Category Publications

The WPS News Round Up is a new monthly initiative from the Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI), the U.S. Army Office of Primary Responsibility for WPS implementation, that will provide the U.S. Army WPS community of interest with a monthly round up of articles to raise awareness and knowledge of WPS efforts and initiatives. The articles in the WPS News Round Up are provided for your situational awareness, only. The contents do not reflect the official views of, nor are they endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, or PKSOI.

To read or download this months WPS News Round Up please click on the links below.

If you would like to be added or removed from the monthly WPS News Round Up distro list, please email: antonieta.rico.ctr@army.mil. Please forward the email to other members of the US Army WPS community who might find the content valuable.

This framework, Defense Support to Stabilization (DSS): A Guide for Stabilization Practitioners, was developed over the past two years by PKSOI in cooperation with the Office of the Secretary of Defense—Counternarcotics and Stabilization Policy (OSD-CNSP), and in coordination with a wide-ranging planning team involving members from across the joint force and the interagency.

Created in fulfillment of Task 1.1.5 of the December 2020 Secretary of Defense’s Irregular Warfare Implementation Plan, this framework serves as a reference guide that outlines how the Department of Defense, in support of U.S. Government (USG) strategy and interagency partners, supports USG stabilization efforts, missions, and activities.

As this is a DoD framework, it begins by highlighting DoD policy for DSS outlined in DoD Directive 3000.05 Stabilization, before providing an overview of US strategy including the 2022 National Security Strategy, 2018 Stabilization Assistance Review, 2022 National Defense Strategy, 2020 Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, and 2019 Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security. Following a review of other pertinent policy and doctrine, this framework outlines how the US Government in general, and DoD in particular, is organized to achieve US stabilization goals. The framework then details how the USG implements, and DoD supports, stabilization efforts.

Two appendixes detail the law governing Defense Support for Stabilization Activities (DSSA) and DoD implementation guidance for this important Security Cooperation program. Finally, there are twenty-three annexes of the U.S. strategies, policies, programs, and doctrine that comprise the USG and DoD framework for stabilization.

PKSOI, in coordination with OSD-CNSP, is committed to periodically updating this DSS Guide for Stabilization Practitioners as key strategies, policies, and doctrine are published.

To read or download this guide please click on the links below:

DSS-Guide-for-Stabilization-Practitioners-with-full-annexes-420-pages-8.7MB

The Global Fragility Act of 2019 outlined a US strategy to prevent conflict and promote stability in countries identified by the Department of State in partnership with other federal agencies. Among those agencies is the Department of Defense (DOD) with its relatively new interagency support authority, the Defense Support to Stabilization, or DSS.2 As Stephanie Hammond, then Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability and Humanitarian Affairs, indicated
This new authority allows DOD to provide logistical support, supplies and services to other federal agencies conducting stabilization activities… [so that] … critical civilian expertise can get into hard-to-reach areas more quickly and efficiently and with more effective resources, creating a unity of effort that the agencies have lacked in the past.3

To read this Semi Annual Lesson Report: Defense Support to Stabilization (DSS) Volume II click on the link below:

The Global Fragility Act of 20191 outlined a US strategy to prevent conflict and promote stability in countries identified by the Department of State in partnership with other federal agencies. Among those agencies is the Department of Defense (DOD) with its relatively new interagency support authority, the Defense Support to Stabilization, or DSS.2 As Stephanie Hammond, then Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability and Humanitarian Affairs, indicated
This new authority allows DOD to provide logistical support, supplies and services to other federal agencies conducting stabilization activities… [so that] … critical civilian expertise can get into hard-to-reach areas more quickly and efficiently and with more effective resources, creating a unity of effort that the agencies have lacked in the past.3
The intent of this lesson collection is to offer some insight into topics and concepts DOD should recognize or consider as it plans and programs itself to partner with other federal agencies across the stabilization spectrum.

To read this Lesson Report click on the link below:

On MAY 25, 2022, PKSOI and the U.S. Army War College celebrated the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.

