Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Jessica Littlejohn | An officer from Bravo Company, 80th Civil Affairs Battalion, 85th Civil Affairs...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas — An officer from Bravo Company, 80th Civil Affairs Battalion, 85th Civil Affairs Brigade, attended the Civil-Military Co-operation Centre of Excellence in The Hague, Netherlands, for civil affairs training March 16-27.
The CCOE is a NATO affiliated institution charged with teaching Soldiers of various nations and civilians from several International Organizations how to work together towards a common goal of stability.
The two-week CIMIC course included lectures on good governance, culture competence, negotiation training and ended with a scenario-based deployment exercise, said attendee Army Cpt. Patrick Passewitz, team leader from Bravo Company, 80th Civil Affairs Battalion, 85th Civil Affairs Brigade.
During the first week of training, a lecture was given on how economic systems can impact social issues. Passewitz said he learned about how black markets may not necessarily be a bad thing.
“Sometimes when we go over to those different societies, trade or bartering is a big source,” said Passewitz. “It’s just that people are countering and surviving. If we [civil affairs] want to shut down a black market, it may not be the most beneficial thing because its going to have second or third order effects to hurt the population that we are trying to help.”
During the second week of training the course incorporated a mock deployment in support of a UN resolution. Passewitz was apart of the Field Worker Course, which was taught simultaneously with the Staff Worker Course and Functional Specialist Course.
“As much as I learned in the classroom, I was learning equally as much at the coffee machine or breakfast table from my NATO peers,” said Passewitz.
He said the Field Worker course housed a mock CIMIC center, which was considered a complaint department where citizens could go to air their grievances within the community. Once a complaint was made, it was transferred to the staff workers and then to the Functional Specialist that housed lawyers and doctors to help the citizens come up with a solution for their complaints.
The CIMIC course is important to build rapport with NATO partners and foreign militaries, said Maj. Patricia C. Peterson, Bravo Company commander, 80th Civil Affairs Battalion, 85th Civil Affairs Brigade. She is excited to continue the relationship and send more of her Soldiers, maybe even have cyber classrooms for training in the future.
Passewitz said the training was invaluable. The relationships that he formed with other foreign militaries will help him when planning for upcoming missions to Europe.
“This was one of the best professional learning experiences because nowhere can a school replicate 13 nations in a group setting with various experiences and ideas,” said Passewitz. “The perspective of NATO and the UN is irreplaceable. Our European partners truly embrace the mutual defense of NATO and are the main forces supporting UN resolutions.”
| Date Taken: | 04.17.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.20.2015 18:58 |
| Story ID: | 160625 |
| Location: | EL PASO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 139 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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