What exactly do Civil Affairs 38B do?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 21:09:48 -0500

If possible I am looking for a variety of details regarding this MOS. I have no knowledge of what 38B's do as a career. I have gotten a general idea of what they do but thats only through youtube and small articles. Do they deploy a lot, I am not asking this in a bad way. I am fluent in Spanish hoping I can take Korean as part of my training. I am aware that part of the AIT phase requires language training (Airborne as well) and since my spouse is Korean, why not. I got open ears for whatever relevant information I can get regarding civil affairs. Thank you for sharing with me and have a great day. Happy new years!

Response by SGT Dallas DeBoer made Jan 19 at 2016 8:48 AM

SGT Dallas DeBoer — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 08:48:33 -0500

The best way to think of a Civil Affairs Co. is to think of City Hall. A Civil Affairs oversees all civil actions in the community. I was going to go into more detail but I noticed another response so I won't.

Response by COL Rich McKinney made Jan 19 at 2016 2:10 PM

COL Rich McKinney — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 14:10:50 -0500

Civil Affairs (CA) does deploy -- a lot. When I left the 308th CA Bde in 2006, they had authorized strength of about 300 folks, and had someone deployed every calendar day since the fall of 1995. And that's a Reserve unit. Active Duty was even busier. As such, they have expanded the AC side significantly.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 19 at 2016 5:56 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 17:56:59 -0500

CA does alot. Our biggest thing is provide access and emplacement to otherwise denied areas. We also use our interpersonal skills to get what we want. We are also versed in interagency communication. Again, AC CA does alot! Drop a packet, and go to selection of you want the real deal.

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Jan 19 at 2016 5:58 PM

CPT Pedro Meza — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 17:58:19 -0500

Civil Affairs is the Peace Corps with gun meaning we similar work with the exception that we carry weapons to defend our selves. There are plenty mission opportunities and yes Korean is a good language, but dude you are married and should be speaking it.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 19 at 2016 7:15 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 19:15:01 -0500

As you can see, there are many answers to your question. The Special Operations Recruiting Battalion will be your best source of info. sorbrecruiting.com
Reserve CA and Active CA do the same thing, and they also don't. You are active, so you would go through the entire pipeline which can get almost 2 years long if you are chosen to become a Special Operations Combat Medic (SOCM) along with CA. Language is sometimes allowed to be picked, and sometimes skipped if you are a native speaker AND a SOCM AND have a degree. Those decisions are completely up to cadre, proponency, and the Commandant. Deployments are quite often, but shorter than the usual combat deployments. Countries are many, your travels will be to places you didn't even think the Army was working in. Yes, you will need to go to jump school, and be expected to eventually become a Jumpmaster.

As for my definition/what I can say about CA. CA influences Diplomatic, Information, Military, Economic, Financial, Intelligence, and Law Enforcement (DIMEFIL) sources of national power. We fight battles with words and actions, and sometimes do not even carry weapons. We can be confused for PsyOps but we are very different (its just hard to explain). We work with embassies, other SOCOM units, and even alone. Some people believe that CA is all teddy bears, soccer balls, and hugs. While soccer balls have been used, sigh, it is not what we do! CA is not the Peace Corps!!!! We probably miss out on a lot of good soldiers because they think we just do nice things, but then again perhaps a closed minded person isn't what is needed in this job.

It is a job that requires lots of critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity. Civil Affairs Assessment and Selection is no joke, and will test your physical and mental prowess. I love the job. It is the best deployment you could ask for, most fun, and most independent you could be from the flagpole's. Contact the SORB, talk to more actual CA people, look at historic CA/CIVMIL from Vietnam and Japan, and make an informed decision about your career, you are at a great rank to switch over, you'll get tons of team time!

Response by SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 19 at 2016 10:22 PM

SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 22:22:37 -0500

The best way I have ever had it stated to me (8 years as a 38B) was that we build exploitable relationships. Not in the intel sense, but in the we need a favor sense. We make friends with the politicians so that if we need to get permission to work with the local population they'll work with us; we make friends with the clinic doctors in case we want them to conduct health and welfare training for the civilians; we make friends with International Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, etc. in case we need someone to provide whatever resources are needed. We essentially are the link between the military and anything civilian, or on occasion host government military.

