Military

LESSONS:

• The information found in the family support plan helps a family get through many of the challenges that families face. It is a great resource for families when the soldier is at home and during deployment.

• Some Family Support Groups had their first meeting the day the assault element deployed. The program was well planned and was effective for those who participated.

• Unit Ministry Team (UMT) involvement in family support groups pays off. Deployed soldiers are able to focus on the mission, knowing that there are agencies and members of support groups back home, ready to respond to any need their families might have.

• Family Life Chaplains at Army installations should plan and provide ongoing support to families of deployed soldiers to nurture spiritual growth and development.

OBSERVATION: In Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR, Religious Support Annexes to Tactical Standing Operating Procedures (TSOPs) needed adjustment to support peace operations.

DISCUSSION: Most UMTs had to change or modify existing Religious Support Annexes to TSOPs. Peace operations in the small theater of Bosnia were static and positional rather than fluid and far-ranging as in an actual combat operation. The focus of operations was to control a geographical area or Zone of Separation (ZOS), reestablish political boundaries, and gain the trust of the competing factions.

The two most important considerations in peace operations are ministry to soldiers and operations planning. Most Religious Support Annexes were written to support mid-to high-intensity combat operations where UMTs spend most of their time in troop ministry. Normally, the location of the UMT is at the battalion aid station or the TOC, depending on the commander's preference. However, visiting units is essential, although getting there may be a challenge because of convoy requirements and restrictions.

In Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR, UMTs made adjustments in their Religious Support Annex to accommodate the realities of the static, base cam- type operational environment. UMTs were worked into various planning cells such as the JAG, CA, PM. The UMTs determined the intent of ministry - which also determined how much time was to be spent with each mission. The chaplain's assistant enhanced this mission.

LESSONS:

• Religious Support Annexes should be sufficiently flexible to accommodate the unique requirements of various contingencies such as peacekeeping, peace enforcement, or stability and support operations.

• Integrating UMTs into various planning cells facilitates religious support.

OBSERVATION: In Haiti, UMTs were integrated into staff planning.

DISCUSSION: Religious support and soldier issues were routinely briefed at staff meetings. Religious Support Annexes and UMT Tactical SOPs were included in OPLANs, OPORDs, and Unit Tactical SOPs. Division staffs supported UMTs' transportation and communication needs, knew the location of their UMTs when they were out on missions, and monitored their return.

LESSONS:

• UMTs should be actively involved in developing religious support plans or annexes to operations plans. Chaplains should ensure that a religious support plan is prepared for each contingency operations plan.

• Division staffs should coordinate transportation for the Supervisory UMT and track its movements; the Supervisory UMT should track the movements of UMTs.

OBSERVATION: In Haiti operations, staff integration was evident in the briefing of religious support and soldier issues at staff briefings.

DISCUSSION: During Operation UPHOLD DEMOCRACY, religious support was included in planning. Staffs supported UMTs with transportation when needed, tracked locations of their UMTs when they were out on missions, and monitored their return. However, when it came to human factors in operations, religious support was not so well integrated. Staffs did not seek advice from the UMTs and did not use UMT members as subject matter experts on the human factors. UMTs can assist the command in two areas:

LESSONS:

• UMTs should be proactive in integrating a religious support plan that provides counseling, worship, and religious study opportunities to all members of the task force.

• Integrating the UMT into the planning process enables the commander and staff to anticipate and detect negative human factors before they affect soldier performance, and to plan measures to prevent or reduce any negative impact on soldier performance. Such measures include morale and welfare activities and critical incident stress debriefings, as well as worship, counseling, and religious study.

OBSERVATION: In Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR, some UMTs used Battle Books for planning and organizing religious support.

DISCUSSION: UMTs provided religious services, personnel counseling, and wellness training to their commands. UMTs planned and coordinated such programs and training as Battle Fatigue Ministry, Stress and Suicide Prevention and Treatment, Mass Casualty Ministry, Memorial Services, and Crisis Debriefings for soldiers and units. Most UMTs incorporated essential planning information and lesson plans into their Battle Books.

LESSON: UMTs that used well-organized Battle Books were able to greatly reduce the planning and preparation time. Supervisory UMTs should review them and provide guidance on content prior to deployment.

OBSERVATION: In Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR, force-tailoring decisions degraded the Chaplaincy's ability to provide Religious Support.

DISCUSSION: The concept that had the most impact on force tailoring was "seamless" operations and support, which presupposed that there would be no disruption anywhere along the line of support from CONUS to the AO. Where the Chaplaincy was included in planning and staffing phases of an operation, the system was extremely effective with regard to chaplains, but weak in the area of chaplain's assistants. If the support system is to be truly seamless, no one element should be excluded, especially complete UMTs.

The main problem continues to be that the Chief of Chaplains has assignment control over chaplains but not their assistants. In Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR, the force deployed with a shortfall of seven chaplain's assistants. Although some assistants were willing to deploy, external circumstances and constraints made them unavailable. The situation was further aggravated by shortages of assigned assistants in USAREUR.

LESSON: If the UMT concept is to be effective, force tailoring must include complete UMTs, comprised of both a chaplain and a chaplain's assistant.

OBSERVATION: In Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR, the Division UMT provided input to the Base Cluster Plan to ensure areas were designated for worship services.

DISCUSSION: During the planning phase for the base cluster concept, it was determined that there would be three main bases with 23 additional cluster bases. The engineers coordinated with the Division UMT as to what would be needed at each base. The Division UMT was included in the planning without prompting from the team. The final concept provided that, at each of the three main bases, there would be one 24' X 66' TEMPER (tent, expandable, modular, personnel). These were the UMTs' working areas for counseling and administration and for all worship requirements. Three of the bases were considered too small to justify a separate tent for worship, and 18 bases were provided a GP medium tent, configured similar to the TEMPER facilities. The Division UMT developed a Force Projection Package List to guide equipping the worship facilities. This list was useful in developing a Religious Support Push Package similar to that used by the Air Force.

LESSONS:

• Provide early input into the engineer base planning to ensure the provisioning of adequate religious facilities.

• Incorporate the needs of the UMTs into division planning for base operations by seeking their input early in the planning phase of contingency operations.

OBSERVATION: The U.S. Air Force has a Religious Support Push Package for base operations in forward areas that would improve the Army Religious Support Program for base sustainment operations.

DISCUSSION: The USAF Religious Support Push Package enables the USAF Chaplaincy to go anywhere in the world and put their forward-based religious support programs into operations within 24 hours. The total package is configured and transported on two USAF pallets and can support a 1,000-person operation. Each pallet contains tents, seating, and equipment and supplies to support a 500-person operation. Resupply is through normal USAF supply channels.

This concept has wide implications for use in the Army Religious Support Program in AOs that would normally be static rather than fluid. This system would give division and higher UMTs a static position from which to provide a distinct approach to pastoral care which meets the unique needs of a base-oriented stability operation. The USAF system provides the means to bring the strengths of differing ministries (e.g., Army, USAF) to bear in situations where Joint effort promotes mission accomplishment. The planning and execution of programs for ministry to the AO could be accomplished through a central location with minimum interruption due to movement to allow for other staff requirements. It may be possible to modify the USAF system so that it can be configured on the Army's Palletized Loading System (PLS).

LESSONS:

• The future is "Joint;" hence, we should train, practice and deploy using a Joint ministry concept.

• The USAF concept of a Religious Support Push Package, modified for Army use, would enable the Army Chaplaincy to better provide religious support when deployed to contingency operations.

Foreword

Section II: Preparation