Arlington, VA

CNA has released a new report about civilian harm mitigation and response (CHMR). The US military has always taken steps to safeguard the lives of civilians on the battlefield through a combination of compliance with international law and practical steps. That said, CHMR represents a new approach to better protect civilians while promoting effectiveness even in the most complex and challenging circumstances. As the US considers how best to prepare for large-scale combat operations against peer adversaries, the Office of Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy asked CNA to develop practical steps the Department of Defense can take to prepare for mitigating and responding to civilian harm in the context of a large-scale combat operation.

The report, Preparing for Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response in Large-Scale Combat Operations, is based upon CNA's analysis of more than 2,000 real-world cases of civilian harm from the past two decades. This analysis identified four general types of failure that contribute to civilian harm: breakdowns in communication and command and control, poor understanding of the civilian environment, cognitive bias and false assumptions, and not exploring mitigation measures. The report argues for a comprehensive approach, with specific recommendations for civilian harm mitigation, assessments, response, operational learning, analysis, and reporting.

CHMR is relatively new and often misunderstood, at times evoking concern among military and national security stakeholders. But Larry Lewis, a principal research scientist at CNA, explains that these concerns are unfounded: “Overall, CHMR is a smart strategy for the US. CHMR promotes the effective and precise use of force while supporting effective mitigation of civilian harm. CHMR also helps the US to counter robust information efforts that its adversaries are likely to employ in the future, in part by reducing the ability of adversaries to incorporate civilian harm into their information operation arsenals.” This report gives DOD a foundation for beginning the journey toward an effective, comprehensive approach to CHMR in the most demanding operational contexts.

CHMR emerged in the cauldron of military operations over the past two decades. The approach is codified in DOD’s 2022 Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan. The plan contains actions directed by the secretary of defense to meet two overall goals: improving DOD’s ability to mitigate harm to civilians in its operations and improving response to this harm when it occurs.