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Understanding the Operational Environment in COIN
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The Operational Environment
Areas Structures Capabilities Organizations People Events Observation/fields of fire Avenues of approach Key terrain Obstacles Cover & concealment Civilian considerations Physical Terrain Physical Terrain The Operational Environment is defined in JP 1-02 as, “A composite of the conditions, circumstances, and influences that affect the employment of capabilities and bear on the decisions of the commander.” In other words, the operational environment is everything, everybody and every event around you. OAKOC – This acronym is used most often at the tactical level to describe the operational environment. In a COIN environment ASCOPE is used to analyze the cultural and human environment or what is sometimes referred to as “human terrain”. “ASCOPE” is a method for learning about the operational environment. It provides the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the environment. ASCOPE helps us approach the problem from the perspective of the nature of the population and nature of the insurgency. Understanding ASCOPE is essential to identifying the Root Causes of an insurgency. Once Root Causes are identified they can be addressed, ultimately denying the insurgents access to and control of the people. In a sense, by denying insurgents access to the population you are denying them terrain…human terrain. A- Area: Where do people live, work, play, meet, worship? S- Structures: Why are structures in the area important? Bridges, mosques, market places, tea houses, internet cafes, hospitals, etc. C- Capabilities: Who in the community is capable of providing for the people? O- Organizations: What are the different groups of people in the area? P- People: How do the people communicate/interact? E- Events: When are things occurring? Human Terrain Human Terrain REF: FM 3-24, Appendix B, B1-B10
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Where do people live, work, play, meet, or worship?
Areas Address terrain analysis from a civilian perspective. Religious boundaries Political boundaries Social enclaves Criminal enclaves Agricultural, mining, labor regions Trade routes Government centers Police centers Military Centers Temporary settlements for IDPs AREAS What do we usually use to draw operational boundaries? Usually it is something physical; rivers, roads, mountains, etc. This characteristic addresses terrain analysis from a civilian perspective. Analyze how key civilian areas effect the missions of respective forces and how military operations affect these areas. Factors to consider include political boundaries, locations of government centers, by-type enclaves, special regions (for example mining or agricultural), trade routes, and possible settlement sites. Note: Failure to consider key civilian areas can seriously affect the success of any operation. Flickr caption: U.S. Army 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion Capt Jeovanny Rodriguez is followed by neighborhood Iraqi children while conducting a joint patrol with Task Force Regulars 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, Renegade Company and Iraqi soldiers from the 11th Iraqi Army Division, 42nd Brigade through Thawra 2 and Jameela Market areas in the Sadr City district of Baghdad on Aug. 13, (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cohen A. Young/Released) Where do people live, work, play, meet, or worship?
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FOB GIGANTOR Legend IED Attack SAF Looting Assassination Extortion $ $
RPG
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Areas Tribal Areas Tribe B FOB GIGANTOR Tribe A Tribe D Tribe C Legend
Assassination Looting SAF IED Attack IED $ Extortion Areas Tribal Areas Tribe B IED $ RPG Tribe A Tribe D Tribe C
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Areas Religious Boundaries Shi’a Sunni FOB GIGANTOR Legend IED Attack
Assassination Looting SAF IED Attack IED $ Extortion Areas Religious Boundaries Shi’a Sunni IED $ RPG
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Areas Social Enclaves Shi’a Poor Sunni FOB GIGANTOR Poor Poor Poor
Legend Assassination Looting SAF IED Attack IED $ Extortion Areas Social Enclaves Poor Shi’a Sunni IED $ RPG Poor Poor Rich Ex Regime Poor
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Areas Economic Districts Shi’a Poor Sunni FOB GIGANTOR Poor Poor
Legend Assassination Looting SAF IED Attack IED $ Extortion Areas Economic Districts Poor Shi’a Middle Merchants Sunni IED $ RPG Poor Middle Merchants Poor Rich Ex Regime Middle Merchants
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Why are structures in the area important?
Structures include traditional high-payoff targets, protected cultural sites, and facilities with practical applications. Religious shrines or mosques Cemeteries Other areas where US presence may be an I/O victory Discuss how a structure’s location, function, and capabilities can support or hinder operations. Other traditional high payoff targets: bridges, communications towers, power plants, and dams. International and locally significant sites: churches, mosques, national libraries, and hospitals, cemeteries, historical ruins, religious sites, cultural areas, and other protected sites Practical sites: jails, warehouses, toxic industrial storage sites, print plants, television and radio stations; may influence operations. Important: HN provides information on the effects of engaging these sites. Why are structures in the area important?
