Civil-military Coordination Research Articles

Civil-Military Coordination for Health Response to Urban Disaster in Malaysia: Document Analysis

Civil-Military Coordination for Health Response to Urban Disaster in Malaysia: Document Analysis

Enhancing public health resilience in urban disaster settings: A study protocol on civil-military coordination in Malaysia

In Malaysia, the increasing frequency and severity of disasters emphasize the urgent need for enhancing disaster management. Given their significant impact on public health and healthcare, effective disaster management becomes a top priority. This study focuses on urban disasters and aims to identify health needs, assess multi-sectorial response gaps, and propose civil-military coordination mechanisms. To achieve this, a qualitative single-case approach will be employed, involving document reviews, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions with representatives from key governmental agencies responsible for disaster management. The study will specifically concentrate on Kuala Lumpur, the densely populated and commercially active city. Thematic analysis will be used to systematize and verify the collected data, providing comprehensive insights into the current state of civil-military coordination in disaster response and management from stakeholders' perspectives. By examining their perceptions and experiences, the study will identify existing gaps and challenges in civil-military coordination. Ultimately, the findings will contribute to evidence-based policies and strategies aimed at improving disaster management coordination throughout Malaysia.

ANALYSIS ON THE CIVIL MILITARY COORDINATION FOR DISASTER RESPONSE IN KUALA LUMPUR

A successful disaster response requires great coordination between the military and rescue aid agencies to minimize casualties and losses suffered by victims. The collaboration between agencies and the military during a disaster response needs to consider the issues of coordination, communication, and roles responsibilities in order to ensure that disaster response operations are well-structured and prevent duplication of task. In addition, the findings of the study also show that community awareness factors also influence the effectiveness during disaster response activities. Response to disasters requires an understanding of the factors that affect civil-military coordination. In order to accomplish the research objectives, a sample size of ten respondents was selected for the qualitative research method. Interviews were conducted with ten representatives from each agency involved in Disaster response in Kuala Lumpur. However, thematic network analysis and narration and observation were used for data analysis. The study found that each of the identified elements greatly influenced the effectiveness of civilian-military coordination during disaster response operations. This study contributes in equipping the agencies and the military to respond to disasters systematically.

OPEN BALKANS AND THE CONSPIRACY FOR SUSTAINABLE INSECURITY

The war in Ukraine and the consequences of the war impose the fear that there is a risk that the countries of the Western Balkans will become a second front that Russia will open in Europe. The flared up conflict is a new "red" dividing line that awakens old bloody wounds in the Balkan countries. The consequences of the war in Ukraine are also felt in Europe and especially in the Western Balkan region because there were or are operational plans that if Russia succeeds in defeating Ukraine, the war can spill over the gates, into the Western Balkan region which also could be the next point of destabilization on European soil, which would represent a further expansion of Russian influence. The diplomatic priorities of the international community for the region include inclusive democracy, the rule of law, freedom of public opinion, freedom of the media, fight against corruption, mutual recognition of countries, reduction of trade barriers. The easily vulnerable region of the Western Balkans encouraged Western diplomats to increase activities and initiatives, negotiations, agreements.Will the Western Balkans once again become a new field of serious conflicts, given the existing ethnic tensions? Will the attention of the USA and the EU be completely focused on the reconstruction of Ukraine, and this part of the Old Continent will be left at the mercy and mercy? Political initiatives and numerous actions on a political, security and defense plan signal the generation of additional mistrust towards these countries. Especially since the international community is constantly active and engaged in countless diplomatic talks and negotiations followed by the signing of various agreements, while, on the other hand, the inclusion in the European structures hangs in the clouds, and the inclusion in the largest defense-security organization - NATO is partially resolved. Peace seems to be working, but it is on glass legs.If we analyze the strategic concepts of NATO from 1991, 1999 and 2010 in terms of security issues, certain risks to allied security are still present in terms of territorial disputes and ethnic conflicts or intolerances that have a potential initial capsule for a conflict of wider aspects. As a fundamental instrument for NATO's intervention, crisis management is one of NATO's basic tasks, for which it uses an appropriate combination of political and military tools for crisis management in an increasingly complex security environment. NATO is an international organization that includes the implementation of a wide range of operations for the prevention and management of crises that can be of a political, military or humanitarian nature, and can be the result of a natural disaster or as a result of technological, chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) disruptions. NATO is transforming from a defense to a security organization including not only the deployment of troops, but a whole range of military and civilian experts engaged through civil-military coordination and cooperation. The new strategic concept of the Alliance was prompted as a result of the interventions in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995 and the operation of the allied forces in Kosovo in 1999 with the aim of ending the human suffering and conflicts caused by the conflicts that took place in the areas of the Western Balkans, and which later resulted in the signing of numerous resolutions and agreements. The question of whether and to what extent all those agreements will be respected remains open.However, the 2010 strategic concept promotes Euro-Atlantic security by strengthening partnerships with the Balkan countries through collective defense, crisis management and cooperative security. At the same time, NATO monitors the region and in possible early signs of crisis, which by using various instruments should stabilize the regions safety, and ensures and guarantees peace.

