Posted on Mar 19, 2016
Can anyone tell me what exactly a Civil Affairs NCO does at/ in a IBCT HQ as staff? Top three taskings and the like?
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It is a position I will be moving into and want to stay on point with my job duties as much as possible.
Civil Affairs
Infantry
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 6
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I was the PSYOP Planner in an ABCT, so I was the S7 NCOIC and the CA Officer was S-9 and his desk was diagonal to mine in the Non Lethal Effects shop.
Truth is, it depends. How long has the position been vacant? If it was recently vacated, are your SOPs and such up to date? There's a task right there. Are you integrated within the larger planning cycle. Get a seat at the Targeting Meeting. Does your BCT have habitual or formalized relationships with CA units?
Do your absolute best to avoid positions like S3 Platoon Sergeant. In a BCT, you are the only 38B, so you can either be the Commander's SME on CMO, or you can be MOS-immaterial Senior NCO.
The sergeants I know who managed to avoid Brigade Air, S3 Platoon Sergeant and the like, generally got to do their jobs.
Understand though that you will almost certainly end up with a BDE-level additional duties.
Truth is, it depends. How long has the position been vacant? If it was recently vacated, are your SOPs and such up to date? There's a task right there. Are you integrated within the larger planning cycle. Get a seat at the Targeting Meeting. Does your BCT have habitual or formalized relationships with CA units?
Do your absolute best to avoid positions like S3 Platoon Sergeant. In a BCT, you are the only 38B, so you can either be the Commander's SME on CMO, or you can be MOS-immaterial Senior NCO.
The sergeants I know who managed to avoid Brigade Air, S3 Platoon Sergeant and the like, generally got to do their jobs.
Understand though that you will almost certainly end up with a BDE-level additional duties.
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MSG (Join to see)
The slot I am going into has been vacant for around 3 yrs so I am certain no one will really have an idea of what I am suppose to do. The Civil Affairs manual section on staff duties is pretty generic. I very much wish to make it a value added position. Thanks for the input SFC Marcus Belt.
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SFC Marcus Belt
MSG (Join to see) - You're welcome. The PSYOP manuals are pretty bare when it comes to conventional warfare also. Actually, they're completely devoid of anything dealing with PSYOP in a conventional fight.
What I did was get really deep into my FMs and ADP 5.0, then used what I knew from personal experience to create a basic framework on how we would conduct PSYOP ISO my BCT's mission sets. That framework allowed me to ask intelligent questions of other senior NCOs (I was on Bragg).
Let me back up. I was in an Airborne BCT, so we were built to do Joint Forcible Entry/Airborne Assault. From the ground up, if my BCT is doing what it's built to do, what capabilities does my MOS bring to enhance, facilitate or enable that?
Network with other BCT planners. SLC was invaluable...I'll repeat that...INVALUABLE to me for networking and finding out how other dudes were doing business. Sharing slide formats is a useful thing.
One MORE thing: if you're in the Non-Lethal Shop, the various sections within are all separate staff sections, but their manning can vary. So you could end up being responsible for some PA dudes or something. Nobody outside of the Three Tribes of ARSOF know the difference between PSYOP and CA anyway, so unless you savor telling the Boss "I don't know. Not my job." a basic grasp of what your PSYOP guy is doing is a good idea. Or at least know where he is in the building.
I loved my BCT time.
I may take a Division planner gig next.
YMMV.
What I did was get really deep into my FMs and ADP 5.0, then used what I knew from personal experience to create a basic framework on how we would conduct PSYOP ISO my BCT's mission sets. That framework allowed me to ask intelligent questions of other senior NCOs (I was on Bragg).
Let me back up. I was in an Airborne BCT, so we were built to do Joint Forcible Entry/Airborne Assault. From the ground up, if my BCT is doing what it's built to do, what capabilities does my MOS bring to enhance, facilitate or enable that?
Network with other BCT planners. SLC was invaluable...I'll repeat that...INVALUABLE to me for networking and finding out how other dudes were doing business. Sharing slide formats is a useful thing.
One MORE thing: if you're in the Non-Lethal Shop, the various sections within are all separate staff sections, but their manning can vary. So you could end up being responsible for some PA dudes or something. Nobody outside of the Three Tribes of ARSOF know the difference between PSYOP and CA anyway, so unless you savor telling the Boss "I don't know. Not my job." a basic grasp of what your PSYOP guy is doing is a good idea. Or at least know where he is in the building.
I loved my BCT time.
I may take a Division planner gig next.
YMMV.
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MSG (Join to see)
I have degree in Communication and Geography, working with PA folks won't be an issue. I believe I have a basic understanding of what PSYOPs does but must confess that I know that i don't know as much as i would like. I guess I had better get to reading so I can get up to speed faster. I am also looking forward to picking the brains of SLC classmates in the future.
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SFC Marcus Belt
MSG (Join to see) - Not to beat dead horse, but those SOPs are critical. If they already exist, update them and make sure that approval authorities are literally in BLACK and WHITE.
Also, if you're already on a deployment patch chart, find the unit that's supporting you. It could come from FORSCOM or USACAPOC. Start synchronizing with them and get their commander and 1SG's email addresses and start building the relationship.
If you're not on a deployment schedule it gets trickier. Try to integrate some CA people into your major training events. We're all resource constrained, no doubt, but there are ways to make at least small engagements happen. Like bringing one CA dude from your prospective supporting unit to observe a STAFFEX or Warfighter.
Also, if you're already on a deployment patch chart, find the unit that's supporting you. It could come from FORSCOM or USACAPOC. Start synchronizing with them and get their commander and 1SG's email addresses and start building the relationship.
If you're not on a deployment schedule it gets trickier. Try to integrate some CA people into your major training events. We're all resource constrained, no doubt, but there are ways to make at least small engagements happen. Like bringing one CA dude from your prospective supporting unit to observe a STAFFEX or Warfighter.
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In a non-deployed environment, you'll do staff-y stuff like non-lethal effects working groups, staff estimates, orders generation (mostly annex K, but you'll dabble in some of the others), SOP construction, briefing slides, and the like.
In a deployed environment, it varies a lot by the type of mission, the temperament of the CO and primary staff, and how much personal capitol you bring to the table.
In a deployed environment, it varies a lot by the type of mission, the temperament of the CO and primary staff, and how much personal capitol you bring to the table.
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MSG (Join to see)
Thanks 1SG, I want to try and be as productive as possible just looking for an azimuth before I step.
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The possibilities are endless.. I've seen almost no MOS related duties, all the way to the senior CA NCO while deployed being the lead in a multinational, Joint, combined arms unit do the CIV CAS reporting, tracking and case presentation to the GO staff. You need to check in with the G3 SGM and have him get you an introduction to the Chief of the section that you will work under ... then ask that person about your potential duties and focus so you can be more prepared before arrival.
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