Civilian Soldiers and Civil Affairs

If Congress expands the peacetime role ot the civilian soldiers of the United States Army Reserve (USAR) and Army National Guard (ARNG) and effectively integrates them into a seamless Total Force, it will not only provide the resources required for operations other than war, but also help change the outdated paradigm of the soldier and the state.

The reservist, of civilian soldier, has always been a major component of the Total Force, but budget constraints and a new strategic environment that emphasizes civil-military relations require even more effective integration and utilization of civilian soldiers in the new Total Force.

Civilian soldiers are the bridge between the authoritarian military and the civilian society it must serve. They are the lubricant that eases the friction of civil-military relations. They also provide many of the civilian skills needed by diplomat warriors in operations other than war.

Reservists help mobilize public support required for the legitimacy of peacetime military activities. Any time reservists are part of military operations, so is the American public; and assuming the other requirements of military legitimacy are met, public support is assured. This was evident in the strong public support for Desert Shield/Storm which relied heavily on the reservists, in contrast to the lack of public support for the Vietnam conflict where relatively few reservists were involved. Restore Hope was more like Vietnam than Desert Shield/Storm.

Thousands of reservists were mobilized for the Gulf War, but such mobilizations are not practical for operations other than war, Reservists must be more effectively integrated in the new Total Force, not only as a contingent wartime combat reserve but also as part-time peacetime diplomat warriors. In fact, the term 'reservist' is a misnomer for those civilian soldiers with continuing peacetime missions.

Any US capability for operations other than war must rely on CA civilian soldiers for civil-military activities, since 97 per cent of the CA force structure is in the Army Reserve.² CA diplomat warriors bring to peacetime operations valuable skills in law enforcement (public safety), public health, public administration, public relations, engineering, civil law and religion. These are only seven of the 20 CA functional areas that mirror essential government services that are critical in nation assistance.³

The combination of political and diplomatic skills with traditional military leadership make CA officers well suited for all civil-military activities. Within the Army officer corps they exemplify the diplomat warrior and give credence to the new paradigm of the political soldier. In transitional nations they can help improve civil-military relations by advising their counterpart officers on the role of the military in a democractic society.