What is Civil Affairs about?

Question

Read something about a civil affairs specialist in the army, but what do they do?

Answer 1

Civil Affairs is basically the application of a variety of "civilian" skills to military uses. Linguistics, engineering, law, healthcare, on and on used to rebuilt or reform damaged political infrastructures.

This is a copy paste from the USACAPOC (US Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command) Fact Sheet

Civil affairs units support military commanders by working with civil authorities and civilian populations in the commander’s area of operations during peace, contingency operations and war.

Used during both conventional and special operations, civil affairs forces have a vital role and are capable of assisting and supporting the civil administration during operations.

Civil affairs specialists identify critical requirements needed by local citizens in war or disaster situations. They also locate civilian resources to support military operations, help minimize civilian interference with operations, support national assistance activities, plan and execute noncombatant evacuation, support counterdrug operations and establish and maintain liaison with civilian aid agencies and other nongovernmental organizations.

In support of special operations, these culturally-oriented, linguistically-capable Soldiers may also be tasked to provide functional expertise for foreign internal defense operations, unconventional warfare operations and direct action missions.

The functional structure of civil affairs forces and their expertise, training, and orientation provide a capability for emergency coordination and administration where political-economic structures have been incapacitated.

Tactical civil affairs was provided to military commanders during Operation Just Cause in Panama, Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in Southwest Asia, support to the restoration of the Panamanian government infrastructure during Operation Promote Liberty, management of Haitian refugee camps at Guantanamo Bay and stateside natural disaster assistance in the aftermath of hurricanes Andrew and Iniki.

Civil affairs experts were also called on to help rebuild the Haitian civilian infrastructure during Operation Uphold Democracy. They also participated in NATO peacekeeping operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo.

More recently, Civil Affairs units have deployed with ground combat units in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom to assist the Afghan and Iraqi people in rehabilitating their societies after the Global War on Terrorism brought an end to decades of war and oppression in those countries.

Civil affairs Soldiers continue to play critical roles in the global peace and stabilization and reconstruction of both countries and they continue to provide support for ongoing missions in countries like Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia and Yemen

Answer 2

The civil affairs specialist in the Army is in charge of coordinating the civic activities of the Army just like extending medical missions to people and responding to emergencies.

Answer 3

i'm presently attempting to figure out the most acceptable opportunities for turning out to be an energetic duty CA member (Airborne). regrettably I nonetheless have not received a call decrease back from the battalions I contacted. They replied, yet in user-friendly words with a "we are able to have a CA recruiter contact you." yet i'm yet to obtain a callback. I actually have executed large learn for over per week now and recognize that's good to be an E5 or larger to be energetic CA. yet I also do not ignore that when you bypass the Q-direction then you surely are without delay promoted to SGT. i really do not want to bypass Reserve and wait notwithstanding lengthy it would want to take to develop into an E5. I also do no longer want to ought to request a hopeful reclassification or wait notwithstanding lengthy till i'm an E5 after enlisting as energetic less than a diverse MOS. So my lengthy awaited question is; is it conceivable for me to have a reclassification clause in my initial enlistment contract on the topic of me reclassifying to 38B after, enable's say a three hundred and sixty 5 days or so. All stemming from my pre and placed up enlistment aspirations of being energetic less than this MOS. i have heard of alternative MP's and Intelligence squaddies who were quite "tapped in" to CA earlier there initial contracts were up via them operating heavily downrange with CA contraptions. So my concept sounds 50/50 in civilian existence (haha). yet for sure i might want to wish to hearken to and want that is sensible contained in the military ordinances and structures. thanks.