Although the role of the military advisor to senior foreign officials is honored in political history, it became almost a forgotten art when it was needed in Afghanistan and Iraq. American military services are now fully engaged in nation-building in the Iraqi and Afghan conflict zones, and the advisory responsibility seems certain to be needed elsewhere. Advisors have become an invaluable part of the nation-building process, and whether they are assigned to counsel and work with governors, generals, or Cabinet Ministers, their role has an impact on America's overall political and military strategy. This guidebook draws on the experiences of diplomats and military officers who have served in such roles, and whose work with senior foreign officials was carried out in conflict zones at critical times. Although examples are drawn from life in the Islamic world, the precepts have widespread application, and the examples will be an important part of any future advisor's preparation.

This publication is the first in a new series, entitled PKSOI Papers, being published by the Strategic Studies Institute and the U.S. Army's Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute. This paper will be followed on a periodic basis with publications focused on peacekeeping and stability operations. Future papers will include scholarly articles on issues of interest to civilian and military practitioners from the international community, U.S. Government, and nongovernmental organizations. Our intent is to maintain the focus at the strategic and interagency level in an effort to inform individuals responsible for establishing policy as well as senior level practitioners of stability operations. This introductory paper concerns the role of the American military advisor. Military officers have frequently been called upon to serve as advisors to foreign officials and to play seminal roles in the political and development realms overseas. Lawrence of Arabia's work with Arabs...

It has long been predicted that counterinsurgency will be the predominant style of American warfare in the 21st century: Thus far, the prediction has proven true. Written for those who study counterinsurgency from a policy perspective as well as for those who do counterinsurgency in the field, this book demonstrates that the U.S. has had difficulty meeting the challenges of this special form of warfare because it has not properly processed important lessons from the past. Based on the author's wartime experiences, a broad range of topics are covered--from factors to be considered in accepting a counterinsurgency partner to "rules" for advisors in the field--with points illustrated by real-life examples.

A thorough survey of the key issues that surround the relations between the military and its civilian control in the US today.