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Civil affairs MOSs being developed for enlisted

The Corps is working to develop several active-duty career fields focused on civil affairs, a need that has emerged as Marines in Afghanistan continue to provide a vital link between their commanders and the local population.

With the plan still in its early stages, it’s not clear how many new military occupational specialties are in the works, exactly what type of work they will entail or how they might affect a Marine’s career path.

The Total Force Structure Division at Marine Corps Combat Development Command is developing the MOSs, but officials there say no decisions have been reached about the plan.

A need is evident, however, and it is likely these MOSs will become primary specialties for enlisted Marines, a first for the service, said Col. Philip Smith, director of the Corps’ Center for Irregular Warfare at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.

For years, the Corps’ civil affairs mission has fallen to the Reserve primarily, with 4th Civil Affairs Group in Washington, D.C., and 3rd CAG at Camp Pendleton, Calif., rotating Marines into and out of theater — to the point it has created something of a strain on the Reserve, officials said. About 100 CAG Marines are currently mobilized in support of overseas operations, said Maj. Paul Greenberg, a spokesman for Marine Forces Reserve.

To help ease the burden, the Corps stood up 5th CAG in 2005 — only to disband it a year later following a deployment in Iraq, Greenberg said. Although there has never been an active-duty CAG, active-duty Marines have been asked to fill that role as the need increased in Iraq and Afghanistan. Artillerymen in Iraq, for instance, often took on civil affairs tasks rather than their regular fire-support mission. But as the need for cannons has returned in Afghanistan, those Marines are once again performing their primary roles.

As part of the Corps’ expansion to 202,000 active-duty Marines, officials increased the number of civil affairs billets by 173, to a total of 202. Most are now filled with Marines who have either earned their secondary MOS in civil affairs or are waiting to attend school to do so.

To put more qualified Marines in the field, Quantico’s Security Cooperation Education and Training Center established a four-week civil affairs course last year for officers and enlisted Marines. The first class graduated in November.

The course takes place quarterly at Camp Upshur, where participants learn to “engage, negotiate and intermediate with village leaders.” After four weeks of training there, Marines earn either the 0530 secondary civil affairs MOS for officers or the 0531 secondary specialty if they are enlisted. The course is not considered pre-deployment training, but the school “recognizes that many graduates will likely deploy in support of [the Afghanistan war Operation Enduring Freedom] … and makes every attempt to prepare the students for the Afghanistan theater,” said 2nd Lt. Brian “Scott” Villiard, a Quantico spokesman.