Previous: 4-14: Restore Essential Services
4-15. Stability tasks establish conditions enabling interagency and host nation actions to succeed. Military forces focus on transferring control to a legitimate civil authority according to the desired end state. At the platoon and squad level, supports to governance tasks are dependent on those of the Infantry battalion and IBCT. Those tasks focus primarily on continuing civil security and civil control operations to provide a safe and secure environment. As in other stability tasks, leader and Soldier engagement with local officials and the population are ongoing.
4-16. Company level and below tasks commonly support external agencies along specific themes nested with higher efforts. Targeted civil reconnaissance, and in some cases surveillance of the population, groups, and institutions, is ongoing to monitor the efficacy of programs, policies, and procedures established by a transitional or civil authority. Early identification of developing problems provides a means to focus additional tasks and available resources to support the appropriate authority before becoming a source of instability and dissent among the populace.
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Go Back To: U.S. Army FM 3-21.8: The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad