OPERATING IN A COALITION ENVIRONMENT: OPERATIONS SECURITY (OPSEC),
DECISION-MAKING AND OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS
by Patrick J. Geary, OCP
I. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE
The overall objective in any mission for an operational commander is to be operationally effective. Most observers would agree, one of the most important elements for operational effectiveness in military operations is surprise. Arguably the most effective way to achieve and maintain surprise and operational effectiveness is through Operations Security (OPSEC). But sometimes OPSEC in a coalition environment is very difficult to achieve and maintain. Today, military operational commanders make critical decisions every day in an effort to achieve and maintain surprise or avoid being surprised while attempting to remain operationally effective in a coalition environment. Those decisions frequently have life or death consequences with severe international political, economic and military implications as we are seeing in the current conflict in Afghanistan.
With so much at stake when considering the best course of action, an operational commander's decision-making process becomes critically important. Although it is too early to tell the significant OPSEC lessons learned from the current conflict in Afghanistan, we can learn a great deal from the conflict in Kosovo, Yugoslavia, the most recent example of coalition operations. We can apply those lessons to the current coalition efforts in Afghanistan or future coalition operations.
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