Civil Affairs Association

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2011 Civil Affairs Board Minutes

  
 

Arlington, Virginia, 29 January 2011

  
 
 
 

 

TO: Directors

Membership

FROM: Dennis A. Wilkie, Secretary-Treasurer

SUBJECT: MINUTES: Civil Affairs Association Board Meeting, 29 Jan 2011 (Arlington Court Suites Hotel, Arlington, Virginia)

DATE: 21 Jan 2012

REF: CAA BOD 2011 Minutes 2011-01-29 03 BE.Doc
 

  1. Call to Order
    1. President Alan King called the meeting to order at 9:00 am.
    2. He asked for a motion to approve the agenda. This was approved.
    3. A motion was asked for approval of the minutes. The minutes were approved as presented.
  2. Attendance
    1. Officers and directors in attendance were:
      1. Ron Bacci, Jack Basil, Bruce Bingham, Michael Boyd, Jim Carr, Basil Catanzaro, Bart Evans, Michael Fagnant, Jan Forman, John Geiger, Sam Gibson, Rob Goulka, Al Grupper, Michael Hess, Wendell Hodgkins, Chris Holshek, Ferdinand Irizarry, Jack Kern, Alan King, Sandra King, Joe Kirlin, Frank Koegl, Irv LIndley, Chuck Mason, Bill McCoy, Joe Meyer, David Mitchell, Kal Oravetz, George Padar, Caroline Pogge, Dan Rubini, Rich Slavin, Phil Stage, Kathleen Tinney, Corine Wegener, Kevin Wiley, Dennis Wilkie, Deloise Wilkie.
    2. Guests attendees included:
      1. David Blackledge, Norm Cotton, Bob Scales, and James Wolff.
  3. Election Report
    1. Wendell Hodgkins reported on the election of directors and officers for the year 2011.
    2. The slate recommended by the nominating committee was elected. There were write-ins for each of the offices.
    3. Persons elected to serve during the year 2011 were
      1. President, Michael Hess, and
      2. Vice Presidents John Geiger, Phil Stage, Corine Wegener, and Kathleen Tinney.
      3. Directors elected to serve for three years beginning in 2011: Michael Boyd, Dennis Cahill, Basil Catanzaro, Damone Garner, Steven Hashem, Chris Holshek, Sandra King, Dennis Klein, Frank Koegl, Michael Kuehr, Chuck Mason, Phillis Mihalas, David Mitchell, George Padar, Frank Ryan, and Kevin Wiley.
    4. President King turned the meeting over to the newly elected president, Michael Hess.
  4. Appointments
    1. President Hess appointed Irv Lindley as Chairman of the Association Executive Committee and Dennis Wilkie as Secretary Treasurer.
    2. He then appointed the Association Executive Committee: Irv Lindley, Phil Stage, John Geiger, Corine Wegener, Kathleen Tinney and Joe Kirlin.
  5. Open discussion
    1. President Hess stated that further discussion of Association business would be deferred until after presentations by invited guest speakers: MG Bob Scales, MG David Blackledge, and COL Ferd Irizarry.
  6. Presentations
    1. MG Bob Scales spoke first.
      1. He based his talk around the concept that the small Army unit is strategically significant. He proposed that squad leaders receive training of the quality given to "Red Flag" or "Top Gun" pilots. He recommended that future small unit training should use simulators and other more sophisticated techniques. The objective is to create a new Soldier and a new level of operation at the small unit level.
    2. The next speaker was MG David Blackledge, Commander of USACAPOC.
      1. He covered a wide variety of topics related to his command.
      2. He first reviewed organizational issues which included the mention of new Civil Affairs battalions planned. He mentioned four new USAR Civil Affairs battalions planned.
      3. He next described the plans for the 85th Civil Affairs Brigade of the Active Component (AC). AC Civil Affairs Battalions are planned for Fort Hood, Fort Stewart, Fort Lewis, and Fort Bragg, which are posts where Army divisions are located. He mentioned that the reporting channel for the 85th was not yet determined.
      4. Operational aspects of USACAPOC were next discussed. Approximately one thousand USACAPOC Soldiers were deployed in January 2011. USAR Civil Affairs Soldiers were a significant percentage of USAR casualties and USAR deaths. He said that in spite of these facts his retention and recruitment were good.
      5. USACAPOC command initiatives include advanced education for personnel at military and civilian schools such as James Madison University. The direct appointment of captains into Civil Affairs, and having Civil Affairs as an accession branch for lieutenants are being discussed with the DA staff. Civil Information Management as an aspect of Civil Affairs is another current initiative.
    3. The next speaker was Colonel (now BG) Ferdinand Irizarry.
      1. He discussed activities of interest at JFKSWCS (SWC). He said that the three regiments at SWC - SF, CA, and MISO (PSYOPS) - were all now in-place. He asked for contributions of slides depicting Civil Affairs operations to put on the SWC website. He said that a Civil Affairs Hall of Fame was being planned for Banks Hall at Fort Bragg.
