Counterterrorism: Mission Critical Skills helps current and future counterterrorism specialists develop skills that are vital for their professional success. The book provides readers with a well-researched argument as to why a particular set of soft skills are indispensable to counterterrorism specialists. It underscores the need for best practices and proficiencies among the extensive network of agencies and entities that fight terrorism. The opening chapter explores the various counterterrorism entities in the United States, highlighting their interconnectedness and illuminating the need for entities to work collaboratively toward a shared goal. Each of the remaining chapters profile a mission-critical soft skill and offer learning demands for guidance, first-person quotes from professional counterterrorism experts, and operational vignettes to demonstrate the importance of each skill. The skills presented include teamwork, imagination, strategic consciousness, cultural mindfulness, discernment, empathy, mutuality, and operational adaptability. Counterterrorism equips readers with the soft skills that, when paired with the hard skills counterterrorism specialists are required to learn, will help them develop into highly capable, well-rounded, and efficient counterterrorism professionals.

Based on an analysis of security cooperation (SC) data and state fragility scores for 107 countries in 1991-2008, the report describes the correlation between provision of SC by the United States and a reduction in partner state fragility.

Future U.S. Army Security Force Assistance missions, such as those envisioned for the U.S. Army's Regionally Aligned Forces, can benefit from the experience gained in Afghanistan as captured in this report