KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany - Europe's first Civil Affairs Qualification Course-Leader Transition graduated 15 senior leaders of the 361st Civil Affairs Brigade at the Kaiserslautern Community Activities Center on Daenner Kaserne here Aug. 27.
The 361st CA Bde. hosted a 29-day course where five instructors facilitated civil affairs instruction and professional development. The students were trained in civil affairs skills and knowledge, organization and employment, populace and resource control, foreign humanitarian assistance, and negotiation, among other tasks.
"I think this was very challenging and informative," said Master Sgt. Jonathan Bailey, a native of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and member of Company C, 457th Civil Affairs Battalion, 7th CSC. "Overall it helped me learn the skills to do my job better as the Civil Military Operation Center noncommissioned officer."
"This one of a kind training program for the 361st Civil Affairs Brigade in Europe was challenging, exciting and extremely rewarding ... to see so many senior leaders engaged and eager to learn was awesome," said Lt. Col. Shelwilbed Wray, a small group instructor, 1st Training Brigade, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne).
"The combination of the in-depth distance learning, extensive classroom instruction and a rigorous culminating exercise provided the students an ideal learning environment to understand civil affairs concepts at both the operational and strategic levels and then to put those concepts into action," said Wray, a native of Leland, Miss.
In the classroom environment, students were challenged to enhance their knowledge and skills for conducting civil affairs mission planning, interactions and briefings. During the culmination exercise, the civil affairs teams performed the various tasks learned in class and applied them to realistic scenarios like hosting meetings with international organizations, nongovernment organizations, international government organizations and local government officials.
The CAQC-LT was developed and implemented by the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, with the support of the 1st Training Bde., USACAPOC (A). The Special Warfare Center and School, USACAPOC (A), and the 1st Training Bde. are all based at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Col. William Butcher, the graduation ceremony guest speaker and the U.S. Garrison Baden-Wuerttenberg commander, spoke on the important resources civil affairs bring to the theater.
"If I could leave you with any words of wisdom it would simply be that you see yourself from this day forward as professional civil affairs officers or noncommissioned officers," said Butcher, "fully trained and equipped to support the commander's mission with the expressed purpose of creating the conditions to gain and maintain trust and confidence - in a word legitimize our ever important objective."
"What a great day for the 361st Civil Affairs Brigade and the civil affairs community," said Col. Friedbert Humphrey, the commander of the 361st CA Bde. and a native of Augsburg, Germany. "Today we are adding another 15 highly trained civil affairs operators to our ranks, giving us an even greater capability to perform our civil affairs missions."
The activation ceremony for the 361st CA Bde. is scheduled for Sept. 17 on Daenner Parade Field, Daenner Kaserne here.
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