Coordination Without Borders, Assigning US Military Officers to NGO World Headquarters

The lack of coordination outlined in the US Institute for Peace’s (USIP’s) Guide for Participants in Peace, Stability, and Relief Operations primer is the driving force behind this monograph and its title. ’Coordination without Borders’; is a variation of the title of the respected Doctors Without Borders / Medicines Sans Fronti’res (MSF) medical assistance nongovernmental organization (NGO). The Department of Defense (DoD) could meet the challenge of coordinating military operations with NGOs’; operations and increasing NGO access and security by assigning officers to NGOs’; world headquarters. Since 1995, every US military campaign has included significant stability, support, transition and reconstruction (SSTR) operations. During US military operations in the Afghanistan and Iraq operational theaters, military campaign plans and operations have included simultaneous combat and SSTR operations. During Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom (or since 2001), the US Department of Defense has led simultaneous combat and Stability, Support, Transition and Reconstruction (SSTR) operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq. As the lead campaign organization (vice the US Department of State, NATO, the European Union or United Nations), and despite having similar near-term objectives, military commanders have limited success working with NGOs. Effective DoD and NGO coordination and synchronization at high levels could improve both military stability and NGO operations’; effectiveness. This monograph also addresses US military officer assignment courses of action that may facilitate improving DoD and NGO unity of effort.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.