Improving US army civil affairs assessment through social power analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACTSoldiers with operational experience in Afghanistan or Iraq have offered numerous critiques of the US Army Civil Affairs doctrine on assessment of the human domain, making recommendations for its improvement. The current process uses two frameworks, commonly known by the acronyms ASCOPE and PMESII-PT, to evaluate the operational environment. Neither the current process nor the proposed improvements address social power relations. It is unlikely that civil-military operations intended to establish peace and maintain stability will be successful if they are planned and executed without an in-depth understanding of social power. We advocate incorporating social power analysis into Civil Affairs assessment.