2-3. Offensive and defensive operations emphasize employing the lethal effects of combat power against an enemy force, yet they are also critical to success in some operations that emphasize stability operations. The side better able to leverage speed, surprise, and shock defeats its opponent quickly and incurs fewer losses. Victories create opportunities for an exploitation. Offensive tasks compel enemy forces to react, creating or revealing weaknesses that an attacking force can exploit. Defensive tasks counter the offensive actions of enemy or adversary forces. They defeat attacks, destroying as much of the attacking enemy as possible. In some operations, the effects of speed, surprise, and shock suffice to collapse organized resistance.

2-20. Generally in the offense, brigades and lower echelons pass requirements to conduct minimum-essential stability operations tasks in their areas of operations to the next higher echelon headquarters. Executing these tasks may require movement of the forward brigades’ rear boundary to allow for the necessary area required to conduct stability operations. In some situations, a follow and support brigade conducts the minimum-essential stability operations tasks. However, once an operation becomes more static, responsibility for the forward brigades to conduct minimum-essential stability operations tasks increases along with the other elements of consolidation of gains. The minimum-essential stability operations tasks provide the environment for the successful execution of the other Army stability operations tasks.

2-29. Stability sectors—similar in purpose and application to lines of effort—help to focus and unify reconstruction and stabilization efforts within specific functional areas of society. (Chapter 4 discusses the use of lines of effort in stability operations.) These sectors define and encompass integrated task areas across a broad spectrum of interagency engagement, including the DOD. The essential stability task matrix addresses many requirements necessary to support host nations transitioning from armed conflict or civil strife. The matrix serves as a means to leverage functional knowledge and systemic thinking into planning, preparation, execution, and assessment. The essential stability task matrix ensures that—

4-37. Commanders consider methods combining stability and defeat mechanisms when developing an operational approach. Defeat mechanisms relate to offensive and defensive tasks; stability mechanisms relate to stability operations, security, and consolidating gains in an area of operations.

3-26. Army forces conduct a combination of offensive, defensive, and stability operations appropriate for their areas of operations. During combat, units consolidate gains in their areas of operations once large-scale ground combat has concluded in their area. Their initial focus is the defeat of all remaining enemy forces in detail and controlling all that could constitute a means for further resistance. This may require offensive action to defeat bypassed enemy units and secure enemy personnel, bases, equipment, and ammunition. It also requires an accurate understanding of enemy orders of battle and the capabilities that must be accounted for. As units establish area security, the balance of tasks should shift more heavily towards stability tasks focused on the control of populations and key nodes.

4-22. In operations dominated by offensive and defensive tasks, the end state is generally quantifiable and well defined in terms of enemy forces and time. However, in stability operations, the concept of an end state is much more difficult to quantify. Stabilization is a long-term effort and can only be achieved by integrating the collective activities of all the instruments of national power, not by any single instrument applied in isolation. Clearly describing an end state associated with stabilization requires an understanding of the nature of an operational environment and the political objectives of the USG in that environment. Commanders must account for the different time horizons associated with offensive, defensive, and stability related end states.

3-79. At the tactical or local level, sustainment, in support of stability operations, restores essential civil services as defined in terms of immediate humanitarian needs (such as providing food, water, shelter, and medical support) necessary to sustain the population until local civil services are restored. Efforts to restore essential services involve developing HN capacity to operate, maintain, and improve those services. Other sustainment tasks associated with restoration of services include support to dislocated civilians and demining operations.

3-4. Major operation and campaign plans appropriately balance offensive, defensive, and stability operations in all phases. An exclusive focus on offensive and defensive operations without planning for consolidation of gains will limit development of basic and supporting plans to consolidate gains and ultimately strategic success. Even while large-scale combat operations continue, divisions and corps must consolidate gains in consolidation areas. Stability operations during consolidation of gains entail minimum levels of shelter, food, water, and medical care as succeeding areas are occupied, bypassed, or returned to a transitional authority or host-nation control. (See paragraph 2-16 that begins a discussion on minimum-essential stability operations tasks. See also ADP 3-0 and FM 3-0 for discussions of consolidation areas.)