International Military Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Literature Review

Introduction:The COVID-19 pandemic created a public health crisis worldwide. Healthcare workers also became ill at a time when hospitals were overwhelmed with patients, leaving critical staffing shortages. Mass vaccination efforts were initiated in some cases without adequate civilian manpower. The governments of many nations utilized their military assets to fill gaps in care, and to initiate projects promoting public health efforts. The COVID-19 pandemic created a never-before-seen international military response to an infectious disease disaster. This literature review highlights the non-conflict assets allocated, abilities utilized, projects completed, overall effectiveness, and lessons learned by the military community worldwide to support their local populace. By collating this information into a single document, the collective global experience can be better analyzed and this information utilized to develop a framework for future disaster preparedness and mitigation planning efforts.Method:Medline (PubMed), GoogleScholar and the JSTOR Security Studies collection were searched for English language articles from January 1, 2020 and onwards. Keywords used included civil-military coordination, hospital, deployment, COVID-19, vaccination, and healthcare. Titles were initially screened for relevance and the abstracts were then reviewed for a decision on inclusion. Article inclusion was determined by author consensus based on relevance to the objectives. Key papers were also hand searched for additional unidentified references.Results:Data collection and analysis planned for completion by January 2023.Conclusion:The COVID-19 pandemic created a huge need for manpower which was backfilled by militaries around the world. This literature search demonstrates how military resources were able to contribute to the pandemic response, including successes and opportunities for future improvement.

International Military Vaccination Efforts During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Literature Review

Introduction:The COVID-19 pandemic created a public health crisis worldwide. Mass vaccination efforts in some cases were initiated without adequate civilian manpower due to critical medical staffing shortages. The governments of many nations deployed their military assets to fill gaps in care and to initiate projects to promote vaccinations. The COVID-19 pandemic created a unique international military vaccination response to an infectious disease disaster.This literature review highlights creative solutions, abilities utilized, projects completed, overall effectiveness, and lessons learned by the military community worldwide to support their vaccination efforts within their countries. By collating this information into a single document, the collective global experience can be better analyzed and this information utilized to develop a framework for future disaster preparedness and mitigation planning efforts.Method:Medline (PubMed), GoogleScholar and the JSTOR Security Studies collection were searched for English language articles from January 1, 2020 and onwards. Keywords used included civil-military coordination, military, COVID-19, vaccination, vaccine. Titles were initially screened for relevance. The abstracts were then reviewed for a decision on inclusion. Article inclusion was determined by author consensus based on relevance to the objectives. Key papers were also hand searched for additional unidentified references.Results:Data collection and analysis planned for completion by January 2023.Conclusion:The COVID-19 pandemic created a public health need for mass vaccination distribution that was assisted by militaries throughout the world. This literature search demonstrates the ways in which military resources contributed to COVID-19 vaccination efforts, including creative techniques, successes and opportunities for future improvement.

The Rationale for Collaborative Approach with Military Involvement to Strengthen Urban Disaster Management Strategy: A Case Study of Malaysia

This article discusses the rationale for a collaborative approach involving military involvement to strengthen Malaysia's urban disaster management strategy. The article highlights the limitations of the existing approach in effectively responding to urban disasters through analysis of available resources. This research found that a collaborative approach with military involvement can offer several advantages, including improved communication and coordination, increased resources and expertise, and enhanced capacity building. However, a few challenges and concerns must be addressed, especially regarding civil liberties. This study underscores the importance of managing and integrating the military's involvement with civilian authorities transparently and responsibly and reviewing the policies governing civil-military coordination in the country's disaster legislation. The article provides a case study of the implementation of this approach during the 2021 floods in Malaysia to discourse on the lesson learnt from the catastrophic event. Overall, the article concludes that a collaborative approach involving military involvement is essential for improving Malaysia's urban disaster management strategy and ensuring effective disaster response and recovery. Ultimately, this research aims to inspire further research and discussion on this topic and contribute to developing more effective disaster management strategies.

