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According to the U.S. Army , "Civil Affairs units help military commanders by working with civil authorities and civilian populations in the commander’s area of operations to lessen the impact of military operations on them during peace, contingency operations and declared war." With their expertise in civil matters, they are the principle unit in assisting a commander in the conduct of civil-military operations. CA units act as a liaison between the civilian inhabitants of a warzone or disaster area and the military presence, both informing the local commander of the status of the civilian populace as well as effecting assistance to locals by either coordinating military operations with Non-governmental Organization s (NGOs)and IGO's or distributing directly aid and supplies. Comprised primarily of civilian experts such as doctors, lawyers, engineers, police, firemen, bankers, engineers, computer programmers, farmers, and others, CA special operators provide critical expertise to host-nation governments and are also able to assess need for critical infrastructure projects such as roads, clinics, schools, power plants, water treatment facilities, etc. Once a project has been decided on, a contract is put out at a Civil Military Operations Center for local contractors to come and bid. CA teams will periodically check up on the status of the project to make sure the money is being well spent. CA provides the commander with cultural expertise, assesses the needs of the civilian populace, handles civilians on the battlefield, refugee operations, keeps the commander informed of protected targets such as schools, churches, hospitals, etc., and interfaces with local and international NGOs and private volunteer organizations, which provides the commander with a unique battlefield overlay of all civilian activity, ongoing infrastructure projects, and the presence and mission of NGOs in the area. HISTORY OF CIVIL AFFAIRS See Also: History of Civil Affairs CIVIL AFFAIRS WORLDWIDE United Kingdom The British Army has a Civil Affairs Group, formed in 1997 and consisting primarily of Territorial Army personnel. Most personnel are members of the Royal Engineers and the group is administered by the Central Volunteer Headquarters Royal Engineers (CVHQ RE), based at Gibraltar Barracks , Blackwater , Camberley , Surrey . Members of the group have been deployed operationally in Bosnia , Kosovo , Albania , Macedonia , East Timor , Sierra Leone , Afghanistan and Iraq . The British Army first formed CA units in 1943 , and by August 1944 there were 3,600 CA personnel in France with the 21st Army Group . United Nations The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affiars provides Civil Military Operations (CMO) support through their trained Civil Affairs Officers. Under the overall guidance of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Principal Deputy SRSG, Civil Affairs Officers assist and facilitate the reconciliation process at grassroots level and support the establishment of a culture of peace in the country and support post-settlement peace building in conflict areas, establishing and maintaining contacts and effective relations with local bodies, universities and faith based organizations. Under the guidance of the Director of Civil Affairs, a UN Civil Affairs unit will organize workshops on governance and responsibilities of civil administration, implement quick impact projects, work with international partners in identifying areas for assistance, monitor and support civilian activities arising out of peace agreements and work closely with military colleagues and concentrate on conflict analysis and reconciliation, providing operational and other regular reporting from various field offices. United States United States Air Force The Air Force has deployed united in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom that have directly integrated into Army Civil Affairs Battalions. Such units include the 16th Squadron, 732nd Expeditionary Air Wing (Civil Affairs/Public Works) which was assigned to the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion. United States Army The majority of Civil Affairs personnel come from the United States Army Reserve. 96% are reservists, and 4% active duty. Using reservists means that their civilian skill sets such as lawyers, city managers, economists, veterinarians, teachers, policemen, and other skills are more knowledgeable and better suited for restoration of stability and reconstruction (nation building) tasks than can be obtained through the active military. CA is task organized between four reserve Civil Affairs Commands (CACOMS) which integrate at the strategic and operational level with theater commands and joint/combined task forces (JTF/CJTF). CA brigades comprise these CACOMS and integrate at the corps. At the tactical level, active duty maneuver divisions are augmented by the CA battalions. The four CACOMs are the 350th CACOM , the 351st CACOM , the 352nd CACOM , and the 353rd CACOM . Typically, a CA battalion will contain a headquarters company, and one CA company for each maneuver brigade. Each CA company contains CA teams (known as CAT-As) which integrate at the maneuver battalion level. There will usually be one CA team per maneuver battalion. In this manner, the division will have OPCON (operational control) over a CA battalion, a brigade will have OPCON over a CA company and an infantry battalion will have TACON (tactical control) over a CA team. The CA battalion retains ADCON (administrative control) for its elements deployed in theater. The CA battalion and its subordinate companies and teams become organic parts of their maneuver unit, augmenting the unit's S-5/9 or G-5/9 Civil Military Operations Cell, providing cultural expertise, functional specialty expertise, direct support tactical civil affairs, and establishing CMOCs for the geographic area the maneuver unit is responsible for. =USACAPOC(A) stand outside a rural school while it's inspected by a U.S. Army Civil Affairs team for possible reconstruction funds (near Baghdad , April 2005).]] See Also: United States Army Civil Affairs Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) Within the United States Army, CA units are administered through United States Army Civil Affairs And Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), or USACAPOC, a subordinate of U.S. Army Reserve Command . USACAPOC contains Psychological Operations and CA units, consisting of Army reserve elements duty CA units are subordinate to the Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) . USACAPOC was founded in 1985 . Composed primarily of reservists, its total size is approximately 10,000 soldiers. It is headquartered at Fort Bragg , North Carolina . As of 25 May 06, USAR CA units no longer fall under Special Operations Command for ADCON (administrative control), but do fall under USASOC for training and doctrine. Despite this move to USARC, CA continues to conduct periodic special operations missions in support of special