The level we conduct at is entirely dependent on the commander's understanding of the scope of abilities Civil Affairs encompasses, and the competency of your Civil Affairs company. A jacked up CA unit can screw up a situation faster than an excellent one can fix it.

Response by MAJ Mark Renfrow made Jan 20 at 2016 6:59 AM

MAJ Mark Renfrow — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 06:59:37 -0500

The 38 series, at least when I went to Afghanistan, did not "require" a 2nd language. 38 is unique, and while on AD, you're under Special Ops. Small teams. A CAT-B for example, is usually commanded by a Major. A CAT-B is usually 2 CAT-A's ... a total of about 12 personnel. Rank has little meaning. Members are drawn for their expertise. So, you may be a SPC, but find yourself in command of a mission. Your officers are there to garner logistical support, not command YOUR mission. So maturity and leadership ability is VERY important. Hey, SPC or "Buck Sergeant," isn't this issue. You will deal with reps from the HN (Host Nation) and if the mission is approved, plan your mission out of your CMOC (Civil Military Operations Center). The idea is to rebuild the HN's infrastructure. And yes, you would be deployed a LOT! Google USACAPOC(A), and go to their site. It might explain more than I can here. Career opportunities are a lot better in the 38 series. Partly because of the Spec Ops connection ... it's like an Army within the Army. They almost make their own rules. The Army last summer (2015) had some articles in the Army Times, advertising their desire for personnel. If you don't mind being OCONUS a lot, it's worth consideration. Good luck with your decision. It's a growing field, but not a walk through the park.

Response by SFC David Davenport made Jan 20 at 2016 11:37 AM

SFC David Davenport — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 11:37:41 -0500

Look when people said all of the Civil Affairs field has a slightly different perspective they are very correct. There is also a difference between reserve and active Civil Affairs. If you are looking for information about active duty Civil Affairs here is the contact information: [login to see] or http://www.sorbrecruiting.com .

Special Operations Recruiting

Response by LTC Brian Stoll made Jan 21 at 2016 1:09 PM

LTC Brian Stoll — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 13:09:25 -0500

Recommended reading: STP41-38B Soldier's Manual & ARTEP 41-701-10 Mission Training Plan for a Civil Affairs Team.

Response by LTC Eric Udouj made Jan 21 at 2016 1:41 PM

LTC Eric Udouj — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 13:41:35 -0500

Agree with everyone that there is no single answer or series of answers to the question - even doctrine itself is on a starting block and every different place has different applications that go along with the mission at hand. To add to what others have already mentioned - I would recommend to you and others that are wanting to know a bit more about CA this article. Its part of the job at hand - and not often is it found laid out in a way that can be read and understood like this article does. Working with NGOs and IGOs is something you will find both challenging and rewarding - but be it a SOF or Non-SOF operation - the boss will almost always expect it to be your lane since you are CA. http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/a-framework-for-ngo-military-collaboration

A Framework for NGO-Military Collaboration | Small Wars Journal

What do military professionals need to know about NGOs? The literature on NGOs includes very little about NGO-military relationships in troubled areas. Moreover, the U.S. military fails to convey or encourage an adequate understanding of NGOs in its publications and mid-career military education. Drawing from scholarly literature, case studies, and practitioner interviews, I theorize that the efficacy of NGO-military collaboration varies with...

Response by CPT Wendy Ormond made Apr 5 at 2016 8:11 AM

CPT Wendy Ormond — Tue, 05 Apr 2016 08:11:56 -0400

I deployed once as a 38B. I was a team leader for a CA team in Africa. We met with local officials and assessed for peojects needed by the local people to increase their confidence in recovering from local terrorism and returning to their tribal lands and returning to farming and being self supporting. We worked with the USAID representative and made repairs and bult classrooms for schools, especially a secondary girls school. We repaired and drilled boreholes so people would be willing to leave the security of the camps, where some had lived for years.

