MCRP 12-10B.1, page 148

Chapter 7 The Urban Environment and Restrictions to Operations “The responsibility of officers . . . and the training necessary are of a very different order from their responsibilities and training in ordinary military duties. Instead of striving to generate the maximum power with the forces available, the goal is to gain decisive results with the least application of force and the consequent minimum loss of life.” USMC, 1940 (FMFRP 12-15, Small Wars Manual ) Section I Military Operations Other Than War 7101. Introduction. One of the most likely missions that U.S. Marines will undertake abroad will be military operations other than war (MOOTW). These missions typically will take place in the Third World and are normally associated with urban areas. MOOTW focuses on deterring war, resolving conflict, promoting peace, and supporting civil authorities in response to domestic crises. It is important to remember that political considerations permeate at all levels. Although some types of MOOTW, such as peace enforcement, may have the same characteristics of war, they normally have more restrictive rules of engagement (ROE). Urban environments are inherently complex, and sometimes unpredictable. Local governments may have limited functions. Services may be overburdened, leading to allocation on the basis of personal connections and corruption. Services may be provided by a mixture of formal, high-technology and informal, labor-intensive systems. Large portions of the population may be poor, young, and underemployed. Nevertheless, there may be a high degree of social organization and interaction. Word of mouth and informal organizations may be as important as mass media and formal organizations to the communication structure of the area. Indigenous populations may have experienced centuries of foreign interventions and become quite adept at innovative ways of communicating. These factors and others often combine to make MOOTW a challenging and frustrating endeavor. 7102. Types of MOOTW. MOOTW encompasses a wide variety of military operations, that may take place in an urban environment. Forward deployed MAGTFs are ideal forces to respond to contingency operations involving MOOTW. These operations include: Combatting Terrorism DOD support to counterdrug operations Enforcement of Sanctions/MIO Enforcing Exclusion Zones 7-1