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Structures M FOB GIGANTOR M Legend IED Attack SAF Looting
Assassination Looting SAF IED Attack IED $ Extortion Structures M M IED $ RPG
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Who in the community is capable of providing for the people?
Capabilities Capabilities: the ability of local authorities to provide key functions and services. Who in the community is capable of providing for the people? IS there an existing government, is it legitimate? Why are the community leaders effective; why are they ineffective Do you want to add legitimacy to the local authorities? Is the enemy keeping them ineffective? Those areas where the populace needs help after combat operations: Public health Security Public works and utilities Economics Commerce Assess capabilities in terms of those required to save, sustain, or enhance life, in that order. Capabilities can refer to the ability of local authorities to provide key functions and services. These can include areas needed after combat operations and contracted resources and services. “SWEAT-MS” is useful tool to look at Capabilities Sewer – Local government (Mayor and council) Water – Tribal leader (historical - for hundreds of years, tribal leader controlled and protected wells. Electricity – Town engineer Academic – Government and religious leaders Trash – Private business (local entrepreneurs) Medical – Tribal doctors Security – Police, tribal militia Note: Going through some of these unofficial leaders may seem inefficient. It is important to approach the problem by first understanding the issue. Possibly including unofficial leaders in the process is enough to gain their respect and strengthen support for HN government.
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Capability M M M M FOB Imam GIGANTOR Police P Police Tribal Leader
Legend Assassination Looting SAF IED Attack IED $ Extortion Capability Gov. Council Member M M G P IED $ RPG Gov. Council Member Imam Police P TL M Police Tribal Leader Imam Tribal Leader M Gov. Council Member Tribal Leader Doctor Police Chief M Tribal Leader
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Organizations Who are the relevant groups of people in the area?
Consider all nonmilitary groups or institutions in the AO (Political, Cultural, Social, Religious) Tribes Political Wings of Insurgent Groups PRT Non-government organizations (NGO) Private Sector (Companies, Contractors) International Red Cross Other Government Agencies (OGA) Media (TV, Radio, Newspapers, periodicals) Criminal organizations Who are the relevant groups of people in the area? Consider all nonmilitary groups or institutions in the AO. These may be indigenous, come from a third party country or US agencies. They influence and interact with the populace, force, and each other. Current activities, capabilities, and limitations are some of the information necessary to build situational understanding. This becomes often a union of the resources and specialized capabilities.
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Organization M M M M Poor G P FOB GIGANTOR Poor P TL G Poor P TL G TL
Legend Assassination Looting SAF IED Attack IED $ Extortion Organization Poor M Middle Merchants M G P IED $ RPG Poor P TL M G Middle Merchants Poor P M TL G Rich Ex Regime TL G P TL Middle Merchants M Poor P
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How do the people communicate/interact?
All nonmilitary personnel that military forces encounter in the AO… whose actions, opinions, or political influence can affect the mission City council leaders Imams/clerics Professionals Displaced persons or “squatters” Sources Sheikhs, tribal Leaders People is a general term describing all nonmilitary personnel that military forces encounter in the AO. This includes those personnel outside the AO whose actions, opinions, or political influence can affect the mission. Identify the key communicators and the formal and informal processes used to influence people. In addition, consider how historical, cultural, and social factors that shape public perceptions beliefs, goals, and expectations. Why are squatters important? They are swayable; they have no governance, little sustenance, and are very susceptible to coercion; do we coerce? Tie people/leaders to method of communication How does the Tribal leader communicate and pass word of mouth? Tea shops, tribal council meetings, mosque? Merchants? Street corners in market sectors where they gather to smoke and eat and pass the time of day. How do the people communicate/interact?
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People M T M T T M T M T Graffiti Graffiti G P FOB GIGANTOR Graffiti P
Legend Assassination Looting SAF IED Attack IED $ Extortion People Graffiti Graffiti M M G P IED $ RPG T Graffiti G G P TL M G G G G T Graffiti G Tea Shops G G P T Tea Shops M Squatters T TL G TL G P Tea Shops TL Graffiti M G T P
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When are things occurring?
Events Events are routine, cyclical, planned, or spontaneous activities that significantly affect organizations, people, or military operations. National Elections Anniversaries (independence, etc.) Carnival/Ramadan (religious) Funerals Political Rallies Template events and analyze for their political, economic, psychological, environmental, and legal implications. What is important about events? Insurgents use them: Attacks Recruitment Shape the battlefield; obstacles….we know the impact of attacking a Shrine, Mosque etc Religious holidays (i.e. Ramadan, Carnival) may effect the effectiveness of your host nation security forces…religious obligations can’t be ignored. Use host nation security forces to help understand their significance and how they will impact operations? The Baghdad bridge stampede occurred on August 31, 2005 when up to 1,000 people died following a stampede on Al-Aaimmah bridge, which crosses the Tigris river in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. At the time of the stampede around one million pilgrims had gathered around or were marching toward the Kadhimiya mosque which is the shrine of the Imam Musa al-Kazim, one of the twelve Shi'a Imams. Around the shrine rumors of an imminent suicide bomb attack broke out and panic spread and people flocked back towards the bridge, which had been closed. When are things occurring?
