Book excerpt: Field Manual FM 3-07 Stability June 2014 contributes to the Army and joint community by providing tactical guidance on the conduct of operations focused on stability. FM 3-07 addresses employment of forces in the conduct of operations focused on stability. FM 3-07 expounds on the doctrinal fundamentals and concepts established in ADRP 3-0 and ADRP 3-07. Readers should be familiar with ADRP 3-07, which establishes the doctrinal fundamentals for the conduct of operations focused on stability. The principal audience for FM 3-07 is leaders and planners at the battalion level and above. Commanders and staffs of Army headquarters serving as a joint task force or multinational headquarters should also refer to applicable joint or multinational doctrine concerning the range of military operations and joint or multinational forces. Trainers and educators throughout the Army will also use this publication. FM 3-07 is a common reference for all Army professionals, in the field and in the Army school system. The stability considerations in this publication apply to units at all levels. Army techniques publications discuss techniques for applying this doctrine. This publication will serve as a resource for the other government agencies, intergovernmental organizations, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and private sector entities who seek to understand the role of the military in broader stability efforts. FM 3-07 uses joint terms where applicable. Most terms with joint or Army definitions are in both the glossary and the text. The definition for which FM 3-07 is the proponent publication (the authority) is marked with an asterisk (*) in the glossary and boldfaced in the text. For other definitions shown in the text, the term is italicized and the number of the proponent publication follows the definition. Throughout U.S. history, the Army has learned that military force alone cannot secure sustainable peace. A comprehensive approach is required, as well as in-depth understanding of an operational environment. Stability ultimately aims to establish conditions the local populace regards as legitimate, acceptable, and predictable. Stabilization is a process in which personnel identify and mitigate underlying sources of instability to establish the conditions for long-term stability. Therefore, stability tasks focus on identifying and targeting the root causes of instability and building the capacity of local institutions. Army forces accomplish stability missions and perform tasks across the range of military operations and in coordination with other instruments of national power. Stability missions and tasks are part of broader efforts to establish and maintain the conditions for stability in an unstable area before or during hostilities, or to reestablish enduring peace and stability after open hostilities cease. Army stability doctrine is based on lessons learned from previous and contemporary operations. FM 3-07 expands upon stability tasks, their role in unified land operations, and considerations specific to stability. It contains four chapters. Chapter 1 expands the discussion of stability tasks introduced in ADP 3-07 and ADRP 3-07. It introduces the reader to the stability tasks and places them in the context of Army operations. Chapter 2 discusses transitions, including how to perform the tasks of changing the focus of the operation. Transitions are an essential part of stability. Chapter 3 addresses the whole-of-government and comprehensive approaches to unity of effort. This chapter elaborates considerations that will assist commanders and staffs in focusing collaboration and cooperation with partners toward a common goal. Chapter 4 looks at assessment. Identifying and prioritizing the local sources of instability is an essential first step toward understanding on how to apply military resources and how to determine what is working.