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'Civilians' help train Florida soldiers for modern battlefield
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107th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Florida National Guard FORT STEWART, Georgia (6/28/2002) — The world -- as well as the manner in which war is waged -- has changed. In order to keep with the times, the Florida National Guard is changing also. Training is no longer limited to the "blue army versus red army;" there are now outside forces that must be taken into consideration in every battlefield environment. This is where Civilians on the Battlefield training comes in. The COB, or Civilian On the Battlefield, unit consists of military personnel who are tasked to portray local civilians, government officials and worldwide news media who might be living or working in the area of battle. The COB unit teaches soldiers of all levels how to step outside of traditional military thinking and take a more personal approach to the non-military personnel they encounter. During annual training at Fort Stewart this spring, more than 5,000 members of the Florida National Guard got first-hand experience in dealing with civilians in a possibly hostile environment. Demonstrations were held, media was briefed and professional relations with local communities were handled as if they were real-world events. "Civilians on the Battlefield are here to provide realistic training to the 53rd Enhanced Separate (Infantry) Brigade," Maj. Nilsa Benitez, officer in charge of the COB mission during annual training, said. "We no longer fight the wars against just armies. We have to consider some other elements such as civilians, non-governmental organizations, Red Cross, (those kinds) of things." This year's annual training, held late May through early June, was a rehearsal for the Florida National Guard's deployment to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, La., in 2003. During this exercise COB units deployed to mock villages in the fictional country of Cortina and quickly set up their own mini-government systems. When military commanders arrived in the villages, local dignitaries and even media crews often greeted them. COB members were forced to be flexible in their characters, as some had very short life spans. Florida National Guard Maj. Richard Solze portrayed the Mayor of Carnis, a city that was a hub for anti-American activity. Solze was forced to take on a second COB character after the mayor was killed in a mock sniper attack. The COB mission is used effectively for real-world situations on the battlefield. As soldiers pass through towns or bivouac on lands in a real-world environment, they must have contact with the local populace and media. Before the Civilian on the Battlefield mission was founded, the only personnel who had been briefed on how to handle these interactions were well schooled NCOs and officers. Since it is often the field soldier who has first contact, the COB mission allows personnel of all ranks, jobs and units to get practical experience in what could become a critical situation. Following each interaction between COB and military personnel, a "time-out" was called and an Observer Controller (O.C.) assigned to watch the situation unfold gave an after action review to all participants. The O.C. asked how well did the soldier or officer interact with a local citizen or dignitary or if any Operational Security (OPSEC) was compromised while speaking to the media. The immediate feedback provided by the O.C. let military personnel know what they may have done right or wrong while the situation was still fresh in their minds and gave them ideas on improvement. After action reviews are not limited to just lower ranking personnel in the field. Any soldier who comes in contact with a Civilian on the Battlefield, no matter what his or her rank should be prepared for a performance review. From the newest private to the highest-ranking general, the rules of engagement with civilians are the same. The O.C.'s teach soldiers what to do in situations that could lead to disaster if mishandled. With the modern media's capability of covering battles as they are happening, the chances of any soldier being approached by a reporter with a camera have increased exponentially. The Civilian on the Battlefield unit includes military public affairs personnel portraying real world media -- complete with press credentials and cameras. These individuals set up interviews with high-ranking officers, take media tours and show up with their cameras wherever they want in order to make soldiers aware of the watchful eye of the media. According to military public affairs doctrine, it is necessary training for soldiers to learn what may be said to the civilian media without giving away operational security. The mission for the Civilian Media on the Battlefield can be as simple as interviewing a unit commander to make him or her comfortable with being questioned by the media or to see how well the military public affairs liaison handles the media presence. Although COB personnel are allowed to wear civilian clothing, military training does not stop for them. It is not unusual to see a rag-tag group of unshaven civilians practicing near-perfect military maneuvers in the middle of a makeshift village. "This is my first annual training exercise as a Civilian on the Battlefield," Cadet Timothy K. Little, a senior in the Florida State University ROTC program, said. "It's fun. I think it's good training for the troops out there and I think it's something very important." For the more than 5,000 Florida Guard personnel, plus Guard and Reserve units from twelve other states and Puerto Rico supporting the Florida Guard's 53rd Infantry Brigade's annual training, the experience was invaluable. Last 10 Stories
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2004 National Guard Bureau |
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