Army Special Operations Forces Unconventional Warfare

1 FM Army Special Operations Forces Unconventional Warfare September 2008 DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Distribution authorized to Government agencies and their contractors only to protect technical or operational information from automatic dissemination under the International Exchange Program or by other means. This determination was made on 28 August 2008. Other requests for this document must be referred to Commander, United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, ATTN: AOJK-DTD-JA, Fort Bragg, NC 28310-9610, or by e-mail to DESTRUCTION NOTICE: Destroy by any method that will prevent disclosure of contents or reconstruction of the document. FOREIGN DISCLOSURE RESTRICTION (FD 6): This publication has been reviewed by the product developers in coordination with the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School foreign disclosure authority. This product is releasable to students from foreign countries on a case-by-case basis only.

2 Headquarters, Department of the Army This publication is available at Army Knowledge Online ( ) and General Dennis J. Reimer Training and Doctrine Digital Library at ( ). FM Distribution Restriction: Distribution authorized to Government agencies and their contractors only to protect technical or operational information from automatic dissemination under the International Exchange Program or by other means. This determination was made on 28 August 2008. Other requests for this document must be referred to Commander, United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, ATTN: AOJK-DTD-JA, Fort Bragg, NC 28310-9610, or by e-mail to Destruction Notice: Destroy by any method that will prevent disclosure of contents or reconstruction of the document. Foreign Disclosure Restriction (FD 6): This publication has been reviewed by the product developers in coordination with the United States Army John F.

3 Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School foreign disclosure authority. This product is releasable to students from foreign countries on a case-by-case basis only. i field Manual No. Headquarters Department of the Army Washington, DC, 30 September 2008 Army Special Operations Forces Unconventional Warfare Contents Page Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION .. 1-1 1-1 Unconventional 1-2 Conventional 1-4 Irregular Warfare .. 1-5 Chapter 2 UNITED STATES NATIONAL 2-1 The International Environment .. 2-1 Instruments of United States National 2-1 The Effectiveness of Integrated National 2-14 Chapter 3 POLICY AND 3-1 National Policy .. 3-1 Conventional Warfare and Major Combat Operations .. 3-15 Irregular 3-21 Chapter 4 PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS ..4-1 Unconventional Warfare Planning .. 4-1 Seven Phases of Unconventional 4-5 Unconventional Warfare Termination of Operations .. 4-12 Army Special Operations Supporting Elements and Activities.

4 4-20 Interagency 4-20 Contents ii FM 30 September 2008 Chapter 5 Special Forces Operations .. 5-1 Introduction .. 5-1 Phase I: 5-1 Phase II: Initial 5-2 Phase III: 5-2 Phase IV: 5-3 Phase V: Buildup .. 5-6 Phase VI: Employment .. 5-7 Phase VII: Transition .. 5-8 Chapter 6 PSYCHOLOGICAL Operations .. 6-1 Introduction .. 6-1 Phase I: 6-1 Phase II: Initial 6-4 Phase III: 6-5 Phase IV: 6-6 Phase V: Buildup .. 6-9 Phase VI: 6-11 Phase VII: Transition .. 6-12 Chapter 7 CIVIL AFFAIRS Operations ..7-1 Introduction .. 7-1 Phase I: 7-1 Phase II: Initial 7-3 Phase III: 7-4 Phase IV: 7-5 Phase V: Buildup .. 7-6 Phase VI: Employment .. 7-6 Phase VII: Transition .. 7-10 Chapter 8 SUPPORTING ELEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES .. 8-1 Introduction .. 8-1 Communications Support .. 8-1 Logistics Support .. 8-5 Force Health 8-8 Aviation Support ..8-11 Appendix A THE DIPLOMATIC INSTRUMENT OF NATIONAL Appendix B THE INFORMATIONAL INSTRUMENT OF NATIONAL POWER.

5 B-1 Appendix C THE INTELLIGENCE INSTRUMENT OF NATIONAL Appendix D THE ECONOMIC INSTRUMENT OF NATIONAL POWER ..D-1 Appendix E THE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT OF NATIONAL POWER .. E-1 Appendix F THE LAW ENFORCEMENT INSTRUMENT OF NATIONAL POWER .. F-1 Appendix G THE MILITARY INSTRUMENT OF NATIONAL POWER ..G-1 Appendix H THE ROLE OF HISTORY AND CULTURE ..H-1 Appendix I A HISTORICAL SURVEY OF Unconventional Warfare .. I-1 Appendix J AN OUTLINE HISTORY OF THE Unconventional Warfare DEFINITION .. J-1 Contents 30 September 2008 FM iii GLOSSARY ..Glossary-1 REFERENCES ..References-1 Figures Figure 1-1. Contrasting conventional and irregular Warfare .. 1-7 Figure 1-2. Principles of major combat 1-8 Figure 1-3. Joint operating concept 1-9 Figure 2-1. The intelligence process .. 2-5 Figure 4-1. Classic components of an insurgency in an Unconventional Warfare operational area .. 4-8 Figure 6-1.