Implementation of disaster response policy in Indonesia

According to the Word Risk Report (WRI) 2022, Indonesia is the third most prone disaster countries in the world, with risk index is 39,89. Measures have been taken by the government of Indonesia to reduce disaster impacts within the country, however such measures have been conducted particularly on the fase of disaster response only. Although the policies and procedures to undertake the disaster response are in place, the actual disaster relief actions are still conducted uncoordinatedly, even failed to reach the mission accomplishment. This study has been conducted in order to find out solutions in undertaking disaster response management based on previous best practices in several major disasters in the country. Authors highlighted what went wrong and what successfully conducted and why related stakeholders failed to implement such policies. In this study authors found that there are 6 (six) findings that lead to disaster response management failures such as; 1) understanding of existing response policies, 2) response mechanism guidelines, 3) cluster mechanism, 4) fasilitative leadersip, 5) civil-military coordination, 6) disaster response exercise. Authors conclude that the government needs additional relevant policies in order to fill the gap among existing policies to enhance a better disaster response in the future.

Who Commands the Gun? Mobilization and Use of China's Armed Police

AbstractRecent reforms to China's People's Armed Police have changed the balance of authority between central and local officials, continuing a pattern of reduced local control and granting more authority to Xi Jinping in his role as Central Military Commission chairman. The new system, however, attempts to balance central control with provisions that allow local officials down to the prefecture level to take command in some circumstances. This system intends to allow for rapid mobilization in cases of social unrest or natural disasters, although a review of emergency response plans and other Chinese sources indicates uneven implementation. The risk is that centralization could slow emergency response, although the effects will depend on the nature of civil–military coordination at different levels. The paper describes new legal authorities, assesses implementation and challenges, and reaches conclusions about the implications for Chinese political control and emergency response.

Evaluating civil-military relationship for effective procurement decision-making: the case of two fighter jet procurements of the Republic of Korea

ABSTRACT Overseas procurement aims not only to acquire the most high-end weapons systems, but also to enhance their technological expertise. However, the degree to which a procuring state succeeds in these dual objectives varies. Sometimes, a state acquires nearly the most advanced weapon systems in a timely manner with significant terms of technology transfer. At other times, a state’s procurement is fraught with a series of disadvantageous decisions on technology transfer, maintenance, and timeliness. From where does this variation in effectiveness emanate? This article argues that the key to explaining these variations is civil–military co-ordination. States can secure effectiveness when a civilian chief executive proactively capitalises on appointment authority and/or when proactive civil–military consultations transpire. For these causations, this article studies two major fighter jet procurement activities of the Republic of Korea (ROK), the Korea Fighter Project (KFP) and the Fighter eXperimental-I (FX-I) programme.

신흥안보위협과 군의 과제

Since the end of the Cold War, the concept of security has evolved to encompass human and social communities. In today’s complex networks era, emerging security threats such as cyber attacks, infectious diseases, climate change, and refugees are becoming one of major topics of security research. The military has dealt with these issues with the concept of non-traditional security so far, but it is necessary to more actively develop response capabilities and systems, with the concept of emerging security. Recently, military forces of European countries and the U.S. have developed their capabilities to deal with emerging security threats. The Korean military also made good progress in supporting the prevention COVID-19 and rescuing refugees from Afghanistan. However, there are still cases in which responding to emerging security threats is misunderstood as public support activities unrelated to security. In order to enhance the ability to respond to emerging security threats, the military should consider a meta-governance approach that comprehensively views various issue areas. The military should develop logical and legal causes for military’s role in responding to emerging security threats and consider not only crisis management but also preparation for future “X-events.” It is also necessary to develop a comprehensive civil-military coordination mechanism and expand international cooperation through military diplomacy.

