1. Counterinsurgency

2. Enabling Learning Objective
Action: Define and analyze insurgency and counterinsurgency.
Conditions: In a general classroom environment.
Standards: The student will be able to define and analyze insurgency and counterinsurgency. Upon completion of the training module, the student will be evaluated and must successfully complete the module examination with 70% accuracy

3. Safety, Risk, Environment
Requirements
“…you know”
Risk Assessment
LOW
Environmental
Considerations
RECYCLE

4. Learning Step:
Causes of Insurgency

5. Counterinsurgency

6. Counterinsurgency (COIN)
Counterinsurgency = against insurgency So what is insurgency?...
Security Gap--protecting against internal and external threats, and preserving sovereignty over territory
Capacity Gap—infrastructure, services, health care, education,
Legitimacy Gap--protect the basic rights and freedoms of its people, enforce the rule of law, and allow broad-based participation in the political process.
An organized movement aimed at the overthrow of a constituted government through the use of subversion and armed conflict (JP 1-02).

7. COIN in Afghanistan
Who are our opponents?
What is their goal?
How do they fight us?
How do we fight them?
What is our goal?

8. Who are Insurgents? Osama Bin Laden Ho Chi Minh Fidel Castro T.E.
Lawrence
Vladimir
Lenin
Mao
Tse Tung
Who are Insurgents?
William
Wallace
George
Washington
Simon
Bolivar
Menachem
Begin
Robespierre

9. How Do We Fix This?

10. What Causes Insurgency?
3 GAPS:
Security
Capacity
Legitimacy
Can we defeat an insurgency by simply destroying the insurgents?
Or must we also address the causes?

11. THE PEOPLE ARE THE CENTER OF GRAVITY
Security Gap
THE PEOPLE ARE THE CENTER OF GRAVITY
You look down at the children and see the hope and trust and anticipation in their eyes. It puts a little more fire in your belly to do something that really matters.
-MAJ Jim Gant, “One Tribe at a Time”

12. Security Gap

13. Legitimacy Gap Rights Freedoms Justice Rule of Law
The natural governance of Afghanistan is tribal. Through its councils, jirgas and shuras, tribal members have been dispensing justice and providing the means of conflict resolution for centuries.
-MAJ Jim Gant, U.S. Special Forces
“One Tribe at a Time”
Justice Rule of Law

14. Capacity Gap
Healthcare
Education
Infrastructure

15. How Do We Fix The Leaks? Insurgency Weak/Failing State SECURITY GAP
CAPACITY GAP
Weak/Failing
State
LEGITIMACY GAP
Insurgency

16. Counterinsurgency (COIN)
Successful Practices:
Emphasize intelligence
Focus on the population, its needs, and its security
Establish and expand secure areas
Isolate insurgents from the populace
Conduct effective, pervasive, and continuous information operations
Provide amnesty and rehabilitation for those willing to support the new government
Place host-nation police in the lead
with military support as soon as
the security situation permits
Train military forces to conduct
counterinsurgency operations
Embed quality advisors and special
forces with host-nation forces
According to FM 3-24 Counterinsurgency, Dec 2006

17. Counterinsurgency (COIN)
Unsuccessful Practices:
Overemphasize killing and capturing the enemy rather than securing and engaging the populace
Conduct large-scale operations as the norm
Concentrate military forces in large bases for protection
Focus special forces primarily on raiding
Place low priority on assigning quality advisors to host-nation forces
Build and train host-nation security forces in the U.S. military’s image
Ignore peacetime government processes, including legal procedures
Allow open borders, airspace, and coastlines
Victory Base Complex (VBC), Iraq
According to FM 3-24 Counterinsurgency, Dec 2006

18. 4th Generation of War (4GW)
How do we defeat an insurgent enemy?
Sometimes you don’t have to defeat anyone to WIN!
Conflict transformation
is the process of reducing the means and motivations for violent conflict while developing more viable, peaceful alternatives for the competitive pursuit of political and socioeconomic aspirations.
(PLUG THE GAPS)

19. Check on Learning Describe the 3 Gaps that encourage insurgency.
Security
Legitimacy
Capacity

20. Learning Step:
Role of Learning in Counterinsurgency

21. Role of Learning in COIN
The key to effective COIN is the ability to adjust better and faster than the insurgents.
A cycle of adaptation usually develops between insurgents and counterinsurgents; both sides continually adapt to neutralize existing adversary advantages and develop new (usually short-lived) advantages of their own.
Victory is gained through a tempo or rhythm of adaptation that is beyond the other side’s ability to achieve or sustain. Therefore, counterinsurgents should seek to gain and sustain advantages over insurgents by emphasizing learning and adaptation.
Get inside your opponents decision cycle!

22. Fast Transient = to quickly change from one action to another; Agility
O-O-D-A Loop
COL John Boyd, USAF, argued war fighters facing a tactical challenge execute a cycle of Observe-Orient-Decide-Act (OODA).  
Boyd argued that the speed of the cycle is critical - the more opportunities the team has to make decisions and adapt plans, the more likely they are to achieve their objectives.   But what is most critical is that you must get "inside" the OODA loop cycle of the enemy - you must Observe-Orient-Decide-Act before your enemy does and stay within that cycle to maintain the tactical advantage.
Fast Transient = to quickly change from one action to another; Agility

23. Observe-Orient-Decide-Act
Is enhanced by Communication
Decide
What the Counter-move is to the Enemy’s move
Orient
Is Putting Your Observations Into Perspective
With your Own Capabilities, Limitations, &Assumptions
Act
Put your decision into motion.
Execution is Enhanced By
Training & Rehearsals

24. O-O-D-A Loop
Observation: I’m up to bat, count is 2-0, and I see the pitcher doesn’t raise his knee as high as he does when throwing a fast ball. Last pitch was inside. I saw his thumb on the release
Orientation: Last pitch inside, this one probably outside. Visible thumb means CURVE BALL. I’ve got my heavier bat and I like them low.
Decision: If its not low, let it go by. Low, Outside & Slow = Keep my Head Down & Swing Away
Action: Swing Away

25. IDEAS!!! So we understand the Decision Cycle “OODA” Loop
And we understand that the cycles must be executed rapidly in order to gain an advantage…
What is it that we need to decide? And execute rapidly?
IDEAS!!!

26. Summary Insurgency & Counterinsurgency Gaps Conflict Transformation
Learning
Rapid Decision Cycles
Analysis & Synthesis

27. Questions/Comments?