operations forces in theater. =Active Duty Civil Affairs There is a single active duty Army component CA unit, the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade , stationed at Fort Bragg, NC. The 95th CA Brigade contains three battalions (96th, 97th and 98th) and is organized under USASOC and is a rapidly deployable CA unit that supports Special Operations Command detachments including the United States Army Special Forces Groups and the 75th Ranger Regiment. =US Army Civil Affairs Training The Army provides comprehensive training in Civil Affairs for enlisted soldiers and officers. ==Initial Entry Training (IET) Upon completion of Basic Training, a soldier slotted in a Civil Affairs Unit will attend the Civil Affairs Advanced Individual Training (AIT) course at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center & School (Airborne) located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The 4th Battalion of the 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) is responsible for the training. Both Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations trainees are assigned to Delta Company. Upon completion of the eighteen week course, the student will be able to interpret us and foreign maps; conduct civil, governmental, humanitarian, and defense assistance; apply organizational and leadership skills required in field operations; and conduct research on documents and other aspects of urban and regional studies. lecture, discussion, and practical exercises include map reading; land navigation; administration; communications; civil affairs; disaster aid; and domestic security, defense, and control. The American Council of Education recommends college credit be awarded in the lower-division baccalaureate/associate degree category 2 semester hours in map reading, 3 in public administration, and 1 in military science for this training. The soldier is awarded the MOS designation of 38B1O. All active duty enlisted will attend airborne school and Language school, while reservists will have a chance to compete for these slots. ==Reclassification Enlisted soldiers wishing to reclassify to Civil Affairs must attend the Civil Affairs Reclassification Course which is offered at several posts throughout the country. Currently, training for combat, combat support, and combat service support is organized through regional training commands. In October of 2007, this will change. The 100th Division, of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, will be responsible for all Combat Support Training, with each brigade handling a different MOS. Six Civil Affairs schoolhouses will report to the 3rd Brigade (CA/PO), 100th Division (currently known as the 3rd Brigade (CS), 98th Division) located at Fort Totten, NY. These units are the 5th Battalion (CA), 95th Regiment, of Fort Sill, Oklahoma; 5th Battalion (CA), 98th Regiment of Fort Dix, NJ; the 12th Battalion (CA), 100th Regiment of Fort Knox, Kentucky; the 4th Battalion (CA), 104th Regiment, of Fort Lewis, Washington; and the 5th Battlaion (CA), 108th Regiment of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The training conducted is similar to the AIT Course offered for new soldiers, however it is offered over an abbreviated period of three weeks. ==Officer's Training For officers, Civil Affairs is considered a Functional Area and therefore newly commissioned officers are not eligible to begin their career as a CA officer. Once an officer has completed their Officer’s Basic (OBC) and Officer’s Advanced (OAC) course in their respective branch, they may apply for selection to the Civil Affairs Qualification Course, which is located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The training consists of a nine week qualification course, nine week regional studies course, and eighteen to twenty-four week language course. Upon graduation, active duty Civil Affairs officers will be assigned to the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) which reports directly to United States Army Special Operations Command (Airborne). Reserve Officers may forgo the language training and be assigned directly to a TPU Reserve Civil Affairs unit. The training is considered more mentally demanding than the Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) course, although it is less physically demanding. The degree of training is equal to the Special Forces Officer Qualification Course, but tailored to specific Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations needs. ==Continuing Education Both enlisted and commissioned Civil Affairs Soldiers may elect to take courses at the Jount Special Operations University (JSOU) located at Hurbult Airfoce Base in Hurbult Field, Florida . JSOU is a Direct Reporting Unit to United States Special Operations Command and is co-located with the U.S. Air Force Special Operations School (USAFSOS). With active duty, reserve, and civilian faculty members from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, JSOU delivers unique SOF educational opportunities through in residence courses and integration of SOF curriculum with service Professional Military Education Schools. ==Doctrine and Training Publications United States Marine Corps The (3d CAG) and 4th CAG . Both units are in the Marine Corps Reserves. 5th and 6th CAGs were created provisionally for Operation Iraqi Freedom , but each were stood down after one deployment to Iraq.Marines magazine. "Unit Profile: 6th Civil Affairs Group, 2nd Marine Division" , 34, no. 4, October-December 2005. ''Marines magazine website'', accessed September 3, 2007. United States Navy The Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) officially established its newest command, Maritime Civil Affairs Group (MCAG) during a ceremony at Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Little Creek, March 30, 2007. Other Organizations =New York Guard In the New York State Guard (not to be confused with New York Army National Guard ), the term 'Civil Affairs' has a slightly different connotation. The Civil Affairs units include lawyers, judges, engineers, doctors and other professionals and paraprofessionals committed to voluntary, part-time military service in support of the New York National Guard and U.S. Military Reserve Units from all branches. When soldiers are called up for duty, the New York Guard makes sure their legal needs are attended to so that they can do the important job of protecting our country with the peace of mind of knowing that their affairs are in order. Civil Affairs soldiers draft their wills, prepare powers of attorney and other necessary documents, and advise them of their rights as soldiers under federal law and as citizens of the United States. There are five units, one in each brigade of the Guard, including the 5th Civil Affairs Regiment, Yonkers, NY; 7th Civil Affairs Regiment, New York City, NY; 13th Civil Affairs Regiment, Garden City, NY; 23rd Civil Affairs Regiment, Latham, NY; and the 209th Civil Affairs Regiment, Buffalo, NY. FOOTNOTES EXTERNAL LINKS
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