Engineering Peace: The Military Role in Postconflict

Colonel Garland H. Williams, former military assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, will be presenting his ideas on closing the "gap" between violent conflict and reconstruction efforts. From 1999 to 2001, Col. Williams commanded the 16th Armored Engineer Battalion in Germany, which was deployed to Kosovo on a peacekeeping mission. As chief of contingency engineering for Allied Forces Southern Europe from 1996 to 1999, Williams served in Sarajevo as part of NATO's Implementation Force staff, coordinating the reconstruction of vital infrastructure damaged during the Bosnian war. In his recently published book, Engineering Peace: The Military Role in Postconflict Reconstruction, Williams' analysis of postconflict reconstruction in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan determined that in practically all cases a gap of almost one year separates the end of military peacekeepers' mission from the start of reconstruction. His research showed how military engineering brigades accompanying peacekeeping contingents can be put to use immediately after the conflict ends to restore vital infrastructure and social institutions. Col. Williams proposes changes in U.S. national security decision making to integrate military engineering brigades into postconflict reconstruction, thus making U.S. military officials less wary of "mission creep" and nation-building.

For additional information contact Elizabeth Turpen (eturpen@stimson.org).

A report of the session is available here.

When:  Monday, May 2, 2005

Where: Russell Senate Building, Room 188

 

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