Allied Participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom

Download or read book Allied Participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom written by Stephen A. Carney and published by Department of the Army. This book was released on 2011 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Allied Participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom highlights a number of key aspects of allied support to the U.S.-led operation. The presence of ground forces from so many coalition partners allowed U.S. combat forces to focus their generally superior capabilities in more contested sections of the country. This division of labor served American ends while still ensuring that our partners performed vital work that fully justified their commitment to Iraq's security. These combined operations also strengthened the ties between countries and improved the quality of interoperability between U.S. and coalition troops. Allied support played an important role in stabilizing the situation in Iraq. This short study also underscores the significant challenges that U.S. Army planners faced in Iraqi Freedom in integrating a host of different military partners into U.S. operational plans. Similar issues of working together in a complex military environment will doubtless reoccur in future operations, but the benefits of assembling such coalitions will almost certainly outweigh the problems. The United States cannot fight alone in the current operational environment, and improving the quantity and quality of our interaction with our international partners should continue to be a high priority. I commend this monograph to today's Army to read, gain insight into such combined operations, and reflect on how much support our allies can provide in future military endeavors. - Richard W. Stewart, Chief Historian, 30 September 2011