489th Civil Affairs Battalion

Last updated
489th Civil Affairs Battalion
489 CA Bn DUI.png
Distinctive Unit Insignia
Active1945–46
1955–present
CountryUnited States
BranchFlag of the United States Army.svg  United States Army
Size Battalion
Part of354th CA Brigade, 352nd CA Command, USACAPOC(A)
Garrison/HQ Isham C. Hewgley United States Army Reserve Center
Nickname(s)"Volunteer Battalion" (unofficial)
Motto(s)VIS AMPLIFICANS VIM
Engagements Operation Iraqi Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom
DecorationsMeritorious Unit Commendation (5)
Army Superior Unit Award (2)
Valorous Unit Award
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Commanders
Current
commander		LTC Malik Douglas
Insignia
USACAPOC shoulder sleeve insignia Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command shoulder sleeve insignia.png

The 489th Civil Affairs Battalion is a civil affairs (CA) unit of the United States Army Reserve (USAR) located at the US Army Reserve Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, part of the 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, 352nd Civil Affairs Command. [1] [2] In turn the 354th CA Brigade is part of United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (USACAPOC). The 489th is composed of Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) and its four tactical companies, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta. The unit was activated for service during World War II, Bosnia, Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), and the Iraq War.

Contents

Civil Affairs

Civil Affairs Soldiers work with local governments and international humanitarian organizations to rebuild infrastructure and restore stability in areas stricken by war or natural disasters. [3]

They have unique training, skills and experience. Most of the Army's Civil Affairs forces are in the Reserve component, and these Citizen-Soldiers possess finely honed skills practiced daily in the civilian sector as educators, police officers, firemen, veterinarians, nurses, machinists and machine repairmen, landscapers, construction workers, aircraft mechanics, and as an aid to a state representative.

History

World War II

1945 the unit was founded as the 489th Military Government HHC at the Presidio of Monterey in California. The Presidio of Monterrey served as the central mobilization and holding site for all Military Government and Civil Affairs forces from all branches of service (mainly US Navy and US Army) in response to the realization for a need to successfully manage the occupations of Europe and Japan for reconstruction. The training center was named the Civil Affairs Staging Area (CASA). [4]

Redesignation

1955 the unit was redesignated as the 489th Military Government Company under the Army Reserve, with its new home in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Panama and Desert Storm: 1989–92

1990 the 489th CA BN deployed to Panama to part of the United States invasion of Panama, the post-invasion civil-military operation designed to stabilize the situation, support the U.S.-installed government. The operation was originally planned as Operation Blind Logic, but was renamed "Operation Promote Liberty" by the Pentagon on the eve of the invasion. [5]

In 1991 the 489th Military Government Company became the 489th Civil Affairs Battalion and was assigned to United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command. Shortly afterwards, the 489th was sent to the Middle East after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. It was seemingly assigned to VII Corps. [6]

Operation Iraqi Freedom: 2004 to 2008

The 489th deployed in 2004, 2007, and again in 2008 to the Iraq War. During this time in Iraq, the battalion worked closely with the local Iraqi population and Iraqi Police. The battalion's teams managed to ensure that the locals had access to drinking water, and food by helping with building wells, building irrigation canals, and instructed proper food transportation and storage. The 489th was also responsible for building schools, and medical facilities. The battalion both helped build up the infrastructure to support the Iraqi population but was also responsible for providing thousands of jobs to the locals.

Soldiers from the 489th Civil Affairs Battalion inspect the progress in the construction of a new school. Defense.gov News Photo 020908-F-0365G-001.jpg
Soldiers from the 489th Civil Affairs Battalion inspect the progress in the construction of a new school.

War in Afghanistan

In 2002, the 489th deployed to Afghanistan at the beginning of the War in Afghanistan (2001-2021). It served under the Combined Joint Civil-Military Operations Task Force from 2002 to July 2003. [7]

While in Afghanistan, the unit was given perhaps the most challenging mission ever entrusted to a USAR battalion, requiring it to operate in small Coalition Humanitarian Liaison Cells (CHLCs) across a combat zone the size of Texas. CHLCs consisted of six to twelve personnel from the battalion. "The CHLCs became the backbone of the U.S. coalition’s effort to rebuild Afghanistan. They worked with U.S. and coalition government and non-governmental organizations on the reconstruction of 15 medical facilities, 77 schools, 205 wells and more than 300 kilometers of irrigation canals. To do the actual labor, the CHLCs hired more than 18,000 Afghan workers." [8] After nearly 10 months in Afghanistan the battalion implemented more than 120 quick-impact reconstruction projects worth $6 million, according to a Meritorious Unit Citation. [8]

Each of the CHLCs "..was co-located with ODA teams – civil affairs team alphas (CAT-As) to be exact. In addition to that, [the battalion] also had other government agencies which, nine times out of 10, all had to do with law enforcement of some type. [The battalion] had some from the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the Drug Enforcement Agency and the FBI." [9]

The 489th Civil Affairs Battalion also provided civil affairs support along the Pakistani border. The 489th had teams accompany units from the 82nd Airborne, 101st Air Assault and 10th Mountain Divisions, as well as the British Royal Marines and United States Army Special Forces. The 489th Civil Affairs Battalion deployed again to Afghanistan in 2011. Building relationships with the local Afghan population is very important for the US Military forces and so, showing hospitality is not only important in US culture but also Afghan culture.