3-71. Obtaining required information is often more complex and requires leveraging the national to tactical intelligence capabilities. For stability operations, commanders often require more detailed intelligence and intelligence preparation of the battlefield products to determine how best to conduct operations and influence the local populace to enhance stability. The identification and analysis of threats, terrain and weather, and civil considerations are critical in determining the most effective missions, tasks, and locations in which stability operations are conducted. Therefore, diverse and detailed intelligence products are important to support stability operations. Intelligence and civil affairs will work together to identify key influencers and understand societal fault lines and grievances, both relating to current operations and those that originally contributed to fragility or violence to ensure successful stabilization. Civil affairs operations strive to ensure that existing grievances are not exacerbated.

1-39. Initial response generally reflects tasks executed to stabilize an operational environment in a crisis state. Military forces conduct stability operations during or after a conflict or disaster when the security situation hinders the introduction of civilian personnel. Military forces perform tasks during an initial response to provide a safe, secure environment through area security. Performing these tasks allows military forces to attend to the immediate humanitarian needs of the host-nation population, focusing on minimum-essential stability operations tasks. Military forces support efforts to reduce the level of violence and human suffering while creating conditions that enable other actors to participate safely in ongoing efforts to stabilize an operational environment.

2-34. Army forces accomplish their missions through the operational concept called unified land operations. Unified land operations is the simultaneous execution of offense, defense, stability, and defense support of civil authorities across multiple domains to shape operational environments, prevent conflict, prevail in large-scale ground combat, and consolidate gains as part of unified action (ADP 3-0). Army forces defeat enemy forces, control terrain, protect populations, and preserve joint force freedom of action in the land domain by applying the Army core competencies. Army operations conducted overseas encompass offensive, defensive, and stability operations. Within the United States, the Army supports civil authorities through DSCA. If enemy forces threaten the homeland, Army forces combine offense and defense with DSCA. The effort accorded to each element is proportional to the mission and varies with the situation and conditions of an operational environment. (See figure 2-5.)

3-42. Stability considerations are inherent to the multidimensional, interagency, and multinational approach of U.S. foreign internal defense activities. The Army stability operations tasks of establish civil security and conduct security cooperation, especially security force assistance, are often critical to reaching foreign internal defense objectives. However, all six can play a role in the effort. Foreign internal defense requires conduct of an evolving combination of offensive, defensive, and stability operations. The military role in foreign internal defense often includes indirect support, direct support (not involving combat operations), and combat operations. Foreign internal defense is often a part of irregular warfare or security cooperation in peacetime. Security force assistance activities support foreign internal defense activities where DOD organizes, trains, equips, rebuilds, builds, and advises a partner nation’s security forces. Foreign internal defense focuses on helping a host nation address the root causes of instability and emphasizes that joint force efforts are intended to support IDAD programs that accommodates a host-nation’s culture and politics. Planners are directed to consider the capability of a host-nation government and leadership, existing treaties and social infrastructure, and the possibility that the best solution from the U.S. perspective may not be the best solution for the supported host nation. In fact, the best solution may be entirely outside the realm of foreign internal defense and be better accomplished through other means.

4-6. Planning ensures that a force employs limited resources and capabilities according to priority of effort and assessed risks. Often requirements for stability operations outpace available resources and capabilities necessary to reestablish conditions of peace and stability. Planning involves focusing efforts toward accomplishing a mission while carefully balancing resources, capabilities, and activities across multiple lines of effort. While commanders typically focus resources on the decisive operation, they also provide sufficient resources to capitalize on unforeseen opportunities and to provide impetus for other efforts. The numerous stability operations tasks involved in the consolidation of gains of any operation require specific capabilities, and the availability of these capabilities is often limited. An effective plan judiciously applies these capabilities where and when forces need them most. Commanders synchronize the application of these capabilities in time and space to create the greatest effect, one that achieves broad success in one line of effort while reinforcing progress in the others.

