What advice do you have to prepare for the Civil Affairs (CA) Captains Career Course (CACCC)?

CPT Laurie H. — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 12:19:41 -0500

What is the best way to prepare? Is there anything you wish you knew or did before you left?

I'm heading to Phase 4 in July and while I know you can't say much about the events I want to make sure I'm doing everything I can to be prepared. I'm already MEL-F qualified so I didn't attend Phase 1 or 2, and I'm just completing Phase 3 now.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 2 at 2018 12:52 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 12:52:00 -0500

I would like to hear the answer myself. The active-duty does not give the reserve component more than a two-month course. We did not get the area studies course either. I'm looking forward to the answer to your question.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 2 at 2018 7:40 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 19:40:55 -0500

If phase 4 is the final part, then it is integrated with the Active Duty Officers and Enlisted into the most incredible field exercise you will ever experience. Prepare physically to move for days with a rucksack, basic patrolling, as well as everything you have learned from prior branch, and CA stuff. You will have 1 week to plan, get to know your team and let them help you on what you need. You have a civilian job, i guarantee you will be able to find a way to apply something from it to your CA skillset. It's a perk the reserves have that the enlisted don't. Capitalize on it. But be in top physical condition, be ready for field living.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2018 11:44 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 03 Mar 2018 23:44:17 -0500

Is there an example of the engineer tape for the uniform? Sewn on?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2018 8:51 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 10 Mar 2018 20:51:03 -0500

Went through the course in Oct 2017. I've been asked for advice from other people and I always speak specifically to that person's strengths or weaknesses because the experience can be radically different for each person. Consider, for example, my phase 4 squad: a couple O-4s with decades of infantry experience, handful of O-3s in varying physical shape, and two young and sprightly (albiet less knowledgable) LTs. The field was hard on some, while others struggled with the mental game.

If you have most of your ducks in a row (physically, mentally with phase 3 material and CA concepts), then you are in a great position to focus on developing team and individual products before you hit the field. Get your lamination done early, raid the office supplies at the shoppette, order your Amazon prime tacticool shipments with enough time to spare before you leave; all these things get more difficult when a battalion's worth of soldiers is preparing to go to Pineland at the same time.

What I found most useful was my personal TACSOP & OPORD skeletons. Pocket-sized, laminated, and single-ring bound, it helped me nail 100% of my squad briefings according to standard. Y'know, the little things. There's tons of advice to be offered without violating the academic integrity policy, so if you have specific questions I'd be happy to answer them in an aside or even in this thread.

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2018 10:44 PM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 22:44:55 -0400

Ok feel a little old because when I completed the Qual Course in 2005, there was no Captain’s Career Course for CA. You had to have completed one prior. Part of the reasoning was CA was only taking Captains, and no rank really lower. I was an FA Officer who had completed Infantry CCC. Curious when they finally made this change?

Response by Keith P made Sep 7 at 2023 4:43 AM

Keith P — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 04:43:35 -0400

Colleagues, how long is the CA CACCC? Thanks for your input.