The 440th Civil Affairs Battalion, the newest battalion of the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command, activates at Fort Carson Sept. 15.
With the overall manpower goal near 200 Soldiers, the battalion is still recruiting qualified individuals.
"We're looking for motivated individuals (to join)," said Capt. Ivan Nunez, operations officer, 440th Civil Affairs Bn.
Nunez said interested Soldiers should have and be able to maintain a security clearance, be able to meet height and weight standards and have the aptitude to learn a foreign language.
"We are a bit more academic than the average Army unit," said Maj. George Meyer, officer-in-charge of 440th Civil Affairs Bn.
Meyer said 92 percent of Soldiers in civil affairs are reservists with backgrounds in medical, legal, public safety and engineering fields. Soldiers have degrees in economics, anthropology, computer science and history.
"We provide support to maneuver commanders with respect to the civil component of an operational environment," Nunez said.
Soldiers in civil affairs teams are responsible for providing an area commander with cultural expertise of the indigenous population within the area of operation. Soldiers are responsible for gathering information on key elements of a location including local government, public health, economic stability, regional security and infrastructure.
Soldiers act as a liaison between the commander, the local populace and numerous aid organizations in order to solve key problems that threaten regional stability.
Nunez said Soldiers of the 440th Civil Affairs Bn. are assigned to Pacific Command, which consists of 36 countries including Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Mongolia.
The unit continues to support overseas contingency operations and faces one of the highest operation tempos in the Army, deploying every 20 months on average. Soldiers in civil affairs teams can also be tasked to do missions in other regional commands around the world including South America, Afghanistan and Africa.
"When people hear that we're reservists, they go, 'Oh, you're in the (Reserve), you just work weekends,'" said Meyer. "That weekend warrior persona is gone. We're very integrated."
Meyer said working in civil affairs offers great opportunities for Soldiers to continue their professional development. Opportunities for Army schools such as Air Assault, Airborne and the Defense Language Institute are available for qualified Soldiers. There are also many opportunities for promotion for both noncommissioned officers and officers.
Soldiers interested in becoming a part of 440th Civil Affairs Bn. may visit the unit Facebook page, call 719-524-5043, or stop by the battalion 7335 Womack St., building 3450, on the second floor.
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