Understanding Complex Military Operations: A case study approach

This volume provides materials for active learning about peacebuilding and conflict management in the context of complex stability operations.

Today, America faces security challenges unlike any it has faced before, many of which requiring lengthy U.S. involvement in stability operations. These challenges are exceedingly dynamic and complex because of the ever changing mix and number of actors involved, the pace with which the strategic and operational environments change, and the constraints placed on response options.

This volume presents a series of case studies to inspire active learning about peacebuilding and conflict management in the context of complex stability operations. The case studies highlight dilemmas pertaining to the story of the case (case dilemma) and to its larger policy implications (policy dilemma). The cases stimulate readers to "get inside the heads" of case protagonists with widely differing cultural backgrounds, professional experiences, and individual and organisational interests. Overall, Understanding Complex Military Operations challenges the reader to recognize the importance of specific national security related issues and their inherent dilemmas, deduce policy implications, and discern lessons that might apply to other – perhaps even non-security related – areas of public policy, administration, and management.

This volume will be of much interest to students of conflict prevention, transitional justice, peacebuilding, security studies and professionals conducting field-based operations in potentially hazardous environments.

Karen Guttieri is Assistant Professor at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, U.S.

Volker Franke is Professor of Conflict Management at Kennesaw State University, Georgia, U.S., and is author/editor of three books.

Melanne A. Civic is the Special Advisor to the Center for Complex Operations (CCO) at the National Defense University (NDU), U.S., and is an attorney.