Transforming Civil Affairs

Despite assertions by past and current White House residents that the United States is not in the business of nation-building, the Army's experience in Afghanistan and Iraq convinces us otherwise. Even a cursory glance at the past 15 years reinforces this conclusion; the United States-and in particular

Recognizing this situation for what it is-inescapable-leads to the recognition that the Army's primary asset in nation-building-its civil affairs (CA) component-will become ever more engaged as this century unfolds. More important, a review of civil affairs participation in operations over the past 15 years reveals an unpleasant fact; as the Army has become a faster, more lethal force, its civil affairs assets have not kept pace with the increased capability requirements. The conclusion is obvious; civil affairs must also undergo the transformation faced by the rest of the force. These largely reserve battalions, brigades and commands must be redesigned, restaffed, reequipped and redeployed to better support the maneuver commander and the nation as a whole. This transformation will not be easy, and it will not be without cost to the careers of those chained to the current organizational structure.