Book Excerpt: “Warrior Diplomats: Civil Affairs Forces on the Front Lines” edited by Arnel David, Sean Acosta, and Nicholas Krohley.
The following is an excerpt from Warrior Diplomats: Civil Affairs Forces on the Front Lines edited by Arnel David, Sean Acosta, and Nicholas Krohley.
The earliest references to Civil Affairs activities are found in accounts of General Winfield Scott’s negotiations in the Black Hawk War and of the treatment of Mexican citizens in the Mexican-American War in the 1830s and 1840s. In this context, military leaders were mindful of the indigenous perspective and used this understanding to win wars and secure peace. A century later, World War II was, arguably, the peak of Civil Affairs’s prominence in the US military, as Civil Affairs forces conducted military governance operations throughout Europe and North Africa as contested terrain transitioned from Nazi control. This was pivotal in the Allies’ ability to consolidate military gains into political outcomes in a post-combat environment.
Historical reference points are helpful to understand the evolution of Civil Affairs, but they must not serve as anchors that define this capability. Civil Affairs has evolved into something more dynamic and versatile. The United States is engaged in a multifront competition with numerous adversaries, wherein it must maintain global influence through military and diplomatic engagement, economic investments, and in the information environment. Civil Affairs personnel have a critical role to play in each of these efforts. The most important task is to understand civil considerations, identify friendly and neutral civil networks, and then engage those networks on behalf of the Department of Defense—a capability replicated by no other element of US armed forces.
The contemporary Civil Affairs role is far closer to that of the Corps of Discovery than the examples cited above relating to the Mexican-American War or World War II. Following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson charged two military officers to lead an expedition through this newly acquired land. The mission was to map a route to the Pacific Ocean, open up trade with indigenous tribes, and study terrain, plants, and wildlife. Though not technically Civil Affairs officers (as the branch had yet to be established), the historic mission of Captain Meriweather Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark captures the essence of modern Civil Affairs: conducting civil reconnaissance and mapping human networks for the purpose of engagement on behalf of the United States government.
Embarking from St. Louis, Missouri, Lewis and Clark were charged with a unique set of responsibilities, nestled somewhere between those of a soldier and a diplomat. As they traveled westward toward the Pacific Ocean, the territory became unknown and rugged, with indigenous tribes known to violently attack outsiders encroaching on their land. President Jefferson knew this type of mission required military men capable not only of traveling in a small unit safely across the landscape but also of interacting with the indigenous tribes and conveying the interests of the government to tribal leaders. This mission required characters adept in both military and diplomatic matters. Possessing the aforementioned skills, the members of the Corps of Discovery were the original warrior diplomats.
Throughout their journey, the members of the expedition convinced numerous tribes to travel to Washington, DC, to meet with President Jefferson. These tribes included the Oto, Sioux, Nez Perce, Shoshone, Missouri, Mandan, and others. Some engagements lasted only a day, whereas others saw the team living among tribes for months at a time. Expedition members kept meticulous notes, highlighting each tribe’s culture and the negotiation techniques that yielded successful results. Furthermore, the expedition mapped the physical terrain, including plants, animals, and any other information about the environment deemed important by the mission.
Today, Civil Affairs forces map infrastructure, organizations, cultural dynamics, important people, and more. These insights are as valuable today to commanders and interagency partners as Lewis and Clark’s reports were to Congress and the president. The Civil Affairs mission is thus far from new or novel. On the contrary, its roots reach deep in the history of the United States and its military. Some have forgotten its importance, however, and the capability has been relegated. As the United State rebalances and refocuses within a new strategic paradigm, it is vital that the US military rediscovers the value of Civil Affairs—and that Civil Affairs itself is ready to rise to the challenge.
Warrior Diplomats: Civil Affairs Forces on the Front Lines edited by Arnel David, Sean Acosta, and Nicholas Krohley is available in print and digital formats. It is in the Rapid Communications in Conflict and Security (RCCS) Series (General Editor: Geoffrey R. H. Burn).
Arnel P. David is a colonel in the US Army and a PhD student at King’s College London. He has a mix of conventional and special operations assignments with six combat tours of duty in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Pacific. He holds masters’ degrees from the University of Oklahoma and the US Army Command and General Staff College Local Dynamics of War Scholar Program. He is coauthor of Military Strategy in the 21st Century.
Nicholas Krohley (PhD, King’s College London) is the Principal of FrontLine Advisory and a specialist in civil reconnaissance. He is an advisor on the human domain of conflict and competition, working with the US government and its allies worldwide. Dr. Krohley has published widely in military journals and is the author of The Death of the Mehdi Army: The Rise, Fall, and Revival of Iraq’s Most Powerful Militia.
Sean Acosta is a senior noncommissioned officer in the US Army. He has deployed multiple times to Southwest Asia, the Caribbean, and Africa in support of special operations missions. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Norwich University. He was a founding member and co-editor-in-chief of the Eunomia Journal, a publication focused on the human domain and the military forces operating within it.