The team spent much time out o the road and you need to be pretty independent. It is interesting work and a good experience. You have back up but it may be far away. You learn to handle difficulties within the team. You are fortunate if you have a strong team sergeant. You need to have good relations with the local leaders and the people in general. They will assist you with having good situational awareness.

Response by SSG Ryan Archuleta made Apr 6 at 2016 4:26 PM

SSG Ryan Archuleta — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 16:26:55 -0400

As a Reservist. Deployed: Get a list of villages to turn friendly, setup meetings with elders. Enjoy delicious food with elders and whoever else he brings, talk about how to help the community and what they need. Get needs, go back to base and make a plan within your budget. Get budget approved, hire contractors, get projects built. Enjoy applause from locals for helping them out. Move on to next village. Assuming you're in a bad area you won't be able to do anything but fight.

At Reserve center when not deployed: Sit around and do nothing but watch powerpoints or listen to pointless training that means nothing once a deployment has started. Watch everyone take themselves crazy amounts of seriously while walking around the reserve center for 1 weekend a month. Laugh. Wait for deployment, go to a school every now and then. Try not to lose your civilian career.

Response by 1LT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 14 at 2016 2:16 PM

1LT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 14:16:27 -0400

What do United States Army Civil Affairs Soldiers do?
The United States Army Civil Affairs (CA) forces are our Country’s primary force trained and educated to engage non-military organizations, institutions, and populations. When U.S. forces or agencies operate in foreign areas, CA forces are used to help shape the civil environment in ways most compatible with our operational objectives. We are the battlefield commander’s primary asset for interface with indigenous populations / institutions (IPIs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and governmental organizations (GOs). Where most forces concentrate on the physical terrain, CA forces focus on the civil terrain. Some Army units use “kinetic” means to accomplish their missions; we use “non-kinetic” methods to include interviews, projects, assessments, and assistance. A CA Company, like ours, is the primary Army “unit of action” to conduct CA operations and interface with the populace.
Typical locations of civil importance we identify include community leadership (civic, social, economic, and cultural), police / fire departments, schools, hospitals, non-governmental organizations, non-profit groups, transportation nodes (seaports, airports, etc), public works, agricultural experts, business leaders, and civic governmental organizations. Attached are pictures showing unit Civil Affairs Soldiers in action.
Typical missions include Humanitarian Assistance / Disaster Relief (HA/DR), Support to Civic Administrations, Civil Information Collection & Management, Population and Resource Control, and Foreign Nation Assistance. We are ready to deploy anywhere in the world, but focus on Central and South American and the Caribbean.
2. What will our Soldiers typically do during exercises or training in your area?
Our Soldiers typically work in teams of four with a Captain or other Commissioned or Non-Commissioned officer (NCO) working as the team lead. These Civil Affairs Teams (CATs) mainly conduct civil reconnaissance on specified locations and observe, assess, and evaluate civil terrain. Specifically, teams conduct key leader engagements (KLEs), assessments, and other activities to record civil information. In addition, this may include the collection of geographic grid coordinates, photos and narrative reports. If your organization is specialized in a particular subject area (education, governance, agriculture, medical, or cultural), we truly value any information you can teach our Soldiers. These subject matters are particularly relevant in the areas we operate (Central America). (This is SOUTHCOM Area of Operation related.)
3. In supporting training or exercises, what am I expected to do?
If we have requested and you have agreed to participate in this exercise, we will be sending a Civil Affairs Team or Teams to your location to conduct a key leader engagement and possible follow-up location assessment. Basically, this will be an interview with you to discuss your role, mission, function to the community, facility, etc. Most commonly after, the team will assess your location, take photos, and record other geographic data. You can discuss with the team as much or as little as you like. Access, photos, and other collection will be approved by you beforehand. If we are visiting as part of a more educational purpose, we will be observing and learning from your organization in your particular subject area.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 6 at 2017 6:08 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 18:08:58 -0500

Dude, if you want to deploy and get some fantastic training that few MOSs can get, I say jump in with both feet first. Send me a message if you want details, I'd be happy to answer any questions that you may have. If you read SSG Marc W.'s answer, it's pretty spot-on.

Response by 1SG Dennis Hicks made Feb 9 at 2017 12:38 PM

1SG Dennis Hicks — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 12:38:30 -0500

So many Humorous answers to that question. Since 9/11 the have been turning out CA specialist like Model "T''s. Active duty has CA but is based solely upon Military education and OJT. I had one very bad experience being teamed up with an AD CA team. The Reserve side used to actually have SME's that were Police Chiefs, Mayors, Emergency Management directors, and assorted skills found on the civilian side after decades of experience. Before I retired I found less and less actual CA Officers and NCO's and more retreads from other MOS's with little or no CA experience outside of school and SIM's. Keep in mind I am an old Infantry retread that had 20 years of Civilian expertise when I gained the then 38A and now 38B MOS. The worst thing I found was as a Reservist being attached to AD units that we were most of the time used as OFFICE temps for staff, Pay Agents and assorted make work details. CA will be slowing down even further as the need for that skill lessens. Some won't like what I have said but is the truth.

Response by MSG Ernesto Mondragon made Apr 6 at 2017 4:38 PM

MSG Ernesto Mondragon — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 16:38:58 -0400

From http://www.goarmy.com
OVERVIEW

Civil affairs specialists identify critical requirements needed by local citizens in combat or crisis situations. Civil affairs specialists are primarily responsible for researching, coordinating, conducting and participating in the planning and production of civil affairs related documents, while enabling the civil-military operations of the supported commander.
JOB DUTIES

Help plan U.S. government interagency procedures for national or regional emergencies
Assist with civil-military planning and support
Coordinate military resources to support reconstitution or reconstruction activities
Support national disaster, defense or emergency assistance and response activities
Foster and maintain dialogue with civilian aid agencies and civilian relief and assistance organizations

REQUIREMENTS

Those who want to serve must first take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, a series of tests that helps you better understand your strengths and identify which Army jobs are best for you.

TRAINING

Job training for a civil affairs specialist begins with 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training and 13 weeks of Advanced Individual Training, where you’ll learn the skills of a civil affairs specialist and be assigned to an Army Reserve civil affairs unit.

Airborne-qualified active duty noncommissioned officers can reclassify as a civil affairs sergeants after successful completion of an intensive 20-week training program that includes language, negotiations and regional training.

Army Careers: Ways to Serve in the Army

Whether you’re interested in Army Reserve or Active Duty, there are many ways to serve in the Army. Explore the possible Army careers and contact an Army Recruiter.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2017 12:38 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 19 May 2017 00:38:27 -0400

I can say a lot, but there are several strong answers already posted.
What I will say is that in four major deployments with CA, I have yet to do the same thing twice.
Afghanistan in 03-04 was General Support, and largely focused on getting the country's infrastructure and systems reestablished. Our biggest accomplishment was supporting the Loya Jirga which wrote the Afghan Constitution.
Iraq in 04-05 was FID/UW, and while we did some tactical stuff as well as SO support, our main mission was to stand up and train the first three Iraqi Army battalions. That tour was real dicey, and cost me two good Soldiers.
Iraq in 07-08 coincided with the Surge, and we had our share of tactical support. But our main mission was Governance and Support to Civil Administration (SCA) - trying to get the IZ/G to do their job and be responsive to the citizenry. This was a mixed bag, but had some real successes as well.
HOA in 2013-14 was heavy on securing and fostering mutually beneficial agreements in order to foster regional security. A lot of glad-handing, but also really interesting joint training exercises with several East African militaries, often getting them ready for operational deployments to Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, or Central African Republic. I did as much work as an instructor as I did more conventional CA activities.

In a word, be flexible. The more talents you have and broader your base of knowledge, the more likely you can bring value to the fight (or non-fight as the case may be).

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2017 3:31 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 19 May 2017 03:31:04 -0400

BLUF: 38B is the second best MOS in the Army. The best of course is 19D ;-)