Military

Numerous administrative tasks are associated with JMC operations:

• Clerical support before, during, and after the meeting (stenographers, transcription typists, interpreters, translators, audio-visual technical support, production of JMC member information packets, convening orders, agendas, minutes, records of decisions, reports to higher commands and similar documents).

• Logistical support (meeting site selection and preparation, including security preparation, communications, medical support, arranging feeding, housing, disarming of attendees and storage of weapons, transport of JMC members). The more formal the meeting and the higher the level of representation, the more administrative support is likely to be required. In addition, the time available to prepare for the meeting, the meeting's public visibility and the quality of the local infrastructure will also affect the level of administrative support required.

The administrative tasks associated with JMC meetings and operations must be identified in advance as part of the planning process and responsibilities for executing these tasks clearly assigned. The JMC should develop standing operating procedures (SOP) for critical background information, and maintain thorough files including past correspondence and other documents as exemplars for future efforts. Existing staff sections or units may be tasked with these responsibilities or they may be given to a special JMC Secretariat. The level of formality will determine the level of staff support required. If comprehensive minutes, records of decisions are required, clearly a larger staff will be necessary.

SKILLS AND TRAINING

Soldiers deployed on peace operations need to know more about the cross-cultural aspects of their area of operations than do soldiers on conventional operations. Significant considerations include:

• Pre-deployment training must include familiarization with local culture and politics, history of the conflict, profiles of local leaders, types of political-military interactions or tasks anticipated and the ROE.

• Soldiers with local language skills need to be trained for observer or liaison duties.

• Those forming the JMC need to plan and develop their procedures prior to deployment.

• It is unlikely that there will be enough proficient military linguists to fill all requirements for interpreters and translators. Local linguists will need to be recruited to meet the shortfalls. Military personnel who are not proficient in the local language will require some training in the techniques of working with interpreters before meeting with local leaders.

• Training in negotiating techniques will be required for those military personnel who will be in direct contact with local military or political leaders in JMCs or similar bodies. This should be done practically in specially designed peace operations exercises.

CONCLUSION

During Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR, the JMC became Task Force Eagle's focal point for the factions' compliance. Commanders facing future peace operations will also find the JMC process useful to coordinate tactical decisions which have immediate strategic and political ramifications.

Section III: IFOR and JMC Structures

Appendix A: Mission Analysis: Measures of Success Matrix