Lessons from the Frontlines: Key Takeaways from My Counter-Insurgency Experience

The knowledge gained as a participant of counter-insurgency operations has given me important lessons applicable in my understanding of the concept of security, strategy, and human behavior, in conflict situations. The war strategy known as counter-insurgency is a military, political, economic and social action that is aimed at destroying the insurgent groups as well as the factors that would lead to rebellion. It is a complex strategy which needs flexibility, cultural sensitivity and an orientation towards winning the hearts and minds of the natives. These are only some of the important lessons that I have acquired during my experience in the front lines of counter-insurgency activities.

Among the initial and most notable lessons that I acquired is that counter-insurgency is not a military operation; it is a whole-of-government operation. Personally, I have found the military in the army to be critical in civilians protection, securing of territories and of course fighting the insurgents, but military response is not enough to successfully end a counter-insurgency operation. Political, social and economic dissatisfactions are usually the cause of insurgencies. Unless these underlying issues are addressed, the insurgents will still have the backing of the local population however many battles they may have won in the battle field. Thus, counter-insurgency needs a coordinated approach between the government institutions, local authorities, humanitarian organization and the military forces.

In most occasions, insurgencies occur in the regions where there exists economic inequality, basic service deprivation, or social exclusion. Through my deployment, I was in a position to experience poverty and a lack of opportunity in order to create anger and resentment in the local populations. Military achievements within the battle field can be a partial solution without an attempt at these underlying causes. The government must be able to deliver basic services, develop economic opportunities and encourage social inclusion in order to successfully fight insurgency. Infrastructure development, educational and health access should be a priority as military activities. A neglected or disenfranchised population will be more willing to back insurgents, although they may not even approve of how they are doing it.

Among the most difficult parts of counter-insurgency operations is the ability to differentiate between an insurgent and an innocent civilian. Modern insurgencies are such that insurgents usually mingle with the local people and it is hard to tell the difference between a combatant and a civilian. Through my experience, I was able to observe how these difficulties might result in mistrust between military units and the civilians. During most instances, innocent civilians were caught within the cross fire and thus resented and further estranged by the government and the military. This is to emphasize the need to establish good rapport with the local communities. Local population is a crucial element as it implies the cooperation and support of the local population in the success of any counter-insurgency campaign. The ability to defeat the insurgents by winning the hearts and minds of the people is paramount in depriving insurgents of popular support. When the population feels that the government and military are serving their interests and bettering their life then they will not favor and tolerate insurgents.

Another important lesson that is led to the concept of the hearts and minds and, therefore, to the significance of psychological functioning and strategic communication in counter-insurgency. The insurgents are battled not only by the use of arms but ideas. Propaganda is another tactic that is frequently employed by the insurgents to enlist, mobilize, and radicalize people. A counter-insurgency process needs to address these perceptions by providing an alternative version of hope, stability, and development. In my case, it was important to communicate with the local communities. This was not merely an issue of communicating military aims but making the people know the larger political and social aims of the counter-insurgency operation. The military forces should collaborate with the civilian organizations to publish the right information and combat insurgent propaganda. An excellent story that is centered towards community building, tranquility and security can serve as a potent instrument in dismissing the message of the insurgents and diminishing their followers.

The other thing I learned is the need to be intelligent when conducting counter-insurgency operations. Successful counter-insurgency strategy is based on effective intelligence. With false intelligence, identification of the insurgent leaders, their networks and operations cannot be established. The role of intelligence-gathering in counter-insurgency cannot be restricted to conventional military espionage only, but it is also a process of forming a connection with the locals, hearing their grievances and becoming trusted by them. Civilian sources can be invaluable to intelligence information, especially because they are the first to detect insurgency activity. Nonetheless, such relationships have to be managed so that the local population will not be alienated. When the military and the law enforcement teams gain the trust of the local communities, they tend to share information on the insurgents with them and as a result, this will help in breaking down insurgent networks and subsequent attacks.

Adaptability and flexibility is also essential as I experienced in the front lines. Insurgencies are dynamic and the tactics of insurgent groups also tend to vary with the military action. Counter-insurgency policies should be dynamic to such changes. This involves the need to continuously evaluate its strategies and be ready to evolve with the changing character of the war. In a case that I was on, an insurgent group that I was following started to change their tactics and tactics that involved roadside bombings and ambushes. This compelled us to change our approach whereby we laid more emphasis on intelligence collection, surveillance and infrastructure security. The successful counter-insurgency campaigns cannot be based on the last war but should be conducted so that one is ahead of them by knowing their next move.

When it comes to counter insurgency operations the use of the force should also be well organized. Even though in some cases, the use of military force may be required to secure the citizens and counter the threat of insurgents, in some cases, overuse of force may backfire. It may disenfranchise the local community, cause civilian deaths and encourage insurgents. In my deployment, I witnessed the effect an aggressive military reaction to insurgent actions may have backfiring and making the military and the locals even more antagonistic towards each other. Effective counter-insurgency operation must be gradual and apply force when absolutely needed and concentrate on establishing relationships with the locals. The training of the rules of engagement and the consideration of human rights as an essential part of the development of the balanced counter-insurgency strategy is essential.

Lastly, it is hard to underestimate the psychological impact that counter-insurgency has on military officers and local citizens. Long periods of active fighting, tension of being on the alert and difficulties of working in hostile situations may have unchanging impact on the soldiers and civilians. The mental health provision of the soldiers is essential, as well as the readiness of soldiers to meet the emotional and psychological stress of counter-insurgency operations. To the local people, experience of violence, loss of people they love and the lack of stability that comes with war may cause psychological problems in the long run. In counter-insurgency works, the psychological and emotional needs of both soldiers and civilians are important to provide success and long-term sustainability of the peace process.

To sum up, the lessons I gained during my counter-insurgency experience proved the significance of the integrated nature of the approach to conflict resolution. Counter-insurgency is not necessarily about annihilating an enemy on the battle ground, but about meeting the needs of the locals, gaining their loyalty and employing military, political and social measures in unison. Counter-insurgency cannot be won without good leadership, smart intelligence, partnership with the local communities, and adherence to human rights and justice. It also requires flexibility and adaptability because the insurgency strategies and political environment always change. Finally, counter-insurgency does not simply aim at destroying the insurgents but the provision of permanent peace, stability, and prosperity to the subjects of the conflict. The lessons acquired in the frontlines can not only be applicable to the military personnel but can also be used to guide the general strategies toward conflict resolution and peacebuilding in conflict-prone regions within the world.