Lebanon’s new Civil-Military Cooperation Directorate helps build trust
COL. YOUSSEF MECHREF/DIRECTOR OF THE LEBANESE ARMED FORCEs
CIVIL-MILITARY COOPERATION DIRECTORATE | photos by the lebanese armed forces
The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) boast a proud history of protecting civilians. As long ago as 1928 and 1930, the LAF helped to battle the locust swarms plaguing the country. In the winter, the military helps keep roads clear of snow. As Syrian refugees pour across the border, the LAF treats the sick and injured and distributes food.
Civil-military cooperation in Lebanon is an important tool to support domestic security operations. Coordination with civil authorities and the public is essential for LAF unit commanders as they carry out missions. The diversity of religions and ethnicities within the LAF has enabled the military to build better cultural understanding so it can support and interact with people across Lebanon.
LAF civil-military cooperation has evolved over time, starting as a theoretical concept before being formally integrated into the military. In 2012, with support and encouragement from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, the LAF established a Civil-Military Cooperation Section. The new section served as a conduit for international support of the LAF’s civil-military cooperation activities, which increased the capacity of the country’s forces.
In January 2015, the section was elevated to a directorate — an important milestone for civil-military cooperation in Lebanon. The directorate supports people of all religions, mirroring the sectarian diversity of the LAF.
As the head of the directorate, I am proud to say that civil-military cooperation has helped the LAF develop a reputation as a reliable, trustworthy and respected national institution. We have helped establish medical clinics, provided school supplies to children, upgraded various social development centers and refurbished schools and government buildings and infrastructure. We have planted trees and provided communities with medical supplies and equipment. We are working to establish enduring relationships with local government officials, a continuation of the historical coordination between the military and the country’s civil society leaders.
As a result, public awareness of the importance of our civil-military activities has increased, as has positive perceptions of the military. I will quote from one Lebanese citizen after a recent distribution of school bags to children: “There is no homeland without the Army. This is their human side. May God keep them safe.”
Another resident praised the Army after vaccinations were provided to her children: “We thank the Army for treating our children as their own. We wish them the best.”
LAF Sgt. Ali Sayf-al-Din explains why managing citizens’ perceptions of the military is critical: “It is very important for us to show that the role of the Army is not limited to protecting the borders and combating terrorism. It goes beyond that to include the social side, the humanitarian and development.”
A Syrian refugee also expressed thanks: “We thank our brothers in the Lebanese Army. They protect us and our children. We thank them for the aid given to us. We and the Army are united. We feel safe under their umbrella.”
Soldier Hanin al-Ruz has worked in LAF’s civil-military cooperation section and directorate the past two years and, like all of us, is proud of what has been achieved. “This effort led to providing the civil society with pressing needs,” she said. “It also increased confidence between the civil society and the military.”
In the next five years, we plan to expand with more staff so that the directorate has a larger capacity to support tactical unit commanders.
We are establishing regional civil-military cooperation offices across the country. The directorate will also continue with awareness campaigns to highlight civil-military cooperation. Perhaps the greatest tribute to our effectiveness is the growing public interest in our work and increased requests from LAF unit commanders for directorate support of their missions.