Small Wars Journal

civil affairs

Indigenous Approach Podcast: Civil Affairs: Tactical Level Operations, Strategic Level Implications

Sat, 02/27/2021 - 9:14am

Lt. Col. Sam Hayes, the Inter-agency Coordinator for the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade, hosts a discussion with members of the Civil Affairs regiment surrounding the Civil Affairs role at the tactical level in the great power competition in different global regions. They touch on embassy work, combining Military Information Support Operations with Civil Affairs capabilities, and the importance of civil society organizations. 1st Sgt. Enrique Hernandez is an active duty Non-Commissioned Officer serving as a Company First Sergeant in 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (SO) (A).

 

Available on most podcast services (search for the Indigenous Approach)

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2j6UlQwVwcc30hmVMsxcYa

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/civil-affairs-tactical-level-operations-strategic-level/id1534621849?i=1000510663180

Civil Affairs Association Eunomia Journal Writing Contest

Mon, 01/11/2021 - 10:29pm

Submissions are open through 15 Feburary
500-2,000 words

Possible topics include Mental Health and Unit Culture, Professional Development, Talent Management, and Advice for New CA professionals.

Full details are available at the link below.

https://www.civilaffairsassoc.org/post/team-room-writing-contest-9-january-15-february-2021

Civil Affairs Association Publication: Carving our Niche: A Modular Concept for Future Civil Affairs

Sun, 11/15/2020 - 11:36am

https://www.civilaffairsassoc.org/post/carving-our-niche-a-modular-concept-for-future-special-operations-forces-civil-affairs

By Brenden Jackman

Problem Statement

How does a four-person Civil Affairs Team (CAT) conduct Human Network Analysis (HNA), Foreign Internal Defense (FID), Humanitarian Assistance (HA), and support to Unconventional Warfare (UW) over an entire Area of Responsibility (AOR) when statistically one person being non-mission capable reduces its the team’ capabilities by 25 percent? The current CAT structure restricts the ability to balance survivability with the accomplishment of a mission. Additionally, the nature of Civil Affairs missions requires a wider skill set to meet the supported commander’s intent.

Making the Most of Spontaneous Civil Engagement: An Introduction to the Engaged Awareness Cycle

Mon, 03/02/2020 - 9:47am
"The U.S. Army lacks sufficient doctrine and training on how conventional forces should productively engage with, or talk to, local populations across the range of military operations...The result is units that are unable to effectively interact in the human domain and unable to understand and influence their area of operations."

About the Author(s)

A Cause of and Solution to Extremism: A Case for Civil Military Operation (CMO) Capacity Building in African Partner Forces

Mon, 01/13/2020 - 8:36am
As CA forces begin to instruct CMO to African partner forces the curriculum must be semi standardized in order to ensure both unity of effort and interoperability. AFRICOM, SOCAF, USARAF, and Marine Forces Africa (MARFORAF) must ensure that they coordinate with each other as well as centers of instruction such as USAJFKSWCS to create a standard set of POIs that achieves the desired effect of an African partner force that is able to win the human domain.

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Civil Affairs Leads Integration to Generate Effects-Based Activities in the Operational Environment

Wed, 11/20/2019 - 9:29am
The analysis of CAO by trained CA forces drive multiple processes, including operations and targeting processes, and enabling supported commanders and decision makers to apply resources and make decisions. CA drives the operations and targeting processes by executing its core competencies alongside indigenous partners to increase the understanding of networks within the operational environment (OE), particularly those within the civil component.

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Searching for Dry-Land: The Challenges of Maritime Civil Affairs Activities and a Framework for Future Success

Fri, 10/18/2019 - 4:45am
This paper will begin by establishing definitions for key terms used throughout it; with a subject matter steeped in both Army and Navy terminology, it is critical to ensure shared understanding. Next, we will discuss first-hand experience with the challenges of maritime CAA, through several examples that have been conducted by A/83d. Following this review, we will discuss a proposed role for CA forces conducting CAA in a maritime environment. Using existing doctrine and academic research as a foundation, our analysis seeks to provide meaningful recommendations on how CA can support maritime forces through targeted CAA in both littoral and maritime environments. Lastly, we will review our analysis and summarize recommendations for the force. This paper is not intended to demand what maritime CAA should or shouldn’t be. Instead, we seek to offer ideas of what maritime CAA could be and hope to generate further discussion on a topic that is increasingly relevant.

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The 2019 Marine Corps Civil Affairs Concept: An Ambitious Step Toward Improved Integration

Mon, 10/14/2019 - 12:34am
For the last hundred years, where diplomacy has failed and warfare has resulted, CA has repeatedly been revitalized and integrated with military operations during wartime. However, on the present-day battlefield, where open conflict is decreasing but “gray zone” activities are increasing, CA personnel should be utilized to undermine U.S. competitors’ attempts to build military, diplomatic, economic, and informational advantages in regions of U.S. interest.

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True Civil Affairs Integration: From Three Tribes to One

Mon, 10/07/2019 - 12:31am
The Army published its Army Total Force Policy in 2012 to define steps and guidance to integrate all components to meet DoD’s goal for a total force. U.S. Army Civil Affairs should take the NCFA recommendations and the lessons learned by other services and from those Army units participating in the AUPP to develop a Civil Affairs Total Force Policy.

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Civil Reconnaissance Teams: The Expeditionary Arm of Civil Affairs Forces

Thu, 10/03/2019 - 12:32am
The unfortunate truth is that supported commands are not nearly as aware or informed of what Civil Affairs offers as other branches. Every commander knows that the role of the Infantry is to close with and destroy the enemy. Not every commander knows that Civil Affairs Soldiers and Marines are his or her sensors on the battlefield.

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