4-45. Stability and defeat mechanisms complement planning and the Army design methodology by providing focus in framing complex problems; they offer the conceptual means to solve them. By combining these mechanisms, commanders can effectively address the human dimension of a problem while acting to reduce the security threat. Therefore, one element of a military force can focus on reestablishing security and control while another element can address the immediate humanitarian needs of the populace. Focusing on security and humanitarian needs is essential in operations conducted among a civilian population. Thus, early and deliberate combinations of the stability and defeat mechanisms are vital to success, especially in situations where actors may face active opposition. Combinations of these mechanisms serve to inhibit threats to stability, create conditions that people can live in some sort of normalcy, and set conditions for military forces to appropriately transition stability operations to other partners, the host nation, and or other actors in order to achieve USG objectives and preserve national interests.