Force Protection:
Integrating Civil Affairs and Intelligence
by Captain Lynda Snyder and Captain David P. Warshaw
It is incumbent upon tactical intelligence
professionals to understand the role of civil affairs personnel on
today's multifaceted battlefield. Failure to do so could result in
the loss of an asset that is critical to adequate intelligence
preparation of the battlefield (IPB) and force protection during
operations other than war.
According to FM 41-10, Civil Affairs Operations, civil-military operations are "complexes of activities in support of military operations embracing the interaction between the military force and civilian authorities fostering the development of favorable
emotions, attitudes, and behavior in neutral, friendly, or hostile
groups." The overall civil affairs objectives are to minimize the
negative effects of military operations on civilians and to enhance
the U.S. military's effectiveness. The Intelligence Battlefield
Operating System, according to FM 34-8, Combat Commander's Handbook
on Intelligence, "reduces uncertainty and risk to U.S. Forces and
permits effective application of combat power." When integrated
during Operation UPHOLD DEMOCRACY, these two combat multipliers
created a safer and more secure environment for the engineer forces
deployed in Haiti.
Essayons--"Let Us Try"
The 20th Engineer Brigade (Combat) (Airborne), XVIII Airborne
Corps, formed the nucleus of Task Force (TF) Castle, a joint
engineer organization that established the largest deployment of
engineer forces outside the continental United States since
Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. TF Castle constructed
base camps, improved the Haitian infrastructure, participated in
humanitarian service projects, and assisted with the
reestablishment of public services.
In order for TF Castle to accomplish its mission, the leadership
realized that the TF needed to create a stable environment in which
engineer units would have freedom of movement and access to
critical engineer resources. After an arduous process of
reconnaissance, surveillance, and negotiations with principal land
owners and occupants of the village of Bon Repos, the TF settled
into Base Camp Castle.
The process by which the TF selected this particular area north of
Port-au-Prince for command and control of engineer forces was
exceptional. Tactical civil affairs, combined with military
intelligence (MI), ensured that the engineers would live and work
in an environment conducive to protecting the force and
accomplishing the mission.
What Is It Like There?
The Joint Task Force (JTF)-180 command emphasis required TF Castle
leaders to know the mission and critical aspects of the battlefield
environment. Initial analytical efforts focused on geographical,
historical, and sociological aspects of Haiti. The S2, TF Castle,
focused the four-step IPB process on factors that affect
engineering efforts. These factors included the locations of
engineer resources such as quarries, the effect of the rainy season
on movement of heavy engineer equipment, and the possibility of
Haitian mobs or civil unrest.
Prior to deployment, civil affairs specialists provided a thorough
cultural briefing on Haiti to all members of TF Castle. This
briefing included the most recent civil affairs area study of
Haiti. Based past experience, the civil affairs specialists
realized that a true understanding of the situation, one that would
enable accurate analysis of potential sites, required them to
interact with the population. Once on the ground, the TF Castle
civil affairs team conducted an initial area assessment of proposed
engineer locations and engineer projects. Civil affairs personnel
along with 20th Engineer Brigade linguists canvassed the area to
ensure the unit's transition to Base Camp Castle and the Bon Repos
area was smooth and caused no friction between the U.S. Forces and
the local community. They asked questions and informed the public
of our intentions.
As a result of an aggressive command initiative to scour the area
for a suitable base camp site and to gauge Haitian reaction to U.S.
Army presence in the area, the TF commander made the decision to
erect Base Camp Castle at Bon Repos. The commander considered
several factors in selecting a site suitable for more than two
engineer battalions' worth of equipment and personnel as well as
the TF tactical operations center.
First, the discovery of a limestone quarry just north of Bon Repos
along the critical main supply route of National Route 100 led to
a contractual agreement enabling the engineers to conduct the
largest military quarry operation in an active theater since the
Korean War. The quarry, operated 24 hours a day, was the key to
base camp construction and road upgrades. It provided necessary
crushed rock to form base camp foundations, construct 11 kilometers
of new roads, and repair 14 kilometers of severely deteriorated
roads. Given the proximity of the quarry to the base camp site and
the role that the quarry played in the engineers' lives, the
location of Base Camp Castle was a natural choice for command and
control.
Second, the site contained a well that could be used as a source
for potable water. Selecting a site that included a natural water
source solved a critical Class I supply problem that every unit in
the theater faced.
Third, the site bordered Route 100. Route 100 provided engineer
units with a high speed, paved line of communication for moving
heavy dump trucks filled with quarry materials and other heavy
engineer equipment such as bulldozers. The route led straight to
the critical JTF-180 command and control nodes of the international
airport and the light industrial complex, which housed the JTF-180
headquarters.
In addition to these factors, the TF Castle area was less congested
than sites within Port-au-Prince. This reduced the risk of
accidents between TF equipment and the Haitian population.
Force Protection and Local Security
Since the quarry, the well, and Route 100 met the engineer task
force's geographic requirements, the only other element that needed
factoring into the selection equation was site security. Through
information collected by tactical civil affairs direct support
personnel and unit linguists, the command determined that the
population of Bon Repos would be receptive to the engineers'
presence. This situation allowed the TF to deploy and work in a low
risk environment. Mission success depended upon our ability to gain
the trust and understanding of Bon Repos residents.
