Army MOS · Support

38A Civil Affairs

Overview

A Civil Affairs officer develops, plans, coordinates, commands, controls, evaluates, and transitions Civil Affairs operations at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. The officer commands Civil Affairs units and provides Civil Affairs expertise on Army, joint, interagency, and multinational staffs.

Minimum clearance: Top Secret

Core Skills

  • civil-military coordination
  • interagency and NGO liaison
  • operational planning
  • information collection and analysis
  • stakeholder engagement
  • cross-cultural communication
  • governance and infrastructure assessment
  • team leadership and staff management
  • risk assessment and mitigation
  • negotiation and mediation

Civilian Software & Tools

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Atlassian JIRA
  • Atlassian Confluence
  • ServiceNow

Civilian Career Paths

  • Project Management
  • Emergency Management
  • Intelligence Analysis
  • Administration

Training & Development

Getting Started

  • Certified Manager (CM)
  • Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)

Career Growth

  • Project Management Professional (PMP)
  • Certified Administrative Professional (CAP)
  • Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) · Funded

Also Common

  • ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) · Funded · STAR
  • Certified Employment Support Professional (CESP)
  • Communication Management Professional (CMP)
  • Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP)
  • Certified Humanitarian and Stabilisation Practitioner (CHSP)

What the Work Involves

  • Develop emergency management plans for recovery decision making and communications, continuity of critical departmental processes, or temporary shut-down of non-critical departments to ensure continuity of operation and governance.
  • Test documented disaster recovery strategies and plans.
  • Assess the nature and level of physical security threats so that the scope of the problem can be determined.
  • Perform risk analyses so that appropriate countermeasures can be developed.
  • Review and revise sustainability proposals or policies.

Related Occupations

  • Information Technology Project Managers
  • Emergency Management Directors
  • Project Management Specialists
  • Financial Risk Specialists

Typical preparation for these civilian roles: a four-year degree or equivalent experience.

Defense contractor jobs for 38A

Equivalent Roles in Other Branches

Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.

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