95th Civil Affairs Brigade (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne)


caption=95th Civil Affairs Brigade shoulder sleeve insignia
dates= 2006-03-16 - present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= United States Army
type= Civil Affairs
role= Supporting military commanders by working with civil authorities and civilian populations in the commander’s area of operations during peace and war
size= Brigade
command_structure=United States Army Special Operations Command United States Special Operations Command
garrison=Fort Bragg, North Carolina
garrison_label=
equipment=
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nickname=
patron=
motto= "Advise, Support, Stabilize"
colors=
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march=
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battles=
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decorations=
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current_commander=COL Michael J. Warmack

The 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne) is a civil affairs brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It is the only Active duty civil affairs brigade in the United States Department of Defense. The concept for a civil affairs brigade had been under consideration for years, but was finally approved as a result of the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review. The 95th Civil Affairs Brigade makes up the four percent of US Army civil affairs soldiers in the active component of the force.

Tracing its lineage to a military government group that was active after World War II, the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade was not officially activated until 2006, and remained a provisional unit until 2007. Its creation was part of a US Army plan to increase civil affairs units, and special forces units overall. The brigade is a direct reporting command of the United States Army Special Operations Command, and as such, is airborne qualified. It commands three civil affairs battalions, with a fourth planned to be activated in 2009.

Organization

The 95th Civil Affairs Brigade is directly subordinate to the US Army Special Operations Command based at Fort Bragg. [ [http://www.soc.mil/ca/ca_default.htm US Army Special Operations Command Homepage] , US Army Special Operations Command. Retrieved 08-21-2008.]

The brigade commands three subordinate battalions, with a fourth scheduled for activation in 2009. The 96th Civil Affairs Battalion is aligned with US Army Central Command and headquartered at Fort Bragg along with the brigade headquarters and headquarters company. [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/96ca.htm GlobalSecurity.org: 96th Civil Affairs Battalion] , "GlobalSecurity.org". Retrieved 08-21-2008.] The 98th Civil Affairs Battalion is aligned with United States Southern Command, and the 97th Civil Affairs Battalion is aligned with United States Pacific Command. When activated, the 91st Civil Affairs Battalion will be aligned with United States African Command.

History

Origins

The brigade traces its lineage back to the 95th Military Government Group, activated August 25, 1945. [http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/civaf/0095cabde.htm Lineage and Honors, 95th Civil Affairs Brigade] , US Army Center for Military History. Retrieved 08-21-2008.] The group was assigned to Japan to provide provisional government duties during the post-World War II occupation of Japan. Following its brief assignment, the group was inactivated on June 30, 1946.

The group was reactivated again just prior to the Korean War, on October 29, 1948 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It was dispatched to the Korean peninsula where it remained during three campaigns of the war, receiving three campaign streamers. However, as the war became a long, drawn out stalemate and with no need for the military government group, it was deactivated in Korea on October 28, 1951 in the middle of the war.

The group was again activated on February 9, 1955 at Camp Gordon, Georgia and reorganized into a civil affairs unit. It was formally redesignated the 95th Civil Affairs Group on June 25, 1959. It received a distinctive unit insignia on March 27, 1969. [http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/CivilAffairs/95CivilAffairsBrigade.htm The Institute of Heraldry: 95th Civil Affairs Brigade] The Institute of Heraldry. Retrieved 08-21-2008.] After almost 20 years of active service, the group had seen no deployments to any conflicts or contingencies with the US Army, including never seeing deployment to the Vietnam War. Thus, the group was inactivated on December 21, 1974 at Fort Bragg.

Activation

The US Department of Defense issued its Quadrennial Defense Review on February 6, 2006. [http://www.defenselink.mil/qdr/report/Report20060203.pdf Quadrennial Defense Review Report] , US Department of Defense. Retrieved 08-21-2008.] In this report, the department announced that Special Forces of the US Army would increase in all areas across all branches of the US Military. To support this, the department announced that psychological operations and civil affairs units would be increased by 3,700 soldiers to support Special Forces and other modular units throughout the Army. This would include a large increase of the active component civil affairs, which at the time consisted of only the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion, commanding five company sized units assigned to the major regional commands of the US Army. The decision was made to form a brigade-sized civil affairs unit to act as a command element for the only four active duty battalion sized civil affairs units operating for the active duty US Army. This move would allow the brigade to more quickly prepare its subordinate units for rapid deployment in support of Army contingencies in order to provide tactical support to other Army units. [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/ca-psyop.htm GlobalSecurity.org: Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command] , "GlobalSecurity.org". Retrieved 08-21-2008.] It was decided shortly thereafter that the 95th Civil Affairs Group would be reactivated. [ [http://www.civilaffairsassoc.org/caa_winter_2006_color.pdf Scroll & Sword Volume 59, Issue 1] , Civil Affairs Association. Retrieved 08-21-2008.]

