Sweatt, Susan G. The Challenges of Civil-Military Relations in Operations at the Trailing Edge of War. Final rept., Naval War College, Department of Operations. Newport RI, Jun 1995.
The U.S. military defines itself, almost exclusively, in terms of deterring or fighting and winning wars. In the past, it has not concerned itself with peace operations or a force structure focused exclusively toward them. In operations on the trailing edge of war, the interactions of military forces with Humanitarian Relief Organizations (HROS) must be complementary. Operation Restore Hope surfaced several aspects of these civil-military relationships that must be addressed when planning and training for future peace operations. This paper outlines them first in terms of identifying the problems that occurred, United Task Force (UNITAF) Somalia's solutions to them, and finally what future actions should be taken to prevent their reoccurrence. Specifically addressed are: the basic lack of understanding between the military forces and the HROS, weapons confiscation, and support requested by the HROS.