Military Review English Edition July-August 2015 | Page 84

defined the pre- and post-transition support requirements. USARAF captured and published the roles and responsibilities in the final JFC operation order before the mission transition. These roles include managing the joint integration needed to acquire allocated forces and lift capability. The doctrinal gap has since been filled by Army Techniques Publication (ATP) 3-93, Theater Army Operations.10 Lessons Learned and Recommendations Our observations during OUA can inform DOD and its interagency partners as we prepare for future expeditionary humanitarian assistance operations. These lessons include the following: Doctrine and training for humanitarian assistance operations continue to lag. There is a need to develop an interagency “playbook” that guides a whole-of-government approach. This should codify duties and responsibilities of U.S. agency partners for humanitarian assistance operations such as responding to epidemics. The Department of State and DOD must cooperate to conduct planning and exercises focused on a U.S. response to likely future epidemic scenarios. To support exercises and actual mission execution, the Army must develop a common operating picture shareable with U.S. agency partners and external partners such as the United Nations and • • NGOs. USAID’s mission tasking matrix must be focused at the JFC level. The JFC was able to adjust to the mission-tasking process, when needed, during the operation. However, approval for projects in a rapidly changing environment should not be at secretary level. The ASCC, with or without assigned forces, plays a key role in enabling full-spectrum U.S. humanitarian assistance response exercises. However, DOD is not the lead agency in humanitarian assistance missions. Joint forces need to exercise this type of scenario together with government partners and with agencies such as USAID in the lead. • Conclusion Operation United Assistance demonstrated the invaluable role an ASCC plays in opening and setting the theater. ASCCs possess inherent expeditionary sustainment and C2 experience at the theater level, providing operational agility and the expertise to tap into resources across the unified action community. Speed was imperative to counter the Ebola disease, and only USARAF had the relationships, skill sets, and capacity already integrated to meet the initial requirements. The Army must continue to maintain these expeditionary capabilities in support of the joint force. Finally, the strength and resiliency of the Liberian people inspire us. Their spirit is the true cause behind the continued success in the fight against Ebola. Maj. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, U.S. Army, was the first commander of Joint Fo