Exercises and Experiments

Civilian Response Operations

Exercise Austere Challenge 2009

A member of the Civilian Response Corps discusses his agenda during the largest EUCOM exercise in history, Austere Challenge 2009, which brought together unprecedented numbers of reconstruction and stabilization experts from the eight member agencies of the Civilian Response Corps.

The Office of the Coordinator for Reconstuction & Stablization (S/CRS) manages the Civilian Response Corps, a new USG civilian capability to respond to stabilization emergencies, and is responsible for recruitment, training, personal equipment and deployment. The Corps provides unique and highly demanded capacity not available elsewhere in the U.S. Government and is the home-base for interagency, rapidly deployable, crisis response experts.

Training and Strategy Division

Training and Strategy is responsible for Civilian Response Corps doctrine, especially force size and structure, employment, and training of Corps and other agency staff involved in reconstuction and stablization (R&S) operations. The doctrine team refines and trains methodologies, structures, and tools in order to improve the effectiveness of whole-of-government responses to countries at risk of, in, or emerging from conflict. This team is the U.S. repository for interagency conflict transformation expertise.

Exercise and Experiments Unit

Established to coordinate S/CRS exercise and experimentation efforts, the unit is tasked with managing exercise involvement and the required resources. Criteria for S/CRS involvement include:

• Exercising comprehensive U.S. Government Interagency Planning Framework
• Exercising the Interagency Conflict Assessment Framework as part of R&S interagency planning process
• Integrating Stability Sector Tasks into whole-of-government planning for Conflict Transformation
• Interagency Reconstruction and Stabilization Operations
• Exercising R&S resource management (e.g., donor coordination, contract/program management etc.)
• Continuing to refine civil-military interface mechanisms at all levels

Civilian Participation

A wide variety of events present opportunities for participation in exercises. These events are useful for both civilian and military participants, though those with more robust civilian participation have helped to reflect the larger role civilians are likely to play in real crises. Furthermore, an imbalance of civilian and military personnel does not allow exercise participants to fully realize important concepts and processes. The truly successful exercise utilizes a fully-coordinated approach to civilian participation and, as a result, is likely to develop a more productive interagency team.

Key criteria for considering exercises for full-fledged interagency participation include:

1. Exercises that include a significant focus on reconstruction and stabilization;
2. Exercises that will have the greatest impact on both civilian and military learning; and
3. Exercises that permit active civilian participation in the concept development phase.

Other considerations include availability of personnel and cost.

More Information

For more information, contact:

Matt Treadgold
Exercise and Experiments Team
TreadgoldMD@state.gov
202-663-0324

Thomas Oakley
Civ-Mil Team
OakleyTE@state.gov
202-663-0324