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NEWS | Sept. 23, 2016

432nd Civil Affairs Battalion, multinational partners, keep the peace

By Staff Sgt. Hector Corea 302nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

HOHENFELS, Germany -- Soldiers of the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion conducted civil affairs operations during exercise Combined Resolve VII in Hohenfels, Germany, Sept. 4 to Sept. 15, 2016. The 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion was one of several Army units that trained for readiness alongside multinational partners.

"We are here to aid Bulgarian special operations forces to train local militia to protect the town from Torrikian [fictional] forces," said Sgt. Jennifer Babtkis, a civil affairs specialist with the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion. "This is very valuable training here working with the Bulgarian special operations forces because we are simulating a real-life attack on a NATO country and all that it entails."

Combined Resolve VII is a U.S. Army Europe-directed exercise involving more than 3,500 participants from 16 NATO and European partner nations, designed to train the Army's regionally allocated forces to the U.S. European Command.

The Green Bay, Wisconsin-based Army Reserve unit worked closely with Bulgarian and Moldovan soldiers to protect the fictional town of Ubungsdorf from opposing forces. "Civil affairs seeks to alleviate sources of instability that could delegitimize the government," said Babtkis. "We are the liaison between the civilian population and the military, so that we can make things easier for the military."

To succeed, the multinational coalition sought to gather resources by training a local militia (role-played by Moldovan forces) and facilitating meetings with key local leaders. This gave all three nations' forces the opportunity to practice their skills and apply their experience.

"This is the first time we've embedded with real special operations forces to conduct our civil affairs missions," said Capt. Greg Romero, team chief of the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion. "This lets us integrate our different missions together to accomplish the training goals that we need."

Their current goal--stability for the local government--was a task made difficult by several destabilizing events. From radicals who incited violence against the local refugee community to simulated improvised explosive devices that rocked the town, the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion confronted numerous challenges that simulated real-world events and missions.

"These are great efforts from the role-players," said Babtkis, an Orange County, California, native. "This is good to learn to be prepared for the real world."

The multinational teams, role-players, and simulations all help the American, Bulgarian, and Moldovan forces meet their readiness goals while building strong bonds with European allies and partners.

"This is the best training I've had with any Civil Affairs team," said Romero. "We get to share our tactics, experience, and perspectives to be the strongest team we can be."