DoD Considers Creating Stability and Reconstruction Force
By Paul Stone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30, 2003 – The Pentagon is considering creating a military
force that would be dedicated to stability and reconstruction operations,
according to retired Navy Vice Adm. Arthur
Cebrowski, chief of the Defense Department's Office of Force Transformation.
Although it may be some time before a final decision is made on whether such a
force becomes reality, Cebrowski -- one of the department's chief architects in
the effort to transform the military -- said the ever-changing post-Sept. 11
security environment, as well as the lessons of history itself, make a strong
case for stability and reconstruction operations.
"We're going to need this capability. And we're going to need it repeatedly,"
he said in a recent interview. "Just because we need it today in Iraq doesn't
mean that's the only time."
In its broadest sense, a stabilization and reconstruction force most likely
would be used under conditions that now exist in Iraq –between the end of major
combat operations and the formation of a stable government, although Cebrowski
was quick to point out that the need for such a force would not be limited to
just that one scenario.
"The need for stability operations could happen at any time, and in places we
haven't necessarily considered," he said.
The transformation chief said a stability and reconstruction force would
include such elements as combat arms, military police, civil affairs, military
intelligence, psychological affairs, engineers and explosive ordnance teams.
But he emphasized that the heart of the force would be the combat arms element.
"Stability operations are difficult, are very important and very dangerous," he
said. "This is no place for a pick-up team. This is meant to be part of the
broad combat arms capability of the military. This is not the place where you
put other than your best people and best equipment, because these are the
people who are going to wrest victory and wrest our political objectives from
an enemy dedicated to defeating us."
While pointing to the importance of the combat arms elements, Cebrowski said
such a force must include the long-held belief that "everyone's a rifleman."
"The fact that you may be working civil affairs, psychological operations,
military intelligence, or whatnot does not make you less of a Marine or less of
a soldier," he said. "All would need to be prepared and ready to engage in
combat, because these are dangerous types of operations."
Cebrowski envisions such a force also interacting with and building
relationships with allied forces, coalition partners, U.S. government agencies
and perhaps some nongovernmental bodies, such as relief agencies.
"What we're really talking about here is a joint capability," Cebrowski said –
"one that would require a strong mix from all the services in some cases, while
relying more heavily on one service in other cases, and including the ability
to work with others outside of DoD."
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