U.S. Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute
U.S. Army War College
22 Ashburn Drive, Upton Hall
Carlisle Barracks, PA 17013
31 March 2017
SUBJECT: Civil Affairs (CA)
1. Introduction
Welcome to the March 2017 edition of the SOLLIMS Sampler – “Civil
Affairs in Stability Operations.”
According to Joint doctrine on Stability (JP 3-07), “Stability is needed when a
state is under stress and cannot cope. In general, stabilization is usually the
responsibility of the host nation (HN), Department of State, and the United States
Agency for International Development with support by the Department of
Defense (DOD) conducting stability actions as necessary. Stability operations
during a joint operation typically require the expertise of civil affairs in civil-military
operations.”
During civil-military operations, Civil Affairs (CA) units work with local
populations, interagency partners, and international organizations. The various
population-oriented tasks performed by CA personnel include foreign
humanitarian assistance, support to civil administration, and civil information
management. These tasks may fall within the sectors of stability outlined in the
U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) & U.S. Army Peacekeeping & Stability Operations
Institute (PKSOI)’s Guiding Principles for Stabilization and Reconstruction, such
as governance and social well-being. CA personnel assess impacts of military
operations on the population as well as impacts of the population on military
operations, providing civil considerations for operations.
While there are many points of view on CA – from other military branches, the
interagency, and international partners – this Sampler is devoted specifically to
understanding lessons from a CA perspective, featuring submissions from CA
personnel. This Sampler first examines historical cases of CA before
showcasing organizational challenges for the current integration of civil
considerations into military culture. This publication then highlights lessons from
recent/ongoing exercises and operations, many of which draw upon personal
experiences of CA personnel working with interagency and international partners
in the context of disaster relief, medical partnership, and displacement. Links to
additional CA lessons can be found on page 25 along with a list of CA-related
resources on page 26. Themes and recommendations are summarized following
the lessons on page 24. Annex C provides a brief overview of the organizational
history and structure of U.S. Army Civil Affairs.
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