Climate Change and Civil-Military Coordination in the Philippines: How climate change disasters will impact aid delivery in areas affected by conflict

The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world and frequently ranks among the top three countries most impacted by disasters. Ongoing conflict with non-state armed actors results in scenarios where civilians are impacted by both conflict and natural hazards. The result is a situation where civilian relief agencies operate in proximity to the military. We argue that there is an important need for principled civil-military coordination in these contexts to ensure the integrity of security operations to support peace and stability while preserving the independence of humanitarian actors serving crisis-affected populations. The research reveals significant challenges in protecting the integrity of independence of both military and humanitarian actors in areas impacted by both conflict and disaster and underscores the need for principled humanitarian civil-military coordination to avert threats to both humanitarian aid workers and disaster affected populations. The findings are particularly relevant to South East Asia where the use of military in disaster response is common. The findings also underscore the need for research on the role of militaries in responding to disasters in light of anticipated impacts of climate change.

Civil-military relations as a ‘coordination problem’? doctrine development and the multiple ‘missions’ of the Brazilian Armed Forces

ABSTRACT As the Brazilian Armed Forces are increasingly deployed outside the realm of defence against external threats (in tasks such as peacekeeping, public security, and migration management), military doctrine on Civil-Military Coordination and Cooperation (CIMIC) has emerged as a body of ‘technical knowledge’ which would support their interactions with various civilian actors. This is expressed in frequent demands by military officers for the development of a ‘Brazilian CIMIC doctrine’ reflecting both the accumulated knowledge of international partners, such as NATO and the UN, and their own experience in the ‘field’, as in their recent engagement in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). We argue that the progressive institutionalization of CIMIC military doctrine recently observed in the country reinforces a perspective according to which several domains of action traditionally attributed or led by civilian actors are seen as a legitimate part of the so-called ‘mission’ of the Brazilian Armed Forces. As a result, political disputes concerning civil-military relations and the role of military organizations outside the realm of external defence are reduced to technical challenges of coordination and cooperation between military officials, civilian state agencies and the Brazilian society. In this article, we discuss this trend by analysing the development of military doctrine on CIMIC within the Brazilian Army, and its connections with their increasing engagement in peacekeeping, public security, and migration management at home and abroad.

Civil-military coordination of national resources management in local communities, Indonesia case study

Purpose: This study purpose to describe the civil-military synergy in the management of Indonesia's national resources, a case study in the province of West Sumatra.
 Design/Method/Approach: The method used is descriptive with a qualitative approach. Informants were taken using purposive sampling; data was collected through observation, interviews, and collection of documentation.
 Findings: The study results found that there are 3 (three) pillars that must be interrelated, namely the government, the people, and the military. The three are woven in a knot to strengthen a country.
 Practical implications (if applicable): It is established that good cooperation and coordination between the relevant agencies is needed to mobilize national resources for defense in a certain area.
 Paper type: theoretical.

CIMIC and Peacekeeping 'Effectiveness': The Role of 'Communication' as a Critical Interface in Evolving UNPKO Dynamics

‘Communication,’ as an ongoing process underlying civil-military interaction, may be taken as a key component in conceptualizing Civil-Military Coordination (CIMIC) in the context of peacekeeping. Consequently, it allows for a process-centric understanding of peacekeeping ‘effectiveness,’ particularly in the light of the growing disconnect between the functional dynamics of on-ground missions and broader overarching doctrine/principles. Transitional and Protection of Civilians (POC) mandates compel United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKOs) to operate on the margins of existing doctrine, requiring personnel engaged in conflict management to cultivate and exercise a broader skillset than one initially associated with traditional peacekeeping. Given this background, this research utilizes ‘scenario-based interviews’ so as to engage with the self-reflexive praxis of veteran Pakistani peacekeepers having served in integrated/hybrid missions. In doing so, it attempts to conceptualize communication as a process premised on the ‘shared intentionality’ of both military and civil personnel, utilizing de Coning’s peacekeeping dimension. Inputs received from the interview process are analyzed using a model conceptualizing communication as a process essential to the realization of successful PKO outcomes. Two key subthemes emerging from the interview process, i.e., crisis management/risk perception and resource management are discussed in relation to decisional processes and ‘bounded rationality’ constraints attending inter-and intra-group communication under CIMIC in peacekeeping spaces.