1-31. Within unified land operations, Army forces conduct decisive action. Decisive action is the continuous, simultaneous combinations of offensive, defensive, and stability operations or defense support of civil authorities tasks (ADP 3-0). In unified land operations, commanders seek to seize, retain, and exploit the initiative while synchronizing their actions to achieve the best effects possible. Operations conducted outside the United States and its territories simultaneously combine three elements-offense, defense, and stability. Within the United States and its territories, decisive action combines the elements of defense support of civil authorities (DSCA) and, as required, offense and defense to support homeland defense. (See table 1-1 on page 1-8.)

3-14. A stability operation is an operation conducted outside the United States in coordination with other instruments of national power to establish or maintain a secure environment and provide essential governmental services, emergency infrastructure reconstruction, and humanitarian relief. These operations support governance by a host nation, an interim government, or a military government. Stability involves coercive and constructive action. Stability helps in building relationships among unified action partners and promoting U.S. security interests. It can help establish political, legal, social, and economic institutions in an area while supporting transition of responsibility to a legitimate authority. Commanders are legally required to perform minimum-essential stability operations tasks when controlling populated areas of operations. These include security, food, water, shelter, and medical treatment. (See ADP 3-07 for a detailed discussion of stability.)

2-10. During large-scale combat operations, Army forces focus on the defeat and destruction of enemy ground forces as part of the joint team. Army forces attack, defend, conduct stability operations, and consolidate gains to attain national objectives. Divisions and corps are the formations central to the conduct of large-scale combat operations and are organized, trained, and equipped to enable subordinate organizations. Army forces should consider stabilization and consolidate gains objectives while defeating enemy ground forces. Those same ground forces may be critical in restoring stability not only to the country, but also to the region. For instance, it may be best to bypass or co-opt police forces that have marginal capability against Army units as they may prove critical to establishing civil security. Key infrastructure may be important to protect to facilitate basic public services to the population.

3-59. It is important to set conditions that provide enduring protection of civilians. Army units help establish stable conditions by performing the six essential stability operations tasks. This enhances civilian well-being and reduces grievances that can result in renewed conflict. Recognizing that this requires contributions from various actors (including the host-nation government and security forces, nongovernmental organizations, international organizations, and others), Army units adopt a comprehensive approach to achieve unified action with these organizations.

2-51. The joint functions are based upon the sectors developed in the essential stability task matrix by the DOS. Figure 2-3 (on page 2-7) depicts how the Army stability operations tasks—establish civil security, support to civil control, restore essential services, support to governance, support to economic and infrastructure development, and conduct security cooperation—are nested within this framework:

3-3. Decisive action is the continuous, simultaneous execution of offensive, defensive, and stability operations or defense support of civil authority tasks. Army forces conduct decisive action. Commanders seize, retain, and exploit the initiative while synchronizing their actions to achieve the best effects possible. Operations conducted outside the United States and its territories simultaneously combine three elements of decisive action—offense, defense, and stability. Within the United States and its territories, decisive action combines elements of DSCA and, as required, offense and defense to support homeland defense. (See table 3-1 on page 3-2.)

4-19. Decisive action is the continuous, simultaneous execution of offensive, defensive, and stability operations or defense support of civil authorities tasks (ADP 3-0). The purpose of decisive action is to ensure that all major aspects of an operation are accounted for and that operations consider offensive, defensive, and stability or defense support of civil authorities tasks as inherent tasks in all operations. Decisive action ensures that operations fully account for the impact of civilians on operations and their required support in an area of operations. Decisive action also ensures that operations dominated by stability tasks do not overlook the inherent danger in all operations, by considering the need for offensive and defensive tasks.