6 Psychological Operations and Special Forces Soldiers building rapport with an Unconventional Warfare force in Afghanistan .. 6-6 Figure 6-2. Afghan village elder addressing population on Psychological Operations 6-8 Figure 7-1. Civil-military lines of operation in support of Unconventional 7-2 Figure 7-2. Active Army Civil Affairs battalion operational structure .. 7-3 Figure 7-3. Civil Affairs core tasks in support of civil-military Operations .. 7-4 Figure 7-4. Sample checklist for transition 7-11 Figure A-1. Organizations grouping almost all countries in their respective Figure A-2. Several smaller regional organizations with nonoverlapping Figure A-3. Several nonoverlapping large Figure B-1. The information environment ..B-2 Figure B-2. Information quality criteria ..B-2 Tables Table B-1. Information Operations integration into joint B-20 iv FM 30 September 2008 Preface field Manual (FM) , Army Special Operations Forces Unconventional Warfare , establishes keystone doctrine for Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) Operations in Unconventional Warfare (UW).

7 It is based on lessons learned from both historical and contemporary UW Operations . It is also based on existing, long-standing Army Special Forces (SF) UW doctrine; recently developed doctrine, such as counterinsurgency (COIN); and emerging affiliated concepts, such as irregular Warfare (IW). PURPOSE Since 11 September 2001 and the onset of the War on Terrorism (WOT), existing UW doctrinal publications have undergone intense scrutiny and timely revision. A majority of existing ARSOF manuals have incorporated recent lessons learned and updated tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) of immediate utility to the conduct of war. For this reason, the Army has classified most of these revised manuals. UW remains an enduring and effective means of warfighting and is recognized as a central effort in the WOT. Although the classification of existing doctrine is prudent for operational security, it limits the distribution of concepts necessary for an effective joint, interagency, and multinational effort.

8 ARSOF and other audiences require an unclassified conceptual manual useful to understanding the nature of UW and its role in the nation s application of power. This manual provides that unclassified conceptual treatment. SCOPE ARSOF execute and are the functional proponent for UW under United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Directive 10-1, Terms of Reference for Component Commanders, and other authorities. Currently, there exists no authoritative interagency or joint doctrine specifically for UW although sufficient joint doctrine does exist for general campaign design and execution of joint and Army Operations . This manual is the overarching doctrinal reference that specifically addresses UW as conducted by ARSOF. Detailed TTP for UW can be found in FM , (S/NF) Special Forces Unconventional Warfare (U). The first chapter establishes what UW is and includes a comparison of traditional and emerging concepts with which UW is sometimes confused.

9 Chapter 2 discusses the international environment and United States ( ) instruments of national power within which all military Operations including UW occur. Chapter 3 addresses policy and doctrine that define, enable, and constrain UW. Chapter 4 outlines planning considerations for UW. The next three chapters provide a more focused operational discussion of ARSOF s three main component disciplines: SF Operations , Psychological Operations (PSYOP), and Civil Affairs Operations (CAO). Chapter 8, which concerns supporting elements and activities of UW, concludes the basic manual. The appendixes contain useful supplemental information. The first seven appendixes (A G) provide expanded and detailed information on instruments of national power within the broader context of the international environment. Appendix H is a survey of definitions and current academic considerations concerning historical and cultural concepts useful to the assessment of human environments.

10 Appendix I provides a historical survey of UW. Appendix J contains an outline sketch of change and constancy in the definition of UW. Current doctrinal references and an expanded bibliography provide a guide for further reading and mature understanding of UW within the endeavor of war. Both the text and the Glossary identify terms that have joint or Army definitions. FM is the proponent field manual (the authority) for UW, but is not the proponent for any other Army term. APPLICABILITY The primary audience for this manual is leaders and planners at all levels of ARSOF. The manual is useful to a joint, interagency, and multinational audience that may collaborate with ARSOF in the conduct of UW. This publication applies to the Active Army, Army National Guard (ARNG)/Army National Guard of the United States, and United States Army Reserve (USAR) unless otherwise stated. Preface 30 September 2008 FM v ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Unless this publication states otherwise, masculine nouns and pronouns do not refer exclusively to men.