WHATS SO SPECIAL ABOUT HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS

Many civilians and military officers working on humanitarian assistanc e (HA) operations appear convinced that such operations are completely new and different from traditional military operations, and thus requ ire significant changes to military doctrine, organization, training, and equipment. This article challenges that assumption by demonstratin g that most of the capabilities required for HA operations are also re quired for combat operations, especially low-intensity conflicts. Thus the military already possesses (or at least should possess) these cap abilities, including how to escort convoys, perform civil affairs task s, and deal with restrictive rules of engagement in ambiguous situatio ns. Although the skills that make up these capabilities are difficult and require more emphasis, they are not new. To address requirements f or future HA operations, civilian and military analysis may have to je ttison the assumption that such operations are inherently different an d examine more closely the issues surrounding them.