text: Stability Tasks in Military Operations
  1-123. The political objectives of a peace operation shape the development of key documents that provide
  legal authority and define its boundaries. These key documents assist commanders and their staffs in
  planning and accomplishing their missions in peace operations. Some key documents used in peace
  operations include—
  * A mandate.
  * A status-of-forces agreement or status-of-mission agreement.
  * A term of reference.
  * A memorandum of understanding.
  * Rules of engagement.
  1-124. Both the UN and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (known as NATO) have published
  doctrine on the conduct of peace operations. (See the UN Web site for UN publications. See the North
  Atlantic Treaty Organization Web site for North Atlantic Treaty Organization publications.)
  FOREIGN HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
  1-125. Foreign humanitarian assistance consists of DOD activities, during military operations or
  peacetime, to alleviate human suffering. (See JP 3-29 for joint doctrine on foreign humanitarian assistance.)
  Foreign disaster relief, one type of foreign humanitarian assistance, refers to prompt aid to alleviate the
  suffering of foreign disaster victims. Army units and other security partners may be required to establish
  conditions conducive to humanitarian action. The administrator of USAID, the President’s Special
  Coordinator for International Disaster Assistance, promotes maximum effectiveness and coordination in
  responses by the U.S. Government to foreign disasters. Delivery of humanitarian assistance during the
  initial response phase of the stability framework may prove an important element of restoring essential
  services. (The minimum-essential stability tasks—provision of minimum levels of civil security, food,
  water, shelter, and medical treatment to the civilian populace—are further discussed in ADRP 3-07.
  Chapter 4 of ATP 3-07.5 discusses tasks of foreign humanitarian assistance.)
  1-126. Threats to civilians are often accompanied by acute needs for essential goods and services.
  Civilians may flee a threat, thus losing their access to livelihoods, services, and support networks.
  Perpetrators may destroy sources of food, water, and shelter or otherwise purposely restrict access to
  essential services. The situation may be a complex emergency, characterized by both conflict and natural
  disasters such as droughts or flooding. Lack of access to clean water, medical services, and other essentials
  can harm more civilians than physical violence. Moreover, lack of access to basic goods and services may
  undermine an individual or communities’ ability to protect or rebound from physical violence.
  Additionally, competition over scarce essential goods and services can be a root cause of or contribute to
  conflict and violence against civilians. It is therefore vital to foster an environment conducive to
  humanitarian assistance to protect civilians. This requirement could accompany other military operations
  and may at times be the military’s most important task to prevent widespread human suffering.
  Army Role in Foreign Humanitarian Assistance
  1-127. With the exception of immediate response to prevent loss of life, U.S. forces normally conduct
  foreign humanitarian assistance only upon the request of DOS and in coordination with the chief of mission
  and USAID. The U.S. military’s unmatched capabilities in logistics, mission command, communications,
  and mobility can provide rapid and robust response to dynamic and evolving situations among vastly
  different military, civilian, and government entities. Usually the military’s primary task in a humanitarian
  crisis is to ensure a secure environment in which humanitarian workers can operate.
  1-128. Army forces, often as part of a joint task force, normally play a supporting role in foreign
  humanitarian assistance. Sometimes, the primary role for Army units is to help provide secure space so that
  humanitarian partners can focus on objective and apolitical human needs. Typical supporting roles
  include—
  * Providing prompt aid that can be used to alleviate the suffering of foreign disaster victims.
  * Making available, preparing, and transporting nonlethal excess property to foreign countries.
  * Transferring on-hand DOD stocks to respond to unforeseen emergencies.