text: Chapter 3
  SIGNAL SUPPORT
  3-9. Shaping activities take place continuously within a theater. The geographic combatant commander
  uses shaping activities to improve partner nations’ internal security, enhance international legitimacy, gain
  multinational cooperation, and influence adversary decision making. Shaping activities tie directly to
  authorities provided in the United States Code and approved programs. The geographic combatant
  commander integrates and synchronizes shaping activities with the Department of State, other government
  agencies, country teams, and ambassadors’ plans and objectives. Mission partners develop and synchronize
  shaping activities in the country plan, the geographic combatant commander’s theater strategy, and the theater
  campaign plan.
  3-10. Signal forces supporting shaping operations provide communications capabilities to the geographic
  combatant commander and Army forces in theater. Signal support to shaping operations may also include
  signal-focused security cooperation activities with partner agencies and countries.
  MILITARY ENGAGEMENT
  3-11. Military engagement is the routine contact and interaction between individuals or elements of the
  United States Armed Forces and those of another nation’s armed forces or civilian authorities to build trust
  and confidence, share information, coordinate mutual activities, and maintain influence (JP 3-0). Geographic
  combatant commanders seek out partners and communicate with adversaries to discover areas of common
  interest and tension. Such military engagements can reduce tensions and may prevent conflict or build
  coalitions.
  3-12. The theater army G-6 provides communications capabilities to support military engagements by
  allocating mobile communications capabilities or providing information technology support to key leader
  engagements. The G-6 may also conduct key leader engagements with partner nations to establish
  relationships and develop plans for further assistance or cooperation.
  SECURITY COOPERATION
  3-13. Commanders and staffs conduct security cooperation to develop allied and friendly military
  capabilities for self-defense and multinational operations. Security cooperation activities improve
  information exchange and intelligence sharing, provide U.S. forces with peacetime and contingency access,
  and mitigate conditions that could lead to crisis. Commanders execute various security cooperation activities
  such as the transfer of defense articles and services to eligible foreign governments, training and education
  of foreign military personnel, the sale of construction services to develop a host nation’s internal defense,
  and developing programs to build partner capabilities and capacity for self-sufficiency. Security cooperation
  activities include:
  * Security assistance.
  * Security force assistance.
  * Foreign internal defense.
  * Security reform.
  3-14. Although each security cooperation activity is unique, signal support for each activity is similar. The
  signal support plan depends on the desired outcome of the theater campaign plan.
  3-15. Signal subject matter expert exchanges, training, and education are investments in the future of the
  host nation’s military institutions. These security cooperation activities foster future cooperation and build
  partner-nation capacity. Sharing information on tactics, techniques and procedures, interoperability, and
  doctrine provides a path to self-sufficiency and builds relationships between U.S. and partner nation
  militaries. Multinational signal-themed symposiums enable sharing of information and ideas between foreign
  countries and often result in better tailored, peer-nation solutions. Refer to FM 3-22 for a more detailed
  discussion of Army support to security cooperation.