The 2021 Civil Affairs Symposium Report revealed critical observations for building a global civil-military network to strengthen alliances and attract new partners, as the war in Ukraine is validating. Among them is how it helps gain and maintain the access and influence that defines positional advantage in strategic competition, providing a wide and continuous feedback loop to enable more effective unified action and superior political-military and civil-military decision-making. A more formal and deliberate global network of civil-military enterprises is long overdue. Whether for major combat operations, irregular warfare, gray zone encounters, or continuous competition with state and non-state actors, advantage falls to those that amass a superior learning network – institutionally as well as operationally.

CA’s greatest value-added, strategically and operationally, has always been in its ability to develop and leverage civil networks, resulting from persistent civil reconnaissance and civil engagement and captured in civil knowledge – by, with, and through a vast array of military and civilian partners. This capacity, however, is now more vital to “winning without fighting by leveraging all elements of national power,” as the Army Chief of Staff paper on competition explains.

In response to the Report’s findings and the 2021-22 Civil Affairs Issue Papers, Roundtable participants will provide organizationally related updates and review what their initiatives and recommendations to maintain continuous liaison and coordination with their counterparts to foster an expanded civil-military learning network. Professional associations will then survey what they are and can be doing from their unique positions to facilitate enterprise learning. The editors of the upcoming book on Civil Affairs in the 21st century, Warrior Diplomats in the New Great Game, will then explain its content and intended impacts. Last, as always is the open discussion on the next annual theme for the 2022-23 Civil Affairs Issue Papers.

Click here for biographies of the speakers. Download the full agenda.