Speakers for the event included Brig. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, Deputy Commanding General for Reserve Affairs at the Army War College, as well as former peacekeepers — all highlighting the history, challenges, and future of UN missions.  “I am proud of the number of International Fellows in the Army War College Resident Class of 2022 who have served in UN Peace Operations….Half of our 80 International Fellows have served in at least one peacekeeping mission,” said Birckhead.

On this International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, we honor and remember those who have fallen:  over 4,197 peacekeepers have lost their lives in the cause of peace – including 79 Americans.  We also honor those who currently serve in peacekeeping missions, representing the best intentions of their nations, and who selflessly dedicate their lives to enable sustainable growth in the war-torn spaces around the world. Their shared determination and unified efforts will bring a greater chance of achieving peace than any single country could attain alone.

This publication has been prepared under the direction of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS). It sets forth joint doctrine to govern the activities and performance of the Armed Forces of the United States in joint operations, and it provides considerations for military interaction with governmental and nongovernmental agencies, multinational forces, and other interorganizational partners.

Releasability UNCLASSIFIED. This JP is approved for public release. Access to this publication is unrestricted; distribution is unlimited and releasable outside the combatant commands, Services, National Guard Bureau, and Joint Staff.

To read JP 3-07 Joint Stabilization Activities on JDEIS (CAC required) : Click Here

This edition of the Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute’s Semiannual Lesson Report examines facets of Multinational Interoperability (MNI) Command and Control (C2) and Transitions in peace operations and stability activities. This report builds on a 2020 report, PKSOI Semiannual Lesson Report, Multinational Interoperability for Peace and Stability, which provides a framework for the interoperability discourse in three aspects: procedural, human, and technical. This report focuses on the human aspect as it reflects in the military command and control environment. It uses the interoperability definition found in Joint Publication (JP) 3-16, Multinational Operations, because it relates to multinational commands and refers to relationships among multinational partners within a command environment.

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FOREWORD
Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI) was created to ensure that the Army did not lose the knowledge required to conduct peacekeeping and stabilization and to anticipate what might be on the horizon. From Mass Atrocity Response Operations to Women, Peace and Security and much in between (transitions, stability policing, transitional public security, competition, etc.) PKOSI has been a thought leader. As one young PKSOI intern, now public servant opined, PKSOI is not a “think tank” but a “do tank.” Transitional Public Security: Establishing Security in the “Golden Hour” is another example of “doing.”

Transitional Public Security (TPS) is necessary to ensure that communities in post-conflict environments, or when law and order has broken down, are stabilized; thus, preventing bad actors from flourishing. It may well be that Department of Defense (DoD) is tasked to conduct TPS in accordance with DoD policy. A lot of work has been done to ensure that DoD is prepared to implement the policy and much more needs to be done. This is the story of where we are now and how we got there.

As Dr. Finkenbinder departs The Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, we believed it necessary to ensure that we record progress to date so the community of practice can determine where to go from here. After all, “public policy is whatever governments choose to do or not do.”1 If TPS is truly to become policy, it must become institutionalized.

Jay Liddick
Colonel, Civil Affairs
Director, Peacekeeping and
Stability Operations Institute
October 2021

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Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration Programs for Military Practitioners serves as a guide for organizing, planning, preparing, and executing activities in support of such operations. As the book underscores, the military’s supporting role is not passive; instead, it practices active engagement by incorporating the experience and expertise of DDR partners. Achieving a sense of teamwork among diverse organizational cultures requires creative thinking. While recognizing that DDR is essentially a civilian-led venture, the military can furnish key enablers that enhance performance and effectiveness. PKSOI regards this book as a valuable reference for military and civilian organizations coming together to implement meaningful DDR.

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Maritime Stability Operations – China: Bullying Their Way Into the Arctic -The US Geological Survey estimates that the Arctic holds approximately 90 billion barrels of undiscovered oil which is about 13 percent of global estimates and 30 percent of the Earth’s undiscovered natural gas.[i] This increase in regional shipping and resource mining may cause regional instability in the Arctic as China, Russia, and the United States and its Arctic State partners compete to ensure their interests are attended to in this newly marketable portion of the Arctic.

[i] Lino, Marissa, 2020, “Understanding China’s Arctic activities.” Accessed March 1, 2021.  https://www.iiss.org/blogs/analysis/2020/02/china-arctic

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