text: Operational Environment of Counterinsurgency
  • Is the government secular or religious?
  • Does the country have a constitution, document, guideline that lays out the role of government,
  rights of the people, and laws?
  Military Arts and Science
  • How respected is military service in the culture? How are veterans treated?
  • Who are some of the famous military leaders or revolutionaries in the country?
  • Is there an NCO corps? How are NCOs selected? What are their duties and responsibilities?
  What is their relationship with officers and Soldiers?
  • What oath of allegiance, if any, do members of the military swear upon enrollment?
  • What colors, banners, symbols, or uniforms do antigovernment forces use?
  Sociology
  • Do the people identify themselves with organizations or affiliations (tribes, religions, ethnicity,
  provinces/regions, classes, occupations, and common language)?
  • What are the major problems and underlying issues with the people (root causes)?
  • Are there a large number of homeless, refugees, squatters, internally displaced persons (IDPs)?
  What do the people think of them?
  • What is customary in dealing with guests or strangers? Are people friendly or guarded with
  strangers?
  • What are some of the core values of the people that define who they are?
  • What is the daily or weekly schedule of most citizens (wakeup, meals, work, social time,
  sleep)?
  Cultural Anthropology
  • Have current warring groups/factions ever lived side-by-side in peace? What changed?
  • What are some of the key cultural aspects of the local tribes or nomadic groups?
  • What are the traditional roles of each family member?
  • Whom do the people look to for leadership (governmental and nongovernmental)?
  • How important is being on time in the society (business, social gatherings)?
  • How do they correct social mistakes?
  Economics
  • What export or local product are the people known for and the most proud of?
  • Are bribes or "gifts" normal in dealing with businesses, government officials, or police? What
  is acceptable (levels of corruption)?
  • What infrastructure is required to support economic growth (electricity for factories, roads
  to move produce, security to minimize extortion/black market)?
  • What is the daily wage of an average worker/laborer? Which jobs are considered honorable?
  • What economic organizations are important and influential in the society (labor unions,
  merchant guilds)?
  • Is there a local black market? Who is involved, what products, and how tied to the community
  and local government?
  • Are prices fixed or negotiated in normal commerce?
  Education
  • What is the literacy rate?
  • Who goes to school (males, females, all, optional)? What is the last year of general public
  education?
  • Are public schools secular or religious? How?