text: Chapter 8
  may conduct an assessment on host-nation medical facilities and their capacity before employment to an
  assigned area of operations. This staff specific assessment further enables the conduct of the six stability
  operations tasks (see section III) and makes the BCT’s planning effort during operations focused on stability
  more informedand efficient.
  8-23. Once the commander and staff possess an understanding of the operational environment, the BCT
  applies a mixture of stability mechanisms to set conditions to retain and exploit stabilizing factors. A stability
  mechanismis the primary methodthrough which friendly forces affect civilians in order to attain conditions
  that support establishing a lasting, stable peace. Stability mechanisms relate to stability operations, security,
  and consolidating gains in an area of operations. The four stability mechanisms are compel, control,
  influence, and support. Combinations of stability mechanisms produce complementary and reinforcing
  outcomes that accomplish the mission more effectively and efficiently than single mechanisms do alone.
  8-24. The BCT simultaneously uses stability mechanisms such as compel and control to assist with seizing
  initiative. Compel means to use, or threaten to use, lethal force to establish control and dominance, effect
  behavioral change, or enforce compliance with mandates, agreements, or civil authority. Control means to
  impose civil order. Offensive operations reveal and exploit enemy weaknesses by defeating, destroying, or
  neutralizing threat forces. These actions disrupt threat forces, prevent them from negatively influencing
  populations, and provide opportunities to continue exploiting weaknesses—but they are not decisive by
  themselves. The design of these actions should consider how and what they compel the population to do and
  whether or not the action will result in positive, neutral or negative support by the population in the long-and
  short-term. (See ADP 3-0 for additional information.)
  UNDERSTANDING POLITICAL OBJECTIVES
  8-25. Understanding political objectives frames the unique operations required to conduct stability
  operations.General political objectives are broad and conceptual in nature, but they give contextual guidance
  that informs the expanded purpose of the echelons above the BCT commander’s intent. Political objectives
  may shift and change as the operational environment changes. That same guidance unifies or alienates
  partners that may fall outside of the military chain of command.
  8-26. Given the inherently complex and uncertain nature of political objectives, the BCT commander and
  staff use the Army design methodology (see chapter 4) to help understand the root cause of instability and
  approaches to solve problems. The Army design methodology entails framing an operational environment,
  framing the problem, and developing an operational approach to solve the problem. The Army design
  methodology results in an improved understanding of an operational environment. Based on this improved
  understanding, the commander issues planning guidance, to include an operational approach, to guide more
  detailed planning using the MDMP (see chapter4).
  8-27. Incorporating political objectives into the planning process (see chapter 4) is a shared task amongst the
  BCT staff. Each staff officer understands the general and specific political objectives and the commander’s
  intent two levels up of an assigned operation focused on stability and considers the implications and effects
  of the political objectives when presenting the commander with running estimates, courses of action (COAs)
  and other decision support staff products. The BCT staff must understandhow to communicate general and
  specific political objectives into the themes and messages delivered in the operation order and fragmentary
  orders that Soldiers display through their actions. These political objectives must translate across the entirety
  of the operational environment yet be understood by subordinate units allowing them to affect the local
  population’s perception.
  ACHIEVE UNITY OF EFFORT ACROSS DIVERSE ORGANIZATIONS
  8-28. BCT commanders and staffs must understand how to build relationships with many diverse
  organizations within an area of operations. These relationships allow the BCT to nest operations with both
  their higher headquarters and with the overall U.S. effort within the joint operational area. A
  whole-of-government approach, along with collaboration and cooperation with unified action partners—
  those military forces, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and elements of the private sector
  with whom Army forces plan, coordinate, synchronize, and integrate during the conduct of operations