Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Canadian COIN manual

This thing's been out for a while, apparently -- the date of publication is 13 DEC 2008 -- but I'd never seen it. So here you have the Canadian COIN manual, B-GL-323-004/FP-003 COUNTER-INSURGENCY OPERATIONS, courtesy of The Torch (via Christian Bleuer).
The Canadian Army has recently been called upon to conduct significant and complex counter-insurgency operations. It is highly likely that future operations will also be characterised [sic, LOLOLZ!] by the requirement to continue to conduct counter-insurgency operations. As such, it is clearly time to capture our lessons learned and formalise [sic again, silly Canadians!] our doctrine.
...
Counter-insurgency is a specific campaign theme and although the key elements of our extant doctrine remain relevant in such campaigns, this publication articulates the specific framing philosopy and guiding principles that must be considered at all levels of command in the prosecution of counter-insurgency. The publication clearly indicates that insurgencies are rooted in political and social issues and thus the military has an overall supporting role to those other agencies and institutions that will create the enduring, indigenous-based conditions for peace. In essence, the military, particularly the land force, provides the maoeuvre space for those other agencies and elements of power working to a shared campaign end-state. Tactical level actions by the land force during a counter-insurgency campaign will be planned and conducted in keeping with the general principles of war and specific tactical principles; however, the tactical actions should not contravene the guiding principles and philosophy described in the publication.
I haven't had a chance to take a look at this thing -- and frankly, I can find a lot better things to do with the time that I do find than read allies' doctrine! -- but here it is if you want to skim or peruse at length.

4 comments:

  1. It's been out for the Canadian Army, but not available in any form online until now. I kept waiting for someone to post a copy online, but apparently the Canadians don't work/leak like the US DoD. Or maybe they were trying to hand out copies at the bus station and nobody was interested...

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  2. Ha, thanks Christian. I DID think I'd seen B-GL-323-004/FP-003 (Jesus, and civilians think FM 3-24 is a bad name!) propping up a short table leg at a cafe in Montreal, but I could've been wrong.

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  3. There was a draft copy released a long time ago.

    SNLII

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  4. "I DID think I'd seen B-GL-323-004/FP-003... propping up a short table leg..."

    Flashback! No shit, there I was.

    When I was acting BN S-3, I folded a BDE FRAGO in half and used it to prop up the short leg of a desk, to show my disdain for all things Brigade. A couple days later, the BDE S-3 was at BN and asked me about some detail of our gunnery schedule. I replied, "hold on" and then yanked the FRAGO from beneath the desk leg and said, "let me check the BDE FRAGO."

    He had no sense of humor. But, I got in the last laugh when my last act as S-3, prior to PCS'ing, was to reclama the OPORD for deployment to OIF V.

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