Stability operations are as critical as combat in the Army's new field manual (FM) for operations unveiled late last month.

The change is among the several lessons learned from Iraq and Afghanistan incorporated into FM 3-0, which is the Army's operational blue print for the 21st century, senior service officials said.

Shaping the civil situation in concert with other government agencies, international organizations, civilian authorities and multinational forces will be just as important to campaign success as winning battles and engagements, according to the new manual.

"What's clear to us is that every operation-whether it is major combat operations, irregular warfare or even peacetime engagement-will include some form of offensive operations, some form of defensive operations and some form of stability operations," said Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey Jr.

The updated FM 3-0 also stresses the importance of information and cultural awareness in the 21st century.

"Any operation that we conduct will be conducted under the unblinking eye of the 24-hour media cycle," Casey said. "That's not a bad or a good thing. It just is. It's clear that information is far more important now than it has been in the past."

In addition, the new operations manual asks leaders to embrace risk, focus on creating opportunities to achieve decisive results and take initiative.

With soldiers fighting door to door one minute and rebuilding schools the next, they have to be able to adapt and make the right decisions in any given situation, officials said.

Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell, Army Training and Doctrine Command commander, said Army schoolhouses are already emphasizing more intellectual creativity.

"The asymmetrical threats are absolutely unpredictable and will continue to be in the 21st-century battlefield," he said. "Therefore, we must ground soldiers in the principles and the an of creative and critical thinking."

F-M 30 has been distributed to the field. Additional information on the manual is available at www.army.mil.

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