About

Enhancing the U.S. Government's Ability to Prepare for Complex Operations

The CCO will link U.S. Government education and training institutions, including related centers of excellence, lessons learned programs, and academia, to foster unity of effort in stability operations, counterinsurgency, and irregular warfare – collectively called “complex operations.” The Department of Defense, with support from the State Department and USAID, established the Center for Complex Operations (CCO) as an innovative interagency partnership. Recognizing that unity of effort across disparate government agencies, and across DoD components, requires shared intellectual and decision-making frameworks, the CCO will connect education and training programs across the government to foster a ‘whole of government’ understanding, assessment and approach to complex operations.

The CCO was specifically established to:

  • Serve as an information clearing-house and knowledge manager for complex operations training and education, acting as a central repository for information on areas such as training and curricula, training and education provider institutions, complex operations events, and subject matter experts.
  • Develop a complex operations training and education ‘community of practice’ to catalyze innovation and development of new knowledge, connect members for networking, share existing knowledge, and cultivate foundations of trust and habits of collaboration across the community;
  • Serve as a feedback and information conduit to OSD and broader USG policy leadership to support guidance and problem solving across the community of practice;
  • Enable more effective networking, coordination and synchronization to support the preparation of Department of Defense and other U.S. Government personnel for complex operations;
  • Support lessons learned processes and best practices compilation in the area of complex operations; and
  • Identify education and training gaps of the Department of Defense and other federal departments and agencies and facilitate efforts to fill those gaps.

The CCO grew out of three separate but conceptually related initiatives. In the Department of Defense, DoD Directive 3000.05 Military Support to Stability, Security, Transition, and Reconstruction called for the establishment of a Center of Excellence for Stability Operations. Likewise, the Irregular Warfare Roadmap from the Quadrennial Defense Review asked DoD to develop a similar center for IW. Meanwhile the State-DoD Interagency Counter-insurgency initiative sought to establish a Center of Excellence for Interagency Counter-insurgency. Rather than creating three new, duplicative centers, interagency stakeholders decided that a consortium, leveraging existing institutions, would be more effective and efficient. The CCO is also supportive and complimentary to the Department of State Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization led NSPD-44 initiatives.

CCO Support Center Staff:

A core CCO Support Center staff, led by the CCO Director, manages CCO activities and program elements. Based out of the offices of the Center for Technology and National Security Policy at the National Defense University, the team leverages and networks within existing complex operations education and training, academic research, and lessons learned integration efforts across the U.S. government. The Support Center team is augmented by detailed manpower support from other departments and agencies. Supporting departments and agencies include the Department of State S/CRS and PM offices, USAID OMA and HQDA Stability Operations Division, which provide part-time detaillee support. The CCO Support Center has been operational since July 2007 and was officially activated in April 2008.

CCO Governance

CCO Executive Committee:

The strategic policy and governance for the CCO are directed by the CCO Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is chaired by Center for Technology and National Security Policy, Hans Binnendijk, with membership comprised of his counterparts from USAID, the Department of State Political-Military Bureau, the Department of State Office for the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization and the Joint Staff J5 Global Security Affairs. This committee is responsible for reviewing and approving the CCO’s strategic direction and investment plans; and for choosing the CCO’s director.

  • Chair: Dr. Hans Binnendijk, Director Center for Technology and National Security Policy

      Members:

    • Department of State – Assistant Secretary (Acting) Pol-Mil Bureau
    • Department of State - Coordinator, S/CRS
    • USAID - Asst Administrator, BDCHA
    • Joint Staff, Deputy Director (J-5 Global Security Affairs)

CCO Steering Committee:

The Steering Committee is made up of a group of peers from the Department of Defense, Department of State and USAID. The role of the Steering Committee is to support the Executive Committee, develop the strategic plan, and shape the actions and events of the CCO. The Steering Committee also reaches out to leading complex ops entities, including PKSOI, FSI, and NDU.

  • Chair: Dr. R Scott Moore, CCO Deputy Director, OSD-Policy, Stability Operations Capabilities

      Members:

    • Department of State Pol-Mil Bureau
    • Department of State S/CRS
    • USAID Office of Military Affairs
    • J-5 Global Security Affairs