FTX Juniper Spear 2023
In July, Chapter 19 members participated in Operation Juniper Spear, an FTX, with the 404th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) at Fort Dix in New Jersey.
In the exercise, CA teams were charged with conducting civil engagement (CEs) scenarios to establish relationships with various civil officials in a foreign country and help where they could with issues. They were also tasked with organizing English discussion groups (EDGs) and performing health assessments. Assumed countries for the exercise were Amari and Kujenga, two fictitious countries from the ODIN area study, similar to the Pineland area study. To learn more about ODIN, visit ODIN – OE Data Integration Network (army.mil)).
Chapter 19 members, and one member from Chapter 48, played host nation police chiefs, medical experts, local mayors, village elders, prison wardens, clinic directors, health ministers and aides, water treatment plant managers, IPA (Institute of Public Administration) Directors, and a suspected adversarial foreign agent from a major power. Chapter 19 added some of its own sneaky ideas to the CE scenarios to help prepare the teams for situations they may encounter in deployments.
Host country issues included separatist activities, hoarding of scarce medical supplies, illegal dumping into the water supply, poor prison inmate treatment, damage caused by an errant artillery, shortage of workers at a water treatment plant, scarcity of water for the locals around an American base in the dry season, and heavy dependence on NGOs in some rural villages rather than on their own government.
The established CA Teams were sharp, well spoken, and well trained, and it was a great learning experience for the new teams. For the role players it was a rewarding, educational, and fun experience, an honor and privilege to be invited.
