The Civil Affairs Association has produced a revised strategic communications tool to educate multiple audiences on civil affairs in order to promote advocacy for the Civil Affairs Regiment. Under the new tagline of “Strengthening the Regiment to Secure the Victory,” the Association’s briefing is designed to be used by members of the Regiment to explain the many strategic as well as operational values-added of CA to Army and Joint commanders, policymakers including members of Congress, partner organizations, and the public and media at large.
Among its key messages is how civil affairs is a national strategic capability to consolidate military and security gains into political and civil outcomes – before, during, and after decisive military action. The majority of the briefing, released just in time for the Civil Affairs Centennial kicking off at Ft. Bragg, NC later this month, helps audiences with various levels of understanding: what is civil affairs; why is it so important; and, who are they and what do they do?
The second part of the presentation explains how the Civil Affairs Association helps to strengthen the Civil Affairs Regiment (which consists of all civil affairs forces in the Army and Marines) to win and not just fight the nation’s wars – or to “secure the victory,” which is the Regiment’s motto.
The copious briefing notes, designed to help prepare the briefer rather than be recited, can be be used, in addition to background information on specific slides in the Association briefing, as material to write papers and articles, letters to elected officials, partners, and potential advocates and donors.
While this is the basic structure of the presentation, it may be modified to suite the interests of specific audiences and emphasize messages appropriate for those audiences. The slides, however, may not be modified without Association permission.
