Implications of the 2006 Reassignment of U.S. Army Civil Affairs

Abstract

Abstract : This paper examines the history leading up to the October 1, 2006 reassignment of most U.S. Army Civil Affairs (CA) forces from U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) to the Army, and discusses the implications of this action on the future of the U.S. Army Civil Affairs branch in support of both conventional and special operations forces (SOF). Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld made the decision to move the majority of the CA force -- those in the U.S. Army Reserve -- to the Army and re-designate them as no longer SOF, over the objections of both his civilian and uniformed advisors. While Secretary Rumsfeld's decision was probably flawed in its conception, it certainly was flawed in its implementation. Unintended consequences included less than optimal CA support to both conventional forces and SOF, and a split in the CA branch between active and reserve component members. This paper examines strategic leadership decision-making flaws leading to that action, flaws in the implementation of the action, and unintended consequences of the action as they affect the future of the Army Civil Affairs branch. In light of increasing requirements to conduct civilian-military operations as part of stability operations in an era of persistent conflict, the paper proposes a strategy to ensure that Army Civil Affairs forces can meet the demands of both conventional and special operations forces.