The Human in Command

Book excerpt: Peace support operations have unique characteristics. These operations require qualities of commanders and their teams that are in addition to the qualities that are normally needed to conduct successful combat operations. Materiel, doctrine, and training must be tailored to fulfill their functions, but it is the quality of the human in command that leads to successful missions in ambiguous situations. What are these qualities and what are the ingredients for effective operations? The Human in Command: Peace Support Operations combines personal experiences of commanders, empirical data on peace support issues, and theoretical models. It provides the reader with insight into current issues such as leadership, mission characteristics, mission preparation and training, crisis management, operational conditions and processes, multinational cooperation, and effectiveness of individual commanders, units, and missions.