Using civil-military cooperation

Description

Using civil-military cooperation involves coordinating military resources and expertise with civilian authorities and organizations to address complex emergencies, such as natural disasters, humanitarian crises, or security challenges. This strategy aims to enhance operational effectiveness, ensure efficient resource allocation, and bridge capability gaps. By fostering collaboration, it remedies issues of fragmented response, logistical bottlenecks, and insufficient communication, ultimately improving the delivery of aid, restoration of order, and protection of affected populations.

Context

Civil-military cooperation pools together resources to improve carrying out functions for reasons such as emergency measures. Such cooperation may be used for beneficial or unethical purposes, and may encounter controversy.

Implementation

In 1995, a devastating earthquake in Kobe, Japan, overwhelmed civilian emergency services but there was slowness in calling in military troops and equipment needed for rescue relief and rehabilitation work because civil-military cooperation is a highly sensitive issue in Japan.