On March 14, 2006, the unit was redesignated as a brigade, thus allowing it a larger, permanent command staff which could support a larger number of subordinate units. On March 16, 2006, Lieutenant General Robert Wagner, the commanding general of the United States Army Special Operations Command, signed the formal activation document authorizing the unit and placing it in carrier status. Thus the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Provisional), was formed. By May, the brigade had 420 staff, with 20 assigned to its Headquarters and Headquarters Company and the remaining 400 assigned to the 96th CA Battalion. [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/95ca-bde.htm GlobalSecurity.org: 95th Civil Affairs Brigade] , "GlobalSecurity.org". Retrieved 08-21-2008.] The brigade is planned to grow to a size of 900 soldiers by 2011. On May 23, 2006, as a result of United States Army Reserve component Civil Affairs elements being reassigned from the United States Army Special Operations Command to the United States Army Reserve Command, the brigade became a direct reporting unit to the United States Special Operations Command. [ [http://www4.army.mil/news/article.php?story=9060 Civil Affairs Psychological Command realigns from SOC to Army Reserve Command] , Army News Service. Retrieved 08-21-2008.] The brigade received its shoulder sleeve insignia on August 15, 2006.

On March 16, 2007, The 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne) was removed from provisional status and fully activated in a ceremony at Fort Bragg. The Brigade took formal command of the 96th CA Battalion and its subordinate units. At the same time, the 97th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) and the 98th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) were formally activated and put under the brigade's command. [ [http://www.civilaffairsassoc.org/caa_winter_2007_color.pdf Scroll & Sword Volume 60, Issue 1] , Civil Affairs Association. Retrieved 08-21-2008.] The brigade was put under the command of Colonel Ferdinand Irizarry. At the same time, the Civil Affairs Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) and Civil Affairs Branch of the US Army were established. [ [http://news.soc.mil/advisories/Press-Media%20Releases/2007/March/070301-01.html MEDIA ADVISORY: 95th Civil Affairs Brigade activation ceremony] , U.S. Army Special Operations Command Public Affairs Office. Retrieved 08-21-2008.]

The 91st Civil Affairs Battalion entered carrier status on March 14, 2008, it will become the fourth subordinate battalion of the brigade in 2009. [http://news.soc.mil/releases/News%20Archive/2008/March/080314-04.html New active duty civil affairs battalion activated] , USASOC News Service. Retrieved 08-21-2008.] On August 1, 2008, the brigade received a new commander, Colonel Michael J. Warmack. [ [http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/07/ap_CAB_073108/ CAB to get new commander] , "Associated Press". Retrieved 08-21-2008.]

Deployment

The brigade headquarters itself has not yet seen deployment to any US military operations worldwide, however its subordinate units have been deployed for several support missions. The 96th CA Battalion deployed units in support of the Iraq War in mid 2007. [http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:zmnS2OiFGk8J:www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/casualties/2007-07-02-july-07-toll_N.htm+%2295th+Civil+Affairs+Brigade%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=38&gl=us July 2007 Troop Deaths in Iraq] , "Associated Press". Retrieved 08-21-2008.] The brigade also had troops deployed in support of special operations units in Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan.Owen, Karla. [http://sinepari.soc.mil/News/2008/August/SP-080821-01.html Wounded Warriors compete in Wyoming] . US Army Special Operations Command. Retrieved 08-21-2008.] The brigade suffered several casualties in Iraq, including two soldiers killed by improvised explosive devices. One of these soldiers, a Major, prompted the State of California to fly its flags at Half staff. [ [http://www.cdva.ca.gov/news/nfv071207.pdf Veterans News] , California Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved 08-21-2008.] It also suffered several casualties which were rehabilitated through the new Wounded Warrior program. The 98th Civil Affairs Battalion also had soldiers deployed to Iraq before its activation in 2008. [http://www.soc.mil/swcs/swmag/Page_Update_98thCA.htm 98th Civil Affairs Battalion Activated] , US Army Special Operations Command. Retrieved 08-21-2008.] Soldiers of this battalion also saw deployments to Africa as well as other areas in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

Honors

Unit decorations

The brigade has never received a unit decoration from the United States military.

Campaign streamers

References

External Links

* [http://www.soc.mil/ca/ca_default.htm 95th Civil Affairs page on the USASOC website]
* [http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/CivilAffairs/95CivilAffairsBrigade.htm The Institute of Heraldry: 95th Civil Affairs Brigade]