In 2006, the battalion continued to support Operation Enduring Freedom in the Horn of Africa. In 2021 the USACAPOC mission redirected its focus from United States Central Command to United States Africa Command.

The Civil Affairs Association website as of March 2023 states the battalion is located at the US Army Reserve Center, 1334 East Weisgarber Road, Knoxville, Tennessee TN 37909-2610. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defence Forces of Georgia</span> Combined military forces of Georgia

The Defence Forces of Georgia, or Georgian Defence Forces (GDF), are the combined military forces of Georgia, tasked with the defence of the nation's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. They consist of the Land Force, Air Force, National Guard, and Special Operations Forces. The Defence Forces are under overall leadership of the Minister of Defence of Georgia and directly headed by the Chief of Defence Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Provide Comfort</span> 1991–96 Coalition effort to provide food and shelter to Kurdish refugees of the Gulf War

Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations initiated by the United States and other Coalition nations of the Persian Gulf War, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurdish refugees fleeing their homes in northern Iraq in the aftermath of the Gulf War, and to deliver humanitarian aid to them. The no-fly zone instituted to help bring this about would become one of the main factors allowing the development of the autonomous Kurdistan Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort McCoy (Wisconsin)</span> US Army Reserve installation

Fort McCoy is a United States Army Reserve installation on 60,000 acres (24,000 ha) between Sparta and Tomah, Wisconsin, in Monroe County. In 1909, there were two separate camps named Camp Emory Upton and Camp Robinson; in 1926, these camps were joined together to form Camp McCoy. Since its creation in 1909, the post has been used primarily as a military training center. A part of Fort McCoy is also used by the Wisconsin State Patrol as a training facility.

Civil Affairs (CA) is a term used by both the United Nations and by military institutions, but for different purposes in each case.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command</span> Functional command of the U.S. Army Reserve Command

The United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), USACAPOC(A), or CAPOC was founded in 1985 and is headquartered at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. USACAPOC(A) is composed mostly of U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers in units throughout the United States. The size of the Command is nearly 13,500 Soldiers, which is 76% of the Department of Defense's Civil Affairs forces and 63% of Psychological Operations forces. The current Commanding General is Major General Isaac Johnson Jr., who assumed command in August 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">95th Civil Affairs Brigade</span> U.S. Army civil affairs and special operations force

The 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne) is a Special Operations civil affairs brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. The concept for a civil affairs brigade had been under consideration for years, but was finally approved as a result of the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review. The 95th Civil Affairs Brigade makes up a significant portion of the four percent of civil affairs soldiers in the active component.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee Air National Guard</span> Military unit

The Tennessee Air National Guard is the aerial militia of the State of Tennessee, United States of America. It is, along with the Tennessee Army National Guard, an element of the Tennessee National Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">43rd Sustainment Brigade</span> Military unit

The 43rd Sustainment Brigade was re-designated the 4th Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division effective 9 July 2015. a U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) combat service support unit stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. The Brigade motto is "Provide with Pride". The Brigade call sign is "Rough Riders". The 43rd Sustainment Brigade has deployed overseas to Somalia, Cuba, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. On 9 July 2015 the 43rd Sustainment Brigade was inactivated. Subordinate units were reassigned to the 4th Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">411th Civil Affairs Battalion (United States)</span> Military unit

411th Civil Affairs Battalion (Tactical) is a civil affairs (CA) unit of the United States Army. It is based at Danbury, Connecticut. The unit includes Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Headquarters (HHC) Companies, all located in Danbury. The battalion has been involved in almost every conflict or major operation since Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989, most recently serving in the Horn of Africa from 2016 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">412th Engineer Command (United States)</span> Engineering command within the U.S. Army Reserve Command

The 412th Theater Engineer Command is a United States Army Reserve unit that conducts theater-level engineer operations for Eighth U.S. Army, Korea; U.S. Army Europe; and U.S. Army Pacific, supports continental U.S. – based engineer requirements as directed, and is prepared to participate in Joint and Combined regional contingency operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">420th Engineer Brigade (United States)</span> Military unit

The 420th Engineer Brigade (Corps) is a combat engineer brigade of the United States Army based in Bryan, Texas. It is a United States Army Reserve formation and is subordinate to the 416th Theater Engineer Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)</span> Military unit

