text: Chapter 8
  8-75. The BCT works to transfer responsibility to a transitional intergovernmental, nongovernmental
  organization, or host-nation authority as quickly as possible. However, maintains responsibility for security
  in the area of operations so that the transitional authority can best meet the needs of the population. The BCT
  prioritizes restoration of essential services based solely on need and mitigate unnecessary suffering. The BCT
  commander and staff consider location, security, and quantity of distribution of humanitarian aid, as well as
  who and how the aid is distributed. The BCT staff must determine the perception of the local population,
  mitigate corruption of a partnered element, and ensure these actions mitigate instability for theshort and long
  term.
  8-76. The BCT continuously coordinates with unified action partners assigned by the joint task force
  headquarters and may be partnered with the civil-military operations center, host-nation ministry of health
  and agriculture, and relief organizations such as U.S. Agency for International Development and the United
  Nations World Food Program to ensure the population has access to food and water. Partnership with special
  operations forces may also augment the BCT by providing additional geographic and cultural knowledge and
  sharing intelligence to address potential sources of instability.
  INITIAL RESPONSE
  8-77. The BCT’s primarily focus on essential services is to alleviate unnecessary suffering among the
  population. This includes providing basic humanitarian needs such as food, water, and shelter, along with
  providing support for displaced civilians and preventing the spread of epidemic disease. Efforts to restore
  essential services in any operation contribute to the social well-being of the population. The BCT supports
  government efforts to establish or restore basic civil services, including food, water, shelter, and medical
  support with such actions as:
  (cid:122) Conducting area and zone reconnaissance to identify areas that require immediate assistance.
  (cid:122) Conducting area security to ensure those affected receive the goods, services, and protection.
  (cid:122) Sustainingoperations to deliver class I; water, food, and emergency shelter (tents).
  (cid:122) Engineeringoperations to assess and repair infrastructure within capabilities.
  (cid:122) Providingmedical treatment to civilians that are at immediate risk of losing life, limb, or eyesight.
  (cid:122) Identifying requirements and request enablers, augmentation or integration of theater assets for
  specified requirements (for example, repair or rebuild infrastructure, task organization, request for
  forces, project request, or operational needs statement processes).
  8-78. A BCT may provide for immediate humanitarian needs of the population within its organic capabilities
  to restore essential services following the conduct of offensive or defensive operations or in response to
  disaster as part of a humanitarian relief effort. The BCT applies the principles of conflict transformation and
  unity of effort and sets the conditions to build partner capacity when restoring essential services in the initial
  response phase.
  8-79. Beyond security considerations, the BCT relies on its information collection and sustainment capability
  to apply conflict transformation. This includes operations that identify the sources of instability and support
  the restoration of essential civil service as defined in terms of immediate humanitarian needs (such as
  providing food, water, shelter, and medical support) necessary to sustain the population until local civil
  services are restored. Contracted services are often a viable option to fulfill essential civil services, therefore,
  trained contracting officer representatives (CORs) and pay agents are critical enablers at the battalion and
  company level that can ensure that contracted support meets its intended purpose in the manner as agreed to
  in contracts or other binding agreements. (See chapter 9.)
  8-80. Operations focused on stability require unique sustainment considerations. The brigade support
  battalion (BSB) must always plan to support the BCT, but also may be required to plan sustainment beyond
  the BCT when supporting stability operations tasks. The BCT logistics staff officer (S-4), during the
  development of the BCT’s concept of support, must remember that the design of the BSB is only to support
  the BCT’s assigned Soldiers and equipment. Prior to the execution of the sustainment plan, the BSB
  commander must ensure that sustainment estimates differentiate what is supporting internal BCT
  requirements and what is supporting external support mission requirements. Sustainment during operations
  focused on stability often involves supporting U.S. forces, multinational forces, and other contributing
  partners in a wide range of missions and tasks.