U.S. Army Central hosted land forces commanders and their staffs during the Central and South Asia Land Forces Symposium, Aug. 17-20, at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Germany.
The symposium consisted of presentations on important security issues in the Central and South Asia region, panel sessions with experts and practitioners, and an exchange of insights and opinions among symposium participants. The multilateral event focused on opportunities for security cooperation in areas of mutual concern.
Maj. Gen. William Hickman, U.S. Army Central Deputy Commanding General - Operations, said events like the symposium are critical and center on trying to find common interests that all countries could focus on together.
"It's an opportunity for us to spend several days with our counterparts… and really hear their ideas and use those ideas and interests in future engagements, future training opportunities and future exercises," said Hickman.
The topics of discussion included terrain and land forces challenges, peace support operations, and combating terrorism and extremism. Leaders discussed the role of governments and militaries in Central and South Asia. They also examined counter-narcotics efforts in the region, detailed the importance of strategic communication, and highlighted the role of social media in the fight against the Islamic State.
"The weaponization of social media is Thomas Nissen's kind of look at what happens with social media today and how organizations that basically operate with what Max Booth calls the invisible armies, the insurgencies, that they are able to use social media inexpensively," said Jack Guy, a faculty member at the Joint Special Operations University and panel member for combating terrorism and extremism.
Guy explained how insurgents can operate socially on the internet in a military fashion that allows them to reach large numbers of people without having large numbers of personnel dedicated to the task.
"The whole information battle space becomes extremely important in an insurgency because you want to get the population behind you and this is easier than any other way you can do it," said Guy.
Maj. Kevin Mateer, USARCENT Theater Security Cooperation chaplain and panel member for combating terrorism and extremism, outlined social factors that affect violent extremist organizations' recruiting. Mateer explained the importance of countering religious extremism in the region.
"Can you fight what you don't understand?" Mateer asked as he opened the discussion. "ISIS cannot be defeated unless its' fanatical ideology is discredited by Muslims."
"I think we have to have a better understanding of how it works in the region," said Hickman. "As the younger generation grows up, they're going to be leading countries so how they're shaped by social media is very important."
Other panel members included experts from the U.S., Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Hickman closed the event with an overview of USARCENT roles and responsibilities in the region. USARCENT staff went on to host the Regional Combined Arms Symposium at Fort Benning, Ga.
U.S. Army Central has been resident in Central Asia and the Middle East for more than 20 years. With forward headquarters in Kuwait, Qatar, and Afghanistan, our presence preserves regional stability and prosperity. U.S. Army Central provides the strategic land power that prevents conflict, shapes the environment and, when necessary, wins the Nation's wars.
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