Military Review English Edition March-April 2016 | Page 66

identifying and mitigating
sources of instability. This
training allows CA to be
much more palatable to a
U.S. ambassador because
it provides a solution that
is not traditional and,
moreover, directly assists
the ambassador in gaining
access for governance
programs. When the
National Security Strategy
seeks to apply the skills of
our military, diplomats,
and development experts
in order to prevent the
emergence of conflict,
the Army has already
(Photo by Master Sgt. Dawn M. Price, U.S. Air Force)
Capt. Jill Lynn, a veterinarian assigned to the 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion Functional Specialty Team, Comequipped CA to bridge
bined Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa (CJTF–HOA), conducts an examination of a donkey 6 June 2011
all three domains through
during a veterinary civic action project in the rural village of Kagamongole, Uganda. The visit occurred
human interaction.20
during the first of a three-phase veterinary civic action program sponsored through the collaborative
efforts of CJTF–HOA, the Ugandan government, and the U.S. Embassy in Uganda.
CA soldiers do not have
to confine their activities
5. Conduct activities by, with, and through host-nato permissive or semipermissive areas. As a component of
tion authorities, USG partners, intergovernmental
SOF, CA soldiers receive survivability and force protecorganizations, and NGOs, private entities, or intertion training consistent with SOF standards. Each memnational military partners to deny support to violent
ber of a CA team, deployed on a CMSE, goes through a
extremist organizations or networks.
full pre-mission training that includes survival, evasion,
6. Increase USSOCOM, GCC, TSOC, U.S. counresistance, and escape; force protection; and countertry team, and USG situational awareness. Provide
surveillance; as well as other regionally specific training.
understanding of key areas and populations to enEach team has an organic medic, allowing them to survive
able future operations planning through civil inforinjury in hostile or denied areas for short periods of time.21
mation management.18
Since 2006, CA soldiers have conducted CMSE opCA is a component of Army SOF, and is specifically
erations in over twenty countries that can be categorized
tasked by Title X to enhance the relationship beas either undergoverned or containing regions that lack
tween military forces and civil authorities, coordinate
central governance.22 Theoretically, the CME program
with government agencies, and, if needed, apply the
is a doctrinal and policy solution to achieve SOF and
functional specialty skills that normally would be the
national objectives in undergoverned regions. In addition
responsibility of civil government to enhance the conto CA’s Title X directives, the CA regiment’s doctrinal
duct of civil-military operations.19 The CME program,
tasks of civil reconnaissance, civil information managecombined with congressional direction, highlights that
ment, and support to civil administration allow them to
CA forces have the license to be a primary role player
become the solution for a force that requires a diplomatfor regionally aligned force commanders.
ic soldier, capable of operating in a politically sensitive
CA soldiers receive education in language, cultural
environment with a small footprint.23
analysis, vulnerability assessment, mediation, and interAll active-duty CA soldiers share SOF as their
agency collaboration. Where a typical soldier focuses
branch proponent. However, CA soldiers who are
on defeating an enemy, CA soldiers train and focus on
assigned to the 95th CA Brigade support SOCOM and
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March-April 2016  MILITARY REVIEW