Charting the Course for Civil Affairs in the New Normal

Abstract : Civil affairs (CA) and civil-military operations (CMO) have been an important area of United States military operations for much of the nations history. While theapplication and manifestation of CMO have changed over time, civil affairs personnel have always conducted activities aimed at coordinating integration between military and non-military instruments of power.1 Such activities range from humanitarian assistance operations, to civil governance, to infrastructure improvements. U.S. joint doctrine defines CMO as follows: Civil Military Operations are the activities of a commander performed by designated civil affairs or other military forces that establish, maintain, influence, or exploit relationships between military forces and indigenous populations and institutions (IPI), by directly supporting the attainment of objectives relating to the reestablishment or maintenance of stability within a region or host nation (HN).2