Peace Operations: A Mission Essential Task?

The number of peace operations US Army forces engage in will likely increase, rather than decrease in the future. Peace operations are nothing new to the military. What is new, however, is the number, pace, scope and complexity of these operations. There is growing concern that the current operations tempo of the US Army is eroding the combat readiness of forces to fight wartime contingencies. On the other hand, as units focus training on wartime contingencies, how prepared are they to conduct peace operations? This monograph explores the tasks associated with conducting peace operations to determine if infantry forces should include peace operations in the development of their mission essential task list. An historical overview of three recent peace operations (Restore Hope, Provide Comfort, and Uphold Democracy) enabled a classification of tasks that were performed during these operations. The tasks conducted during these operations were compared to tasks infantry units conduct during combat operations to determine the extent they deviated. The analysis concluded that tasks associated with conducting peace operations were predominately tactical tasks. The findings of this monograph suggest that infantry forces should not include peace operations in the development of their mission essential task list. Infantry units that are well disciplined, trained, and led have the flexibility to rapidly transition to peace operations.