sides being wordy and multifaceted, this language
has little utility for the military definition-builder who
must identify a “general military or associated significance”9 for the term. We must find, therefore, simple
wording that reflects recognition that “the physical,
cultural, social, political, and psychological aspects of
human populations”10 can influence military operations on the land domain.
To define Civil Affairs, then, in a way that a commander would find militarily significant, we might
consider this alternative: matters of civilian community interest that affect or are affected by the execution
of military missions. In this context, the civilian community consists of indigenous populace and institutions (IPI) in the operational environment11 as well as
all non-military partners, including U.S. and foreign
government agencies, non-governme nt organizations
(NGOs), international relief organizations (IROs), and
multi-national corporations (MNCs). Matters of interest to this community include non-military issues
common to all peoples and cultures that can be organized under the broad, stability endstate conditions of
social well-being, rule of law, safe and secure environment, sustainable economy, and stable governance.12
Strength or instability in any of these areas influence
a commander’s ability to execute missions in any operational environment across the range of military
operations.
This definition would have made sense to General
Dwight D. Eisenhower who, on 30 November 1942 –
just three weeks into Operation Torch in North Africa
– wrote to General George C. Marshall: “The sooner I
can get rid of all these questions that are outside the
military scope, the happier I will be! Sometimes I think
I live ten years each week, of which at least nine are
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