text: Chapter 3
  • Establish civil control.
  • Support HN security forces.
  • Support to governance.
  • Restore essential services.
  • Support to economic and infrastructure development.
  • Conduct information engagement.
  Figure 3-2. Example lines of effort for a counterinsurgency.
  3-38. These lines can be customized, renamed, changed altogether, or simply not used. Commanders
  may combine two or more of the listed LOEs or split one LOE into several. For example, some
  commanders may combine the LOEs, restore essential services, and support to economic and infrastructure
  development into one LOE. Likewise, other commanders may split out rule of law from the civil
  control LOE.
  3-39. Tactical units, HN security forces and the HN’s government can only accomplish a limited
  number of tasks at any one time. The seven COIN LOEs help prioritize and synchronize efforts along all
  of the LOEs. One useful construct is the rheostat approach with LOEs—increased effort along the establish
  civil security LOE usually means less effort along the other LOEs. Units may see this during operations
  against a powerful insurgency or during the clear phase of a clear-hold-build operation. In most cases,
  restoring security to an AO enables units and the HN government to rapidly meet objectives along the
  other lines of effort. In other AOs, units may increase effort along the support to governance and support
  to economic and infrastructure development LOEs, while seeing a reduction in effort along the establish
  civil control LOE. This occurs during operations against a weak insurgency or during the build phase of a
  clear-hold-build operation. Figure 3-3 shows the rheostat approach to the LOEs.
  3-40. Operations designed using LOEs typically employ an extended, event-driven timeline with short-,
  mid-, and long-term goals. These operations combine the effects of long-term operations, such
  as neutralizing the insurgent infrastructure, with cyclic and short-term events, like regular trash collection
  and attacks against insurgent bases. Chapter 4 discusses considerations for planning LOEs and horizons.