Civil Affairs Selection Course

I just received my official travel orders to attend the Civil Affairs Selection Course for May. According to the itinerary, this will be a rigorous ten-day course, designed to test candidates both physically and mentally. If (when!) I pass the course, I will be put on orders to PCS (move) from my current duty station here in Germany back to Fort Bragg, NC. There, I will attend a rigorous year-long pipeline, which will include Airborne school, language school, and the CA NCO course, among other things. According to the Special Operations Recruiting Battalion:

Civil Affairs Soldiers are the field commander's link to the civil authorities in his area of operations. With specialists in every area of the government, they can assist a host government meet its people's needs and maintain a stable and viable civil administration. Civil affairs units help military commanders by working with civil authorities and civilian populations in the commander’s area of operations to lessen the impact of military operations on them during peace, contingency operations and declared war. Civil Affairs forces support activities of both conventional and special operations forces, and are capable of assisting and supporting the civil administration in the area of operations. Civil affairs specialists can quickly and systematically identify critical requirements needed by local citizens in war or disaster situations. They can also locate civil resources to support military operations, help minimize civilian interference with operations, support national assistance activities, plan and execute non-combatant evacuation, support counter-drug operations, and establish and maintain liaison or dialogue with civilian aid agencies and civilian commercial and private organizations. In support of special operations, these culturally oriented, linguistically capable Soldiers may also be tasked to provide functional expertise for foreign internal defense operations, unconventional warfare operations and direct action missions.

To learn more about U.S. Army Civil Affairs, CLICK HERE.

Please keep me in your prayers, and wish me luck! HOOAH!