Peacekeeping by multinational military forces under the auspices of international organizations was a relatively new and rare process after the birth of the UN, and as Cold War norms of international peacekeeping evolved, direct U.S. participation was increasingly restricted. One of the emergent norms of peacekeeping was impartiality. Peacekeeping forces were to serve as disinterested third-party "honest brokers." Another emergent Cold War norm was host-nation consent to the presence of peacekeeping forces. Unlike some of the peace operations of the 1990s, the UN was committed to not being a peacekeeping presence where it was not wanted. The third important emergent norm of international peacekeeping was minimum use of force. This norm has been reflected in the rules of engagement of multinational peacekeeping forces and is compatible with the military doctrines of many middle powers, who view their military forces more as symbols of sovereignty than as agents of force projection. These peacekeeping norms contributed to the development of an international peacekeeping doctrine during the Cold War that excluded superpower participation. Most traditional peacekeeping operations, involving observers or military forces interposed between belligerents who are trying to disengage from a conflict, are seen as transitional missions. One of the unique elements of the MFO is that it is not transitional. It is not in place while awaiting a peace; it is negotiated as part of the peace.

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Executive summary / Section 1. Introduction. Introduction -- Research approach / Section 2. Personnel. Soldier attributes for peacekeeping and peacemaking -- Filling the MFO's personnel needs with volunteers: procedures tried and lessons learned -- Personnel profile: soldiers of the 28th rotation -- Reasons for volunteering and anticipated deployment effects / Section 3. Training and performance. Development and administration of measures: Sinai peacekeeping performance -- Training and task performance -- Pre-deployment training at the infantry leaders course / Section 4. Soldier attitudes and perceptions. Small unit dynamics: leadership, cohesion, motivation, and morale -- MFO leaders: opportunities, challenges, and experiences -- Soldiers' perceptions of deployment effects -- Financial impact of peacekeeping in the Sinai / Section 5. The MFO family. The family support system for the MFO -- Changes in marital quality among MFO couples / Section 6. Impact on home unit. Impact of MFO mission on Army National Guard home unit / Section 7. Conclusions and recommendations. Conclusions and recommendations / Appendix: summary of soldier comments.