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.

2 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. 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.

3 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.

4 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.

5 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 .. 4-20 Interagency 4-20 Contents ii FM 30 September 2008 Chapter 5 Special Forces Operations .

6 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 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 ..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.

8 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.

9 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. 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.

10 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.