      2. SWC trains 3400 students a year. The courses taught include: SF Qualification Course, MISO (AC) Qualification Course, and the CA Active Component Officer and NCO Courses (37-43 weeks long).
      3. SWC incorporates "degree program" aspects into its programs by having college courses and college credit courses which lead to bachelor and master degrees. SWC has plans for future courses such as an Advance Leader Course, Senior Leader Course, and Functional Specialty Courses,
    4. COL James Wolff, Commander of the 95th CA Brigade, briefly described activities at his unit.
      1. There are now five battalions in the brigade, with 1320 personnel. The target is for growth to 1900 personnel in 2014.
      2. Medics are being added to the battalions.
      3. 318 unit members were deployed during January 2011.
      4. In SWC is the 3rd Training Battalion which trains CA Soldiers. All Soldiers - AC or RC - receive the same training.
    5. COL Norm Cotton, OASA (Manpower & Reserve Affairs), made brief comments. An issue of importance mentioned was the emphasis of regional orientation for all USAR Soldiers.
  7. Strategic Initiatives
    1. President Michael Hess lead in a discussion of Strategic Initiatives proposed for the Association. Strategic Initiatives reviewed were:
      1. Soldier support,
      2. Family readiness,
      3. Support of the civil affairs regiment,
      4. Awards,
      5. Chapter development,
      6. Financial resources, and
      7. Develop contact with "the hill".
    2. Following a brief group discussion, the group met by committees.
  8. Vice President Reports. Following committee meetings there were presentations by the vice presidents.
    1. Vice president Phil Stage
      1. Stage began with a suggestion that the Association develop goals and objectives.
      2. He then recommended the Association support programs to help Soldiers get jobs.
      3. Suggested ways to do things were to use the website and the Association newsletter.
      4. He encouraged work at the unit chapter level to support Soldiers and their families.
    2. Vice president Corie Wegener
      1. Wagner encouraged an Association annual conference to raise awareness of Civil Affairs issues and recognition of these by the social media. She suggested the Association appoint a public relations person. She encouraged the sharing of information and news on Facebook.
      2. She suggested that the Association reach out overseas to allied Civil Affairs personnel. She suggested the Association assign a person who will serve as an "ambassador" to each Civil Affairs unit.
      3. She suggested that the Association conduct a survey to determine what Soldiers wanted from the Association.
    3. Vice president Kathleen Tinney
      1. Tinney encouraged increased emphasis on programs to create greater esprit de corps.
      2. She recommended that the Association have representatives at unit family readiness meetings.
      3. She also recommended that the Association have a program to tell unit commanders about the Association.
    4. Vice president John Geiger
      1. Geiger discussed several ways the Association could raise funds. Included were corporate contributions, contributions from existing Life Members, and membership dues at sometime in the future.
      2. He also mentioned that the Association should develop a succession plan for the current Secretary Treasurer.
  9. Civil Affairs Corps.
    1. Joe Kirlin, acting in his capacity of the Civil Affairs Corps Committee Chairman, reported Corps news.
      1. He said a Civil Affairs Hall of Fame was planned for Fort Bragg.
      2. Units are asked to nominate persons to be recognized as a Distinguished or Honorary Members of the Civil Affairs Corps Regiment. Currently the Corps Regiment is transitioning from the previous U. S. Army Reserve Corps Regiment to the current U. S. Army Civil Affairs Corps Regiment. Joe encouraged a program for units to tie awards presentations into planned unit events.
  10. Open Discussion
    1. President Hess at this time opened the floor to comments or questions.
      1. Kal Oravetz suggested the Association evaluate and better define its purpose(s).
      2. In a follow-up comment, Jan Forman and Al Grupper asked it the Association had a Mission Statement.
      3. Larry Rubini referred those present to the information on the Association’s website.
      4. Bruce Bingham encouraged visits with the Civil Affairs units to talk to unit leaders and members. He also recommended that the Association enhance its benefits for Soldiers such as personnel awards and recognitions.
  11. Adjournment
    1. President Hess adjourned the meeting at 3:05 pm.
    2. Following this adjournment that was a gathering of Desert Storm alumni to recognize the twentieth anniversary of Operation Desert Storm.

 

Dennis A. Wilkie

Secretary Treasurer

 

  
 

 

  
 
 
 
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