EXECUTIVE SUMMARY –
“THE FUTURE OF CIVIL AFFAIRS”
Christopher Holshek
For centuries, Civil Affairs (CA) has long been
called upon to facilitate stable and secure transitions
from military to civilian control and from conflict
to peace. Recently, CA is helping to bring together
whole-of-nation elements to engage partners and mitigate conflict. In short, CA is a major national strategic
capability that helps end and prevent wars. This capability along with Military Information Support (formerly Psychological Operations) and Foreign Area
Officers, comprises the only part of the Joint Force
specifically suited for Peace & Stability Operations as
well as Engagement.
However, the future of Civil Affairs is under careful review, given shifts in U.S. foreign, national security, and defense policies and another military drawdown under budgetary constraints. The U.S. Navy
has eliminated its Maritime Civil Affairs command.
U. S. Army Civil Affairs is engaged in intense discussions regarding both Active and Reserve components,
while the Marine Corps has doubled its Civil Affairs
Groups, but – as with all of Civil Affairs – struggles
under increased demand.
With another pivotal moment in the history of
Civil Affairs, the Civil Affairs Association, in partnership with the U.S. Army Peacekeeping and Stability
Operations Institute, the Foreign Area Officer Association, and the Center for the Study of Civil-military
operations at the U.S. Military Academy, is reaching
out to the community of practitioners including the
most operationally experienced CA force in decades,
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