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Insurgents use events to advance their cause.
Wedding brings members of the tribe with rifles for celebratory fire. (Important to know if wedding same day as raid on target) Potential I/O issue especially if wedding party fires on raiding party. Friday prayer coincides with sectarian violence Spring brings seasonal fighters from surrounding nations Template events and analyze for their political, economic, psychological, environmental, and legal implications. What is important about events? Insurgents use them: Attacks i.e AMZ attacked mosque during Arbae’en last year. Imam Hussain’s matyrdom: 40 days after his death…Shia pilgrimage to Karbala Recruitment Shape the battlefield; obstacles….we know the impact of attacking a Shrine, Mosque etc Ramadan may effect the effectiveness of your IA…religious obligations can’t be ignored. USE ISF to help understand their significance and how they will impact operations? The Baghdad bridge stampede occurred on August 31, 2005 when up to 1,000 people died following a stampede on Al-Aaimmah bridge, which crosses the Tigris river in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. At the time of the stampede around one million pilgrims had gathered around or were marching toward the Kadhimiya mosque which is the shrine of the Imam Musa al-Kazim, one of the twelve Shi'a Imams. Around the shrine rumours of an imminent suicide bomb attack broke out and panic spread and people flocked back towards the bridge, which had been closed. TRANSITION : USE ASCOPE TO ENHANCE IPB
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T T T T M T G P FOB GIGANTOR P TL G P TL G TL G P TL P M G G M G G G G
Legend Assassination Looting SAF IED Attack IED $ Extortion G M P IED $ RPG T G G P TL M G G G G T G G G P T M T TL G TL G P TL M M G T P
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Events T T T T ? T FOB GIGANTOR G P P TL G G P TL G TL G P TL P M G G
Legend Assassination Looting SAF IED Attack IED $ Extortion Events M G P IED $ RPG T G G P TL M G G G G G T G G G P T M T TL G TL ? G Voting P TL M G T P
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Environment T Tribe B FOB GIGANTOR Tribe A Poor Tribe D Tribe C G
Legend Assassination Looting SAF IED Attack IED $ Extortion Environment T G Middle Merchants RPG Tribe C Poor Rich Ex Regime Tribe A Tribe B Tribe D
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Insurgents attack Tribe A’s economic rivals to secure their support
FOB GIGANTOR Legend Assassination Looting SAF IED Attack IED $ Extortion Environment Tribe B Poor Middle Merchants M IED $ RPG T Poor G AG M Middle Merchants Insurgents attack Tribe A’s economic rivals to secure their support Tribe A Poor Sectarian Violence Insurgency M Tribe D Rich Ex Regime Tribe C Middle Merchants M Poor
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Questions?
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Understanding the Operational Environment
OAKOC-C – physical terrain Observation/ Fields of Fire Avenues of Approach Key Terrain Obstacles Cover/ Concealment Civilian Considerations ASCOPE – human terrain Area Structures Capabilities Organizations People Events The Operational Environment is defined in JP 1-02 as, “A composite of the conditions, circumstances, and influences that affect the employment of capabilities and bear on the decisions of the commander.” In other words, the operational environment is everything, everybody and every event around you. OAKOC – This acronym is used most often at the tactical level to describe the operational environment. In a COIN environment ASCOPE is used to analyze the cultural and human environment or what is sometimes referred to as “human terrain”. “ASCOPE” is a method for learning about the operational environment. It provides the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the environment. ASCOPE helps us approach the problem from the perspective of the nature of the population and nature of the insurgency. Understanding ASCOPE is essential to identifying the Root Causes of an insurgency. Once Root Causes are identified they can be addressed, ultimately denying the insurgents access to and control of the people. In a sense, by denying insurgents access to the population you are denying them terrain…human terrain. A- Area: Where do people live, work, play, meet, worship? S- Structures: Why are structures in the area important? Bridges, mosques, market places, tea houses, internet cafes, hospitals, etc. C- Capabilities: Who in the community is capable of providing for the people? O- Organizations: What are the different groups of people in the area? P- People: How do the people communicate/interact? E- Events: When are things occurring? REF: FM 3-24, Appendix B, B1-B10
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