“Civil Affairs: A Force for Winning without Fighting”
Among the major findings in the last Civil Affairs Issue Papers is that, whether for large-scale combat operations, irregular warfare, or continuous great power competition, advantage falls to those who consistently amass a superior learning network. The war in Ukraine is affirming this. Institutionally as well as operationally, this comes from a continual process of building civil-military networks that strengthen alliances and attract new partners. The resulting advantages help defeat adversaries more quickly and decisively, consolidate and shape a more favorable post-conflict environment, and prevent or deter conflict. As a Modern War Institute article and the new book, Warrior-Diplomats argue, in order to win without fighting, the Army and joint force must see forces like CA as maneuver forces in the psycho-cultural spaces of war. CA soldiers are the moral warriors who gain, maintain, and deny political, narrative, and perceptual positional advantages in the human dimension. They are more than mere “force multipliers” or “enablers.” The Army and joint force must therefore organize, manage, and resource CA forces with the same institutional as well as operational seriousness as combat forces. The enjoining concept is an active rather than passive understanding of "readiness" in the constant forward presence of CA. As the premier moral maneuver force in the human dimension to win without fighting, CA and its CIMIC partners provide civil-military situational understanding, strategic early warning, and superior politico-military decision-making through continuous civil reconnaissance, engagement, civil networking, and knowledge integration.
Based on the above observations, those from conflict areas like Ukraine and regional competition, as well as newly emerging policies, doctrines frameworks, etc., how should the institutions of the expanded Civil Affairs Corps integrate its capabilities to become a better force to win without fighting? Given new Army operations doctrine, including multi-domain operations (MDO), the designation of CA as an “information force,” and what NATO calls “cognitive warfare,” what changes in doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy should take place within and beyond current capacities? How should they be prioritized and implemented? What levels of multinational, interagency, joint coordination will be required?
To address the above, the Civil Affairs Association and its partners invite civil-military professionals to send original issue papers prepared in accordance with the Civil Affairs Issue Paper Guidelines. In addition to the Issue Papers, OneCA, Eunomia Journal, or the Research Library, authors should consider sourcing the Association of the United States Army, NATO CIMIC Center of Excellence, Modern War Institute, U.S. Army Peacekeeping & Stability Operations Institute, Joint Special Operations University, and Joint Civil-Military Interaction Network. The top five papers will appear in the 2022-23 Civil Affairs Issue Papers, presented at the 14-16 November 2022 CA Symposium.
The top three presented papers will receive cash awards of: 1st prize, $1,000; 2nd prize, $500; and 3rd prize, $250. Selection is based on: quality of response to the call for papers and Guidelines; relevance and originality; discussion clarity and sourcing of argument; and feasibility and strategic impact of recommendations. Papers prepared jointly among interorganizational professionals are most welcome.
Send them to papers@civilaffairsassoc.org no later than Friday, 9 September 2022.
For more, download the full call for papers here.