SPC Mary Rose
MNC-I PAO
March 22, 2005
CMO
USAR: CAMP VICTORY, Iraq -- The Coalition's civil military operations force has had a large impact on the outcome of Iraq's accomplishments and is continuing the mission of assisting in the future stability of the country.
"Multi-National Corps -- Iraq's civil military operations mission is to establish and maintain supporting relations with Multi-National Force -- Iraq's CMO, Multi-National Division CMOs, the international community, embassies and inner agency elements, in order to facilitate Iraqi governance and economical interdependency," said Lt. Col. Edward Timmons, MNC-I CMO operations officer.
Civil affairs personnel have an extensive range of responsibilities to fulfill. Their scope touches security, governance, economic development and communication. Each of these matters plays a vital role in rebuilding efforts, Timmons said.
Rebuilding a country takes educated personnel, initiative and money, he added.
"Billions of dollars have been spent on the reconstruction of the country," Timmons said.
He said the American government, Iraqi government and ministries within it, non-governmental organizations and the international community have all allocated and spent funds in support of the development of central services, which include electricity, water consumption, infrastructure, sewage, medical aid and education.
"I am very thankful of what has been done and what is being done for my town," said Thabet Taher Hasan, mayor, French Village, Baghdad. Schools were the first priority when the Coalition came into Iraq in 2003, he said.
French village's schools have been reconstructed, electricity has been improved and financial help for a water project and construction of a secondary education school has been approved by the Coalition and Iraqi officials, said Lt. Col. Roberto Garcia, humanitarian assistance officer, 353rd Civil Affairs Battalion, a reserve unit from Staten Island, New York.
Although rebuilding efforts are a vital piece of development, civil affairs also has responsibility for communication between the Iraqi people, the international community and Coalition forces.
"The overall understanding and assistance civil affairs personnel gives to the Coalition commanders is the communication and linkage to each one of the areas of operations in Iraq," Timmons said.
Knowing the culture and having the ability to communicate with the people of Iraq and establish relationships assists commanders in meeting ethical and moral responsibilities.
This prevents the populace from being affected negatively while the Coalition functions in various areas of operations, he added.
Governance has been a primary focus for the CMO. "The greatest highlight under governance is our support and role in the first portions of the Iraqi elections," Timmons said.
"With the outcome of the elections, we are preparing for our mission to change," Timmons said. CMO will establish, influence and maintain relations between coalition military forces, Iraqi organizations and the civil populace, facilitating military operations and to consolidating and achieving coalition objectives.
"Civil affairs forces will continue to support commanders at all levels in targeting and executing civil military operations," he said.
There are approximately 750 civil affairs personnel in Iraq, Timmons said. Civil affairs assets are broken down to support commanders down to the brigade level. "This way commanders can use them for what they need, based on the missions they have in their areas, in order to accomplish the over all mission from the tactical and strategic level," Timmons said.
Civil affairs personnel are trained in many fields including linguistics and cultural advising.
"In terms of skills, we have a very unique skill set -- not only just the language capabilities, but the cultural understanding," Timmons said. "The majority of the people are reservists.
They not only bring a particular military skill, they bring a unique civilian set as well. We have lawyers, attorneys, doctors, physiologists, police officers, bankers and plumbers. (We have) such a wide variety of skills that they make a more valuable team."
Civil affairs personnel aren't the only ones supporting the reconstruction; Iraq's own people have stepped up to the plate to make their country a better place to live.
Iraqi citizens are helping by identifying and turning in individuals who have been recognized as insurgents, Timmons said.
"They are also assisting in the rebuilding of their country. They have a number of contracts themselves," he said.
"The local people are conducting many of their own engineer efforts and are ultimately employing their own people. Iraqi people clearly recognize that this is their country, and they are doing their part in order to rebuild their country," Timmons said.
"We are in a period where Iraqis need to work hand-in-hand. We need all the expertise we can get to rebuild our country," Hasan said. "We need to work hand-in-hand with those who freed us from the old regime who never helped us."
The CMO has many tangible missions, such as schools being raised or bridges being built, but there is another mission that isn't so material -- building relations and understanding between the Coalition and the Iraqis, he said.
Each area in Iraq holds a unique historical element. The entire country has a Biblical relevance in history that has crossed many different religious boundaries, said Timmons.
"The importance of this region is not only critical to the Iraqi people but to all nations."
Remembering that Iraq is now a sovereign country and that the Iraqi's self-reliance will increase is important," he said.
"The Iraqis will have what they think will be a governing process that will work for them," Timmons said. "The actions of the transitional government will be very instrumental in determining what the Iraqi's future can be and (can) have a positive outcome."
"For clarity and understanding, we as Westerners need to understand that however their constitutional process works, it will be their form of democracy, and not necessarily like the United States. Our democracy took over 200 years to be where it is right now," Timmons added.
The Coalition is going to see how the Iraqis operate their own governance and their own democracy as they go through the governmental and constitutional process, Timmons said. "We are going to see what works for them."