Post WWII Constabubulary Patrol Germany
Introduction:
Since the colonial era, the US military has been called upon to
establish secure transitions from military to civilian control
and from conflict to peace. However, the term Civil Affairs
(CA) and a dedicated capability was not developed until
World War II. CA currently brings together nation stabilizing
elements to engage partners and reduce conflict. Effectively,
CA is a major strategic tool used for the transition from war to
peace. However, recent shifts in US foreign, national security,
and defense have raised questions about the future of CA.
CA has not only been influenced by current US strategic-inter-
ests, but also by recent CA missions. As a result of more than
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a “Decade of War,” CA’s focus has shifted almost entirely from
strategic capabilities to tactical level missions. This became obvi-
ous with the increased demand for CA with the 2003 invasion
of Iraq. 1 Colonial David Gordon exposed this in his paper,
arguing that “the capabilities required to carry out military
government were shunned and neglected by the Department of
Defense and the Army at large until the conflicts in Afghanistan
and Iraq made it terribly clear that history was repeating itself.” 2
As Gordon has emphasized here, CA, in its current form, does
not align with its strategic capabilities outlined in the early
1940s. This is not to say that CA should regress to its mid-20th
century model. Instead, CA must be thought anew—redefined
to meet the strategic needs of today and tomorrow’s conflicts.