The 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)(formerly: 143rd Transportation Command), is one of seven general officer sustainment commands in the United States Army Reserve. It has command and control of more than 10,000 Army Reserve Soldiers throughout the southeastern United States in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. It is made up of more than 100 Army Reserve units whose missions are diverse and logistical in nature. The mission of the 143rd ESC is to provide command and control of sustainment forces and to conduct sustainment, deployment, redeployment and retrograde operations in support of U.S. and multinational forces. The mission of the 143rd when not deployed is to ensure readiness of the soldiers under its command and control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">97th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne)</span> Military unit

The 97th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) is a civil affairs battalion of the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne) based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It is a member of the only active duty Special Operations Civil Affairs unit in the United States Department of Defense. The concept for a Civil Affairs brigade had been under consideration for years, but was finally approved as a result of the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">416th Engineer Command (United States)</span> Engineering command within the U.S. Army Reserve Command

The 416th Theater Engineer Command is a United States Army Reserve command that conducts theater-level engineer operations for US Army Central Command, US Army Southern Command, supports continental U.S. – based engineer requirements as directed, and is prepared to participate in Joint and Combined regional contingency operations. It is also the higher command headquarters for the US Army Facility Engineer Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">513th Military Intelligence Brigade</span> Military unit

The 513th Military Intelligence Brigade is a unit of the United States Army and subordinate to the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command. Its mission is to provide "tailored, multi-disciplined intelligence and intelligence capabilities in support of ARCENT and other Commands, to defeat adversaries, promote regional stability, support partners and allies, and protect US interests." The 513th is headquartered at Fort Eisenhower, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">96th Civil Affairs Battalion</span> Military unit

The 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) is a civil affairs battalion of the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne) based at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. It is a member of the only Active duty United States special operations forces civil affairs brigade in the United States Department of Defense. The concept for a civil affairs brigade had been under consideration for years, but was finally approved as a result of the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CENTCOM Materiel Recovery Element</span> Military unit

CENTCOM Materiel Recovery Element (CMRE) is a military organization tasked with conducting materiel reduction and engineer deconstruction operations in Afghanistan for the purpose of saving valuable military equipment and returning operating bases to local land owners, the Afghan Local Police (ALP), or the Afghan National Army (ANA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">490th Civil Affairs Battalion</span> Military unit

The 490th Civil Affairs Battalion is a civil affairs (CA) unit of the United States Army Reserve located at the Grand Prairie Armed Forces Reserve Complex in Grand Prairie, Texas and organized under the 321st Civil Affairs Brigade, 350th Civil Affairs Command, United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) or USACAPOC. The 490th is composed of Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) and its four tactical companies, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta. The unit was activated for service during World War II, the Berlin Crisis, and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">151st Theater Information Operations Group</span> Military unit

The 151st Theater Information Operations Group, or 151st TIOG, is an Information Operations formation of the United States Army Reserve, headquartered at Fort Totten, New York. Founded in 2009, the 151st TIOG is the only Theater Information Operations Group in the U.S. Army Reserve. It is composed mostly of Army Reserve Soldiers in two battalions based out of Parks Reserve Forces Training Area, Fort George G. Meade, and Fort Totten. The current commander is Colonel Jonathan Steinbach, who assumed command in July 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">353d Civil Affairs Command</span> Military unit

The 353rd Civil Affairs Command organizes, trains, and equips assigned Civil Affairs forces to mobilize, deploy, and conduct civil military operations. On order, the 353rd Civil Affairs Command organizes, trains, and equips assigned Civil Affairs forces to mobilize, deploy, conduct civil military operations, and redeploy in order to support Geographic Combatant Commander mission requirements with focus on the US Africa and US European Command areas of responsibility.

References

  1. ↑ "Army RC Units". Civil Affairs Association. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  2. ↑ "352nd CACOM". www.usar.army.mil. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  3. ↑ "THE CIVIL AFFAIRS' VIBRANT RESPONSE". www.army.mil. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  4. ↑ US Army CSGS (1963). "History of the Civil Affairs Holding and Staging Area Parts 1 and 2". US Army.
  5. ↑ Yates, Lawrence (May–June 2005). "Panama, 1988–1990: The Discontent between Combat and Stability Operations" (PDF). Military Review. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  6. ↑ Thomas Dinackus, Order of Battle, Chart 2–8.
  7. ↑ "A Different Kind of War," 332.
  8. 1 2 "Back From Afghanistan, Civil Affairs Unit Deploys to Iraq". www.nationaldefensemagazine.org. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  9. ↑ COL Don Amburn interview, 2006, page 4/10.
  10. ↑ Civil Affairs Association (2023-03-16). "Army Reserve Component Units". Civil Affairs Association. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.