Stability Operations Capabilities

"Preventing Conflict. Winning the Peace"

Act as the catalyst to bring together the experiences, resources and ideas of the United State Government, civilian organizations, and international partners to meet the challenges of stability operations.

The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability Operations Capabilities shapes policy and oversees the development of DoD capabilities in order to successfully conduct stability, security, transition and reconstruction operations:
      •    Across the spectrum from peace to conflict
      •    With interagency and international partners
      •    In support of national security objectives

As stated in the National Security Strategy, “America is now threatened less by conquering states than we are by failing ones.” In response to this growing challenge, the Department is improving its own capabilities, guided by DoD Directive 3000.05 “Military Support to Security, Stability, Transition and Reconstruction Operations”.

Stability operations involve a range of activities from responding to natural disasters to repairing critical infrastructure and strengthening indigenous institutions to provide security, essential services, justice and economic opportunity. Ideally, civilian-led peacetime efforts to help partners improve security and governance can prevent crises. But when major combat occurs, the U.S. and its partners will often inherit the humanitarian, social, and economic problems of the affected state.

Integrated military and civilian operations are the now the norm with most military operations taking place in the midst of civilian populations. U.S. military forces must be prepared to support civilian stabilization and reconstruction efforts and to lead and conduct these missions when civilians cannot.