CIMIC and Peacekeeping ‘Effectiveness’: The Role of ‘Communication’ as a Critical Interface in Evolving UNPKO Dynamics

‘Communication,’ as an ongoing process underlying civil-military interaction, may be taken as a key component in conceptualizing Civil-Military Coordination (CIMIC) in the context of peacekeeping. Consequently, it allows for a process-centric understanding of peacekeeping ‘effectiveness,’ particularly in the light of the growing disconnect between the functional dynamics of on-ground missions and broader overarching doctrine/principles. Transitional and Protection of Civilians (POC) mandates compel United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKOs) to operate on the margins of existing doctrine, requiring personnel engaged in conflict management to cultivate and exercise a broader skillset than one initially associated with traditional peacekeeping. Given this background, this research utilizes ‘scenario-based interviews’ so as to engage with the self-reflexive praxis of veteran Pakistani peacekeepers having served in integrated/hybrid missions. In doing so, it attempts to conceptualize communication as a process premised on the ‘shared intentionality’ of both military and civil personnel, utilizing de Coning’s peacekeeping dimension. Inputs received from the interview process are analyzed using a model conceptualizing communication as a process essential to the realization of successful PKO outcomes. Two key subthemes emerging from the interview process, i.e., crisis management/risk perception and resource management are discussed in relation to decisional processes and ‘bounded rationality constraints attending inter-and intra-group communication under CIMIC in peacekeeping spaces.

Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the perspective of Indonesia Defense Policy

The development and progression in humankind’s understanding of the world and life, ensured a continuous evolution in the response to events threatening our livelihoods. Humankind also developed techniques to deal with natural hazards, either by aiming to contain the forces of nature, or by altering human own behavior. The humanitarian assistance and disaster relief are crucially important in order to protect the nations. This research employed literature review method. The results showed that every nation should prepare and manage their capabilities in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), both in protection for own countries or in providing aids for the others. Military Operation Other Than War (MOOTW) does not involve the use or threat of violence but prioritizes the provision of HADR. In MOOTW, military forces synergize with other institutions/organizations, especially those related to diplomacy, economy, government, even politics and religion. Moreover, in handling disasters, especially in Indonesia, the combination between civilians and the military is crucial in realizing Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) and Civil-Military Coordination (CMCoord). Under certain mechanism, the military power is only used to support civilian institution in HADR.

Flood Response and Civil-Military Coordination in Pakistan

It is an established fact that Pakistan is prone to disasters and damage caused by these disasters is immeasurable and varies with the geographical location, climate, and type of earth surface, geology and degree of vulnerability. The paper focus on underpinnings of flood response, however, emphasis will be on role of Corps of Engineers (Army), Civil-Military coordination in 2010 Floods and prolonged employment of Army on such tasks. The main focus of this paper is on the existing role of military, their relationship with the civil set-up and the expectations of both the group from each other. Moreover, this paper also reviews about the existing frameworks and mechanisms of coordination between the two groups. The paper may help managers, policy makers and army engineers and government authorities to realistically evolve flood response, and decentralized mode of operation should be adapted from national to regional level in order to follow an integrated framework for bringing all stakeholders and victims together for developing an organized response system. However, the prolonged employment of Army on mitigation of disasters must be avoided.

Securitizing Biosecurity: The Scope for Civil-Military Coordination in Pakistan

Securitizing Biosecurity: The Scope for Civil-Military Coordination in Pakistan

Revival Of Civil-Military Nexus On Drafting New National Security Policy: Critical Discourse Analysis of Pakistan's Two English Newspapers

Over the past few years, Pakistan carried out various publicized battles against militancy and terrorism led primarily by thePakistan military. Due to the changed geostrategic context, civil-military coordination is necessary for developing a new national securitypolicy. Therefore the objective of the present study is to examine civil-military coordination portrayed in the English press of Pakistanfollowed by the most significant event, i.e., the formation of Provincial Apex committees. These committees were formed for strengtheningcollaboration between civil-military institutions to execute NAP in different provinces, consequently the study analyzed news stories of twoEnglish newspapers, i.e., Dawn and The News, by employing the CDA model proposed by Fairclough. Results indicate that Dawn coveredthe image of the Pakistan military by highlighting actions of then COAS for empowering committees in different provinces for fasterexecution on NAP and restoration of IDP’s whereas, The News covered lack of coordination between civil-military leadership on executionof NAP.