Civil Affairs Army Specialist 38Bravo

In the War on Terror, the job of Army Civil Affairs specialist has taken on new meaning.  As we have moved from security into a rebuilding effort in both Afghanistan and Iraq, the Civil Affairs specialist has been vital to that effort.

The civil affairs specialist works in both special operations support and conventional soldier support.  They are tasked to identify and report on the needs of the local citizens in the field of operations. The civil affairs specialist has a very humanitarian role in many situations, it is their job to assess and report on situations of a critical nature in terms of human need.  The Civil affairs specialist help find local resources for civil and military operations; they mitigate some incidents that involve injuries or incidents. It is their job to help minimize interference by civilians in traditional military operations, and to find and identify assistance of a humanitarian need.  Civil Affairs specialists maintain and establish lines of communication between the military, local citizens, and civilian aid organizations.

The research, coordination and implementation of civil military operations are part of what the Civil Affairs Specialist does.  Some of the duties include:  coordination of military resources in reconstruction or disaster relief efforts, assist with military and civil planning and support, coordinate with other U.S. government agencies in regional or national emergencies, emergency administration and management where government has caused a total collapse, and fostering productive communications with various civilian agencies.

After Basic Combat Training, you will spend eleven weeks at Individual Advance Training School.  You will learn the jobs, duties and responsibilities of a Civil Affairs specialist, and be assigned to an Army Civil Affairs Unit.  In Civil affairs training you will learn:
-How to Conduct Civil Military Operations, including disaster relief, and population control.
-How to research and find necessary information using a variety of methods.
-How to conduct an effective negotiation.
-Training with vehicles, weapons, and also unique Civil Affairs systems and equipment.
-Training in advanced communication and computer skills.
-How to prepare and interpret charts, maps and written materials.
-Training in how to conduct an assessment of an area of operations.

If you have an interest in working in a team environment, and don’t mind the though of operating in both hostile and permissive environmental conditions then this may be the job for you.  You should have normal hearing and vision, and be open to a job requiring physical activity.