text: Chapter 1
  ALLIANCES
  1-7. An alliance results from a formal agreement between two or more nations for broad, long-term objectives
  furthering the common interests of the members. An alliance is a relationship. Alliances have standing
  headquarters and organizations. Sample alliances for the United States include the North Atlantic Treaty
  Organization (NATO) or the Republic of Korea and Combined Forces Command, Korea. An example of a
  long-term objective of an alliance is standardization. (Refer to JP 3-16 for a discussion on standardization.)
  The Department of Defense (DOD) achieves cooperation among the joint services and allied members
  through shared research and development. The joint services and allied members agreed to adopt the use of—
  • Common or compatible operational, administrative, and logistics procedures.
  • Common or compatible technical procedures and criteria.
  • Common, compatible, or interchangeable supplies, components, weapons, or equipment.
  • Common or compatible tactical doctrine with corresponding organizational compatibility.
  COALITIONS
  1-8. A coalition is an arrangement between two or more nations for a common action. Nations create a
  coalition to fulfill goals of common interest. This action is a multinational action outside the bounds of an
  established alliance. It is based on a willing subset of allied members. (Refer to JP 3-16 for a discussion of a
  coalition as part of multinational operations.)
  1-9. A coalition differs from an alliance. Coalitions exist for a limited purpose and time. A coalition does not
  afford military planners the same political resolve and commonality of goals as an alliance. With defined and
  limited goals, a coalition requires more diligence and care from military planners than in an alliance since
  mutual goals arise from temporary situations. Planners study, know, and apply each participant’s political
  goals when planning. Short-term political considerations have greater influence with coalitions than with
  alliances.
  1-10. Commanders of multinational forces are influenced by many things including sovereignty. Military
  commanders’ traditional authorities are reduced because of their responsibility to their national leadership.
  Multinational commanders accomplish the mission through coordination, communication, and consensus of
  leadership rather than through traditional command relationships. Unity of effort is essential in multinational
  operations. Unity of effort is coordination and cooperation toward common objectives. This is true even if
  the participants are not necessarily part of the same command or organization. (Refer to JP 1 Volume 2 for
  more on unity of effort.) Commanders and subordinates operate as diplomats and warriors in a coalition.
  THE NATURE OF MULTINATIONAL OPERATIONS
  1-11. Multinational operations are shaped by—
  • Common agreement among the participating partners of alliance or coalition.
  • Terms of an alliance.
  • A mandate or authorization provided by the United Nations (UN).
  1-12. Multinational operations require greater attention than unilateral operations due to their complexity
  with national interests and organizational influence potentially competing with doctrine and efficiency.
  Gaining consensus may be difficult and solutions may be national in character, as troop contributing nations
  must adhere to their own national policies and priorities. An effective multinational force commander and
  staff accept, know, and work within necessary complexities of multinational operations beginning from the
  planning stage. Differences in culture, language, procedure, and technology all pose a level of complexity
  not found in U.S. Army pure operations.
  1-13. Training for these multinational operations and pursuing interoperability with allies and likely coalition
  partners is paramount to the U.S. national security. Interoperability is the ability to act together coherently,
  effectively, and efficiently to achieve tactical, operational, and strategic objectives (JP 3-0). There are human,
  procedural, and technical dimensions to interoperability. Reducing these differences through human
  interactions, standardized and common procedures, and shared or compatible technology improves the ability
  of the multinational force to operate cohesively.
  1-14. Successful multinational operations have characteristics identified in Table 1-1.