Trust: Central to Success in Partnered Operations
Trust: Central to Success in Partnered Operations
by Major Charlie Burbridge
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Partnering is a trust-based relationship between equals which will seek to capitalise on the strengths of each partner and mitigate for weaknesses. As part of Commander International Security Assistance Force’s (COMISAF) dual mission principle, it is a tool for developing the ANSF whilst concurrently countering the insurgency by protecting the population. The central requirement of trust requires further examination. ISAF troops require a homogenous and consistent understanding of how trust can be developed and maintained between partners.
The aim of this short paper is to examine why the importance of trust is at the heart of partnering, define the concept of trust within the context of Partnering in Afghanistan and recommend methods for generating and maintaining it over successive iterations of Op HERRICK.
COMISAF directed that the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) will be partnered to form a combined force, which will serve a dual mission of developing ANSF capability and defeating the insurgency.
‘ISAF will partner with the ANSF at all levels — from the ministries down to squad level. An embedded partnership does not change ISAF’s mission; instead, ISAF executes it better by establishing a trust based relationship between ANSF and ISAF units. This relationship is between equals, with ISAF as the supporting organisation.’
ISAF forces will be required to continue to conduct high intensity counter insurgency operations but will do so in partnership with a force with which it has not trained, does not necessarily understand, and with whom there is a language barrier. Furthermore, ISAF forces will roll in and out of theatre; in the UK case, every six months, whilst the ANSF will remain in location permanently. The requirement for trust to be established swiftly and to endure through successive deployments of ISAF units is central to the success of Partnering. A breach of trust may have serious implications for the cohesion of the force.
Download the full article: Trust: Central to Success in Partnered Operations
Charlie Burbridge is a serving British Army Major. He has served in Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Oman, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan in a variety of staff and command appointments. Most recently he commanded his squadron during Operation Panther’s Claw in Helmand. He currently works on the staff of the British Counter Insurgency Centre.
