text: Stability
  period, FSF lead fighting threats and provide security, have a functioning government, and work towards
  achieving economic potential. In the long-term period, FSF are peaceful, united, stable, and secure; integrated
  into the international community; and a full partner in international security concerns.
  Monitor the Current Situation
  8-313. The BCT commander and subordinate advisors help foreign counterparts monitor the current
  situation for unanticipated successes, failures, or enemy actions. As the commander assesses the progress of
  FSF operations, the commander looks for opportunities, threats, and acceptable progress. The commander
  considers, as part of the MDMP, the second-and third-order effects of the FSF operation. The commander
  and subordinate advisors develop a cultural awareness and use this awareness so that operations and
  relationships achieve the desired end state.
  Operational Success
  8-314. Throughout the operation, the BCT commander and staff assists the FSF commander and staff in
  addressing changes to the operation and the feeding the assessments of the progress or regression back into
  the planning process. The closer SFA and FSF commanders work with trainer/advisor teams and the more
  they interact with local political and cultural leaders, the better the overall chances of mission success. Keys
  to operational success within the SFA and FSF area of operations, although not all inclusive, include the
  following:
  (cid:122) Establish MOEs to provide benchmarks against which the commander assesses progress toward
  accomplishing the mission.
  (cid:122) Establish MOPs to determine whether a task or action was performed to standard.
  (cid:122) Establish close and continuing relationships with all advisor teams, other actors operating in its
  area of operations, and foreign area officers with local or regional expertise.
  (cid:122) Establish close and continuing relationships with all foreign units (military, police, and others)
  operating in the area of operations.
  (cid:122) Establish close and continuing relationships with all political entities and actors within the area of
  operations.
  (cid:122) Establish redundant communications within the area of operations, especially when the BCT
  shares its area of operations with other entities that have cultural differences and lack of or
  degraded communications.
  SECTION VI – TRANSITIONS
  8-315. The BCT commander and staff must always keep in mind the situation may escalate to combat
  operations at any time. The BCT may be ordered to transition to offensive or defensive operations if the focus
  of the operation changes from stability. The commander task organizes units to expeditiously transition to
  combat operations while maintaining a balance between conducting stability operations tasks and
  maintaining a combat posture. The BCT commander must consider transitions to outside authorities,
  including host nation, international government organizations, other allied coalition forces or another U.S.
  Government agency when a transition to offense or defense occurs. This section concludes with a discussion
  of transitions during SFA activities.
  TRANSITION TO THE CONDUCT OF DEFENSIVE OPERATIONS
  8-316. The primary focus on stability operations tasks inan operation may transition to a focus on defensive
  operations for three basic reasons. The situation within the BCT’s area of operations has deteriorated so much
  that a primarily defensive orientation is required. An outside superior force threatens the BCT’s area of
  operations, or higher orders the BCT to conduct a defense in a new area of operations.
  8-317. The BCT commander’s initial defensive scheme may be an area defense executed through smaller
  individual perimeter defenses. A mobile defense requires more time, deliberate planning, and organization
  of forces to accomplish. The commander performs the following actions in preparation for the transition to
  defense: