When the U.S. military invaded Iraq, it lacked a common understanding of the problems inherent in counterinsurgency campaigns. It had neither studied them, nor developed doctrine and tactics to deal with them. It is fair to say that in 2003, most Army officers knew more about the U.S. Civil War than they did about counterinsurgency.
"The U.S. Army / Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual "was written to fill that void. The result of unprecedented collaboration among top U.S. military experts, scholars, and practitioners in the field, the manual espouses an approach to combat that emphasizes constant adaptation and learning, the importance of decentralized decision-making, the need to understand local politics and customs, and the key role of intelligence in winning the support of the population. The manual also emphasizes the paradoxical and often counterintuitive nature of counterinsurgency operations: sometimes the more you protect your forces, the less secure you are; sometimes the more force you use, the less effective it is; sometimes doing nothing is the best reaction.
An new introduction by Sarah Sewall, director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, places the manual in critical and historical perspective, explaining the significance and potential impact of this revolutionary challenge to conventional U.S. military doctrine.
An attempt by our military to redefine itself in the aftermath of 9/11 and the new world of international terrorism, "The U.S. Army / Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual "will play a vital role in American military campaigns for years to come.
The University of Chicago Press willdonate a portion of the proceeds from this book to the Fisher House Foundation, a private-public partnership that supports the families of America's injured servicemen. To learn more about the Fisher House Foundation, visit www.fisherhouse.org.

"Soldiers represent what's best about the Army. Day in and day out, in the dark and in the mud and in faraway places, they execute tough missions whenever and wherever the Nation calls. They deserve our very best-leaders of character and competence who act to achieve excellence. That theme resounds throughout FM 22-100, Army Leadership, and echoes our time-honored principle of BE, KNOW, DO. This leadership manual lays out the framework that applies to all Army leaders-officer and NCO, military and civilian, active and reserve component. At the core of our leadership doctrine are the same Army Values embedded in our force: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage (LDRSHIP). The framework also outlines physical, mental, and emotional attributes that together with values form 'character'-what a leader must BE. Being a person of character is fundamental to the Army. What makes Army leaders of 'competence' are skills with people, ideas, things, and war-fighting. We refer to those four sets of skills as interpersonal, conceptual, technical, and tactical. Many are common to leaders in all situations; some additional skills are required for those who gain increasing responsibility. Leaders of character and competence are those with the appropriate skills, leaders who KNOW their people, their equipment, and their profession. All that is still not enough. We call on our leaders to translate character and competence into leader actions. Army Leaders influence people-by providing purpose, direction, and motivation-while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization. Leaders inspire others toward common goals and never lose sight of the future even as they labor tirelessly for the demands of today. That is what we expect our leaders to DO."-From the Preface.

"Guiding Principles for Stabilization and Reconstruction" presents the first-ever, comprehensive set of shared principles for building sustainable peace in societies emerging from violent conflict. The manual serves as a tool for U.S. government civilian planners and practitioners engaged in stabilization and reconstruction (S&R) missions and is a valuable resource for international actors and nongovernmental organizations. Today, civilian actors operate without the support of any unifying framework or common set of principles to guide their actions in these complex environments. As global demand for these missions continues to rise, this gap will impede the cooperation and cohesion that is needed across the peacebuilding community to ensure success of any S&R mission. "Guiding Principles" seeks to fill this gap by providing: an overarching strategic framework for S&R missions based on a construct of End States, Conditions and Approaches; a comprehensive set of shared principles and processes, distilled from the wealth of lessons that have emerged from past S&R missions. A product of the collaboration between the United States Institute of Peace and the Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, this manual reflects the input of dozens of institutions across the peacebuilding community providing a comprehensive review of major strategic policy documents from state ministries of defense, foreign affairs and development, along with major intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations that toil in war-shattered landscapes around the globe.