Customer Reviews

Somalia Operations: Lessons Learned

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Kenneth Allard presents a succinct analysis of some of the challenges of operating in peace keeping deployments. He traces lessons learned through the planning, deployment, operations and support phases of the three different Somalia missions from August 1992 to March 1994. Relying on joint military doctrine, he compares the actual reports generated during and after the missions to the theoretical and doctrinal concepts of how operations should occur. Although his emphasis focuses on the military aspects of the Somalia missions, it includes ideas on interactions with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) like the Red Cross, coalition partners, and belligerents. The focus on civil military operations is especially relevant to civil affairs and psychological operations professionals.

Useful aspects of the book are the appendices which include a listing of humantiarian relief organizations that were in country, as well as the missions and structure of the Civil Military Operations Center (CMOC). The book also includes charts which outline the command relationships within the different Joint Task Forces (JTF's) established. Notably absent from Somalia Operations: Lessons Learned are footnotes and an index. Although Allard includes a selected bibliography in appendix A, it mainly serves to direct the military leader to sources of further reading. The lack of footnotes prevents scholars from reviewing the exact location of sources quoted within the book. Regardless, the book admirably draws heavily from quotes of senior leaders and after action reports.

This is a must read for any military professional who will deploy into a peace keeping environment like the Balkans. Also, leaders working within multinational humanitarian relief agencies and coalition forces will benefit from reviewing U.S. lessons learned in Somalia. These lessons are bound to be repeated if we don't learn from past mistakes.

Highly recommended.