Civil affairs teams were invaluable sources of basic demographic
information about the local area through their considerable
interaction with the Haitians. Their efforts produced a detailed
area assessment which contained critical information such as the
location of medical facilities, the availability of food, the
composition of the town leadership, and the political orientation
of the townspeople. The TF Castle S2 incorporated this information
into the IPB process to determine potential threats to engineer
forces.
The case of the Bon Repos marketplace emphasizes the critical role
that civil affairs assets played in the engineer task force's
ability to secure their area of operations. Since the site of the
existing town market would be directly outside the main gate of the
proposed base camp, vendors expressed concerns to the civil affairs
team about the impact of troops operating in the town. Through
constant dialogue and negotiations with the merchants and the
town's leaders, the TF commander decided to build a larger market
down the road from the existing site. The engineers constructed a
new access road from Route 100 to the new marketplace. The
relocated market opened with a formal ceremony involving the TF
Castle commander, local land owners, clergy, and police. In fact,
the new market attracted approximately 150 more vendors than the
original marketplace and increased the commerce of the town. By
meeting the terms of the agreement to move the marketplace, the
engineers established credibility with a population not accustomed
to trusting uniformed personnel. This step proved crucial to
ensuring the security of the engineer forces.
Once the engineers established Base Camp Castle, daily interaction
between civil affairs personnel and Haitian residents helped the TF
maintain a satisfactory security posture. The TF evaluated Haitian
reaction to U.S. forces and engineer operations. The team also
watched for any changes in the mood of the population. The
marketplace served as a critical collection point for combat
information. Constant coordination between the TF S2 and civil
affairs leaders provided the S2 with information necessary to
predict potential hazards to soldiers and projects. The S2 armed
civil affairs teams with specific questions to ask locals to fill
gaps in knowledge.
TF Castle not only collected information useful for force
protection, but also made efforts to explain its mission to the Bon
Repos residents to assure them that engineer units would do them no
harm. This free exchange of information facilitated a positive and
mutually beneficial relationship between engineers and residents.
The Haitians felt extremely comfortable passing information
concerning suspected weapons caches, potential troublemakers in the
town, planned demonstrations and local gatherings, and the overall
mood of the people. The aggressive interaction enabled the TF to
proactively respond to negative feelings against its presence. The
earned trust paid dividends as the TF regulated the population's
perceptions of the U.S. intervention.
Need For Law and Order
Despite these efforts, engineers could not prevent the destruction
of the local police outpost on the eve of President Jean Bertrand
Aristide's return. The daily exchange of information between the
U.S. military and the Haitians indicated that the local population
did not have a problem with the police force. Based on detailed
analysis, TF Castle considered that the police station might be in
danger of destruction but determined that this was unlikely to
occur. Its destruction created a new challenge for the TF as local
nationals, viewing the Americans as the de facto law and order
force in the area, gathered near the base camp and engineer work
sites to lodge civil complaints and request protection. Through
their presence in large numbers, the Haitians began to interfere
with engineer work projects and jeopardize the accomplishment of
the engineer endstate. The TF S2 and civil affairs leadership
coordinated an effort to restore law and order by--
- Determining the root of the animosity between the
residents and the police while convincing the Bon Repos leaders to
take charge.
- Finding the policemen posted in Bon Repos and convincing
them to return.
Local interaction proved successful in restoring a favorable
environment for engineering work. Civil affairs personnel convinced
the town leadership to hold a community meeting. Approximately 100
Bon Repos residents attended. A civil affairs team leader addressed
the gathering to reiterate the engineers' mission in Bon Repos and
stress to the Haitians that engineers are not law enforcement
officials. Moreover, the team leader explained how to form a town
council to solve problems and why the residents should cooperate
with the Haitian police. A captain from the Bon Repos police
station's higher headquarters also spoke to the assembly and
addressed the citizen's concerns. The meeting proved extremely
productive. The town agreed to elect a council and permit the
orderly return of police who had fled the police station's
destruction.
Civil affairs and MI efforts that resulted in the town meeting
bolstered relations between the U.S. Forces and the Haitians. By
understanding the community and its needs, the task force mediated
misunderstandings and restored positive relations.
Engineer Adventure Ends
Through each step of the engineers' settlement of Base Camp Castle,
from conception to site occupation to redeployment, MI and civil
affairs elements stepped forward to work together to ensure that
the our presence in Bon Repos would be in an environment conducive
to protecting the force. This formed the bedrock for mission
accomplishment, allowing the engineers to do more than anyone
imagined in a 60-day span. The MI and civil affairs actions pursued
by TF Castle not only contributed to the success of the engineers,
but also greatly impacted the overall JTF-180 and Multinational
Force mission of providing a safe and secure environment for the
return of democracy to Haiti.
Captain Lynda Snyder is currently a tactical support
team leader in Company D, 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne)
at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Her previous assignments include
civil affairs planner, Deputy Chief of Operations, U.S. Army
Special Operations Command, and special project officer, G3, U.S.
Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command. Captain
Snyder earned a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Captain David P. Warshaw is currently the S2, 20th
Engineer Brigade (Combat) (Airborne), XVIII Airborne Corps, at Fort
Bragg, North Carolina. His previous assignments include S2, 4th
Battalion, 3d Air Defense Artillery Regiment, and platoon leader
and company executive officer in the 103d MI Battalion, 3d Infantry
Division. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Military
Academy, West Point, New York.