Joint Task Force Commander's Handbook for Peace Operations This handbook is designed for senior commanders designated, or about to be named, as JTF Commanders of a peace operation. It is meant to be a resource tool for the commander and his senior staff, and is most useful when supplemented by the Peace Operations Database maintained as part of the Joint Electronic Library. Though consistent with joint and Service doctrine, it is not a doctrinal publication. Joint Publication 3-07.3 contains joint doctrine for peace operations. The Cold War created an artificial world stability that disappeared with the breakup of the Soviet Union. This loss of equilibrium was followed by a dramatic increase in ethnic and political tensions throughout the world--often manifested by open hostility and bloodshed. As the United States and its allies strove to cope with these crises, many peace operations were launched--some under the auspices of the United Nations, and others as unilateral actions. Those operations have provided valuable, hard-earned lessons. The Joint Task Force Commander's Handbook for Peace Operations is a product of those lessons. It was developed at the suggestion of former JTF commanders of peace operations. We are indebted to the experienced JTF commanders and subject matter experts who contributed so greatly to the handbook. They identified the enduring peace operations themes deemed to be invaluable to prospective JTF commanders.