The Battlefield of Tomorrow Fought Today: Winning in the Human Domain | Small Wars Journal

The human terrain is essential in modern conflict.
Especially since any conflicts or stability operations we have been involved in since WWII or maybe Korea have stopped short of unconditional surrender and a treaty.
Non-uniformed combatants, insurgents, and partisans hide in the civil terrain, draw their support from it, and try to manipulate it for political, economic, and tactical advantage.
To ignore this reality is to lose the fight.

So important we have SOF CA assets in theater, working Phase 0 prior to conflict, to avoid conflict. If SOF/CIA/State can influence the human domain prior to conflict, then we win, without firing a shot, sort of speak. Once conflict does break out, influence the human domain to shape the battlefield. Win local support, clog lines of communication, shut down lines of communication, whatever the case may be,etc., control the battlespace. Control the humanitarian effort, control the messaging and public opinion. The list goes on and on.
People want health, education, livelihood and freedom to rule themselves, facilitate that......not dictate that and we win. We can't do any of that without support from the human domain.

If we are still discussing & studying this then we are WAY behind the curve... Unrestricted Warfare was published nearly TWO DECADES ago.