and unity of effort requires understandingand adjustment to the perceptions of allallied nations, allowing them to do those tasks theyfeel politically and militarily comfortable doing. Maintainingsuch cohesion among a coalition is an importantfactor for US Army forces to consider in both planningand conducting operations.MILITARY DOCTRINE AND TRAININGAll nations have different vital interests and militarycapabilities. Thus, their strategic aims and militarydoctrines vary. The armed forces of one nationmay possess a doctrine with a full treatment of strategic,operational, and tactical issues. Other nations maypossess a doctrine for forces of brigade-size or smaller.US Army doctrine endeavors to be compatible withjoint and combined operations requirements.Other nations’ doctrines may focus on a single service.Some doctrines emphasize offensive operations;others defensive. Some nations prepare for highlymobile, mechanized operations; others concern themselveswith insurgent or other forms of warfare. USArmy doctrine stresses rapid, agile operations emphasizingingenuity and improvisation within the guidelinesprovided by the commander’s intent. Others discardthis approach as too risky. Training, equipment,and technologies vary. Commanders carefully considerwhich national units are best suited for particular missions.In combined operations, as in unilateral operations,US Army commanders employ units accordingto their capabilities or advise the senior allied commanderof the need to do likewise with US units.EQUIPMENTCommanders consider equipment capabilitieswhen employing allied units. Among nations, equipmentwill vary in modernization levels, maintenancestandards, mobility, and degree of interoperability.Commanders of combined units may face a large technologicaldisparity between units, resulting in a mixtureof systems. They can exploit interoperability byplacing like units with similar capabilities adjacent to,or reinforcing, one another. Nonetheless, they willusually have to overcome some measure of incompatibility.Selected coalition units may have some systemssimilar to that of the enemy, making measures topreclude fratricide vital. Operational planners shouldexpect difficulties such as incompatible communicationsand differences in the cross-country mobility ofvehicles. Commanders must understand the actual capabilitiesof allied or coalition partners.CULTURAL DIFFERENCESEach partner in combined operations possesses aunique cultural identity, the result of language, values,religious systems, and economic and social outlooks.Nations with similar cultures are more likelyto have similar aspirations. Further, their armed forceswill face fewer obstacles to interoperability in a combinedforce structure. Nations with divergent culturaloutlooks have to overcome greater obstacles in a coalitionor alliance.Armies reflect the national cultures that influencethe way they operate. Sources of national pride andcultural sensitivities will vary widely, yet the combinedforce commander must accommodate them. Differencesin work ethic, standards of living, religion, anddiscipline affect the way nations approach war. Commanderscannot ignore these differences because theyrepresent potential major problems. Even seeminglyminor differences, such as dietary restrictions or officer/soldierrelationships, can have great impact.Commanders may have to accommodate religiousholidays, prayer calls, and other unique cultural traditionsthat are important to allies.LANGUAGELanguage barriers represent a significant challenge.Because Americans are used to English-speakingcounterparts, they generally do not understand thedifficulties faced by non-English-speaking allies.Specifying the official coalition language may be asensitive issue. One should not assume the languagewill automatically be English. After a language is selected,all written documents must be translated fortactical execution by units of different nations. Theeffort detracts from planning time and has the potentialfor mistakes or misunderstanding. Few linguistshave both the technical expertise and depth of understandingto cross both language and doctrinal boundariesand be fully understood. Loss of meaning in translationcan be high. The problems that can arise due tomiscommunication are potentially disastrous. A possiblesolution is a significant resource commitment todedicated liaison and linguist teams.TEAMWORK AND TRUSTNations build coalitions and alliances on mutualtrust, understanding, and reliance which bind the5-2