Cultural and Situational Understanding

The United States Army has published ATP 3-24.3, Cultural and Situational Understanding, April 2015 - a manual that "establishes the techniques and procedures used by individuals, teams, and units of the United States army at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of war." This manual is valuable for all members of the military (as well as contractors) who are engaged in security assistance. This publication elaborates on doctrine contained in FM 3-24, Insurgency and Countering Insurgencies. This manual should be suggested pre-deployment reading for those contractor or military personnel who will be engaged in the Security Force Assistance mission in Afghanistan. Many advisors deploy to Afghanistan without a basic knowledge of how to advise, how to engage in cross-cultural communications, and how to adapt to a different and strange environment. The reading of this pub will help the future advisor in knowing how to establish rapport and build a relationship - which is key to the ability to train, advise, and assist - and influence - a counterpart from another country.

Chapter 1 - Intro to Cultural and Situational Understanding
Chapter 2 - Cultural Perception and Mindset
Chapter 3 - Cross-Cultural Communications and Engagement
Chapter 4 - Cultural Understanding: a Three Level Approach
Chapter 5 - Cultural Counterparts
Appendix A - Working with Translators and Interpreters

Cultural and Situational Understanding, ATP 3-24.3, April 2015.
http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/atp3_24x3.pdf

ATP 3-39.30 "Security and Mobility Support"

The U.S. Army has recently published an updated version of ATP 3-39.30, Security and Mobility Support, October 2014. "This manual is focused on the military police discipline of security and mobility support, and combines what were previously the military police functions of maneuver and mobility support and area security. . . . The tasks in this discipline are focused on those military police tasks that are typically performed in a tactical environment, and while military police are the proponent for many of these tasks, some of these tasks may also be performed by other members of the combined arms team".

http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/atp3_39x30.pdf

FM 3-38 Cyber Electromagnetic Activities (Feb 2014)

The Army has released a new field manual that deals with Cyber Warfare. FM 3-38, Cyber Electromagnetic Activities dated February 2014 has no distribution restrictions ("Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited"). Topics in the field manual include fundamentals of cyber electromagnetic activities; roles, responsibilities, and organization; cyberspace operations; electronic warfare; spectrum management operations; operations process; integration with unified action partners; and CEMA input to operations plans and orders. While not directly applicable to the Afghan theater it may be interesting reading for some. The manual can be downloaded at the following link (Adobe Acrobat PDF, 2MBs big, and 96 pages long).
FM 3-38 Cyber Electromagnetic Activities

Counterinsurgency Manual FM 3-24 (December 2006)

For those of you who are interested in the field of counterinsurgency (and if you are deployed or deploying to Afghanistan you certainly would be) the Army has its field manual online and accessible.  FM 3-24 Counterinsurgency (or MCWP 3-33.5) was published in December 2006.  See the link below:

http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/coin/repository/FM_3-24.pdf