text: Considerations for Stability
  ISOLATION RISK REDUCTION APPROACHES
  5-22. Commanders consider stability characteristics when developing approaches to reduce the risk of
  isolation incidents. First, large numbers of Soldiers, Army civilians, contractors, and other designated
  individuals support stability operations. Usually, individual risk of isolation is low, but the net risk is
  considerable in context of the number of exposures on a daily basis overseas. Second, because the scope of
  stability operations is worldwide, the Army personnel recovery structure and training mission are
  worldwide. Personnel recovery operations with unified action partners are the norm. Third, although
  isolation risk is highly variable, personnel recovery planners can weight their effort in areas considered
  high risk. However, in areas of high risk, frequently fewer partners help mitigate the risk. Forces adapt the
  personnel recovery structure to an operational environment. In addition to providing personnel recovery
  education and training, commanders use a mix of approaches for risk reduction. These approaches include
  acceptance, protection, and deterrence.
  Figure 5-2. Isolation risk
  ACCEPTANCE
  5-23. One approach to reducing the isolation risk from hybrid threats is to encourage acceptance of
  activities of the USG. Acceptance aims to build relationships with local leaders and other authority
  figures—clerics, elders, teachers, health care providers, and influential members of intergovernmental or
  nongovernmental organizations. The Army has long understood that winning the “hearts and minds” of a
  local population goes a long way to establishing conditions for eventual success and reducing the threat of
  isolation. This approach takes time.
  5-24. At the local level, commanders can prepare mutual agreements between Army forces and local
  leaders. Special operations forces often use the acceptance approach. Such an approach led to the Sons of
  Iraq awakening movement in Iraq’s Anbar Province in 2005. Sunni Muslim militias collaborated with
  friendly forces to increase the level of security and reduce the risk of isolation in the region. However,
  acceptance is conditional on formal agreements and does not lessen the need for protection and deterrent
  measures.