Stability Operations

Since 9/11, our nation has had to focus its foreign policy on failing, failed, and fragile states. The U.S government has struggled not only with using the correct compliment of instruments of power with regard to stability and reconstruction operations but with also integrating them when required. The Department of State's Coordinator for Stabilization and Reconstruction was stood up in 2004 to the lead U.S. government agency in these operations. However, the struggle continues as the office has neither the authority, funding or internal capacity to effectively integrate all agencies across the government. This paper addresses the current issues with the existing construct and identifies that the Department of Defense must be able to complete tasks when the civilian capability is not able such as in a non-permissive environment. The argument is that the U.S Air Force has within its support structure, many of the skills sets required to accomplish many of the tasks required in all phases. However, the Air Force has had a myopic view of how to adapt to meet today's requirements. Therefore, this paper provides a methodical review of capabilities and the changes required to training, doctrine, education, and force structure to enable the Air Force to respond to the full spectrum of operations. Additionally, the recommendation will suggest creating a new Air Force Specialty Code in order to maintain the cultural and language nuances of a respective geographic area and build relationship with the interagency as well as other actors. Creating a new Air Force will develop and focus leaders to work collaboratively among all of the actors involved in addressing instability problems caused by F3 states.