The Center for Army Lessons Learned recently published Civil Affairs Task Force: Conducting Stability Operations in the Division Rear Area During the Offense.
This paper was co-authored by Robert Schafer, Editor in Chief of the Civil Affairs Association's Eunomia Journal.
From the Introduction:
"As maneuver units successfully execute offensive operations, the rear area of the division will extend in depth; it will include previously contested population centers. The division commander must then have the means to address threats to friendly forces and stability. Often at the National Training Center (NTC), BCTs will assume risk and not conduct minimum-essential stability operations tasks during the offense because of operations tempo. Instead, they focus more on the close and deep fight. For the division to fulfill these stability operations tasks, this article contends the civil affairs
task force (CATF) is a way for the division to support rear operations during the offense.
For the CATF to be successful, the division needs to establish transition requirements for the next lower level of command. Additionally, to properly resource the CATF, the division may need to re-task-organize forces other than civil affairs (CA) to achieve a desired end state. Furthermore, the division needs to establish support relationships to sustain the CATF. Finally, the division also needs to consider the limitations of CA forces. Before discussing a way to employ the CATF, it is important to define the rear area, minimum-essential stability operations tasks, CATF, and support to civil administration (SCA)."
The full paper can be found online at:
A copy is posted in the Civil Affairs Association's reference library: