Army Ipb in Support of Nation Building Operations

Since the end of World War II the Army has been involved in numerous operations that dealt directly or indirectly with Nation Building as a focus or subsequent mission following major combat operations. There have been varying levels of success and failure. An initial review of the past 15 years and in anticipation of future operations under an expeditionary mindset, it is likely that the Army will continue to be involved in Nation Building operations. At a minimum, intelligence professionals should be prepared to plan for these operations. The IPB process is an effective tool for analyzing a threat and the operating environment, however the question of its effectiveness in capturing the essence of support necessary for Nation Building operations requires further research. In order to effectively answer the question of Army IPB in support of Nation Building planning and operations it is necessary to undertake a series of analytical reviews. The first review must focus on the definition of the term Nation Building. It is not found in any Joint Publications or Army Manuals despite the rampant use of the term in military and media circles. Once a definition is settled on the attention must then turn to the inevitability of Nation Building Operations. The inevitability is effectively the driving purpose behind the need for this study. Once complete, both Army and Joint Doctrine must be analyzed. The focus of this analysis is on establishing common definitions for Stability and Support Operations according to both Joint Publications and Army Manuals, followed by a review of the Joint and Army IPB Process doctrine. The emphasis of the doctrinal review is to determine how the current IPB Process addresses those tasks necessary to provide an informative portrayal of the contemporary operating environment in support of Nation Building.