Photo By Kyle Osterhoudt | More than 100 cadets participated in the Student Workshop on Civil-Military Operations...... read more read more
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Approximately 130 attendees including more than 100 U.S. Military Academy cadets, participated in the 2024 Student Workshop on Civil-Military Operations (CMO) event on March 4 at the Riverside Café at Eisenhower Hall.
The workshop, sponsored by the USMA Class of 1978 and organized by the Center for the Study of Civil Operations (CSCMO), provides an engaged setting for student development and learning with the domain of Civil-Military Operations. The gathering is an opportunity to bring together leading scholars and practitioners to debate and discuss recent developments that contribute to cadet learning and professional development.
The workshop targets cadets enrolled in EV482: Military Geography, serving as the pinnacle integrative experience or capstone for Geography and Geospatial Information Science (GIS) majors. Additionally, it welcomes Defense and Strategic Studies majors as well as other cadets opting for it as an elective.
This workshop topic for this year examined the intricate intersection of African natural resources, Russian, and Chinese influence on the continent, and issues of poor governance. The combination presents a complex and sensitive issue with far-reaching implications for global power dynamics.
The workshop examines the main topics through a geographer’s lens with the goals to reconcile the U.S. geopolitical aims and sustainability for positive outcomes.
This year’s keynote speakers were Lt. Gen. Jon Braga, commander of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), and Dr. Joseph Asunka, CEO of Afrobarometer. Among the top panelists at the event were Dr. Harry Bader, deputy assistant administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); Dr. Jason Warner, research director and Africa and terrorism/transnational crime analyst at the U.S. Army’s Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO); and Col. Scott DeJesse, the program director for the 38G/6V Heritage and Preservation Branch, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne).
The CSCMO, based out of the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering (GEnE), is in its 12th year of existence, and offers cadets a glimpse of the challenges ahead once they become officers.
“The CMO Center educates cadets on how to work with civilian organizations and populations during military operations by teaching classes, sponsoring symposia and speakers, funding cadet trips and working to integrate CMO principles into classes throughout the academy,” said John Melkon, civilian director and assistant professor of Geography in GEnE. “No matter the challenges graduates will be asked to face, the academy’s Center for the Study of Civil-Military Operations is working to make sure they are equipped to work with international and domestic agencies outside of the Department of Defense as well as the civilian population in the areas they deploy to.”
In its 11th year, the student workshop saw limited attendance, restricted to USMA cadets without any college student participants. Despite this limitation, Melkon expressed excitement about the event, highlighting the engaging discussions and long-term solutions proposed by guest speakers and panelists on the challenging topics debated “The amazing people who we assemble each year become a permanent part of the fabric and persistent contributors to our cadet learning,” Melkon explained. “In that time, we have enabled mentoring relations that have continued beyond a decade or more. We marked a watershed moment this year when one of our first cadets, now Maj. Alicia Dotson, is now participating as a field grade officer with her own class of cadets in attendance.
“Another important element is the amazing contribution of the Class of 1978 who endowed the event,” he added. “Each year, many of them return to participate with our cadets, extending the Long gray Line toward the future.”
From Melkon’s perspective, the importance of this event of bringing together cadets and their civilian counterparts is that “increasingly junior military officers are being forced to respond to more complex problems and interact with civilians in conflict.”
“Having a broad understanding of the instruments of power within the federal government and how to synergize them for effort is critical for our success,” Melkon articulated. “Beyond the government, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the roles, customs and cultures of non-government organizations as they interact in the field.”
Two cadets who are broadening their horizons through this event were Class of 2025 Cadets Lilly Baker and Bethany Jablon.
Baker, who is a computer science major with minors in Grand Strategy and Terrorism Studies, thought the panel covering the measures of China and Russia’s influence in the sectors of the DIME (Diplomatic, Information, Military, Economic) model was “incredibly interesting and worthwhile in terms of how the U.S. can best counter China and Russia’s efforts in Africa.”
“That was the one that resonated with me the most,” Baker declared. “As a Grand Strategy minor, I’m thinking in terms of how China and Russia are coordinating and synchronizing their ways and means against the United States, and how we can measure that and counter it effectively was extremely interesting to me.”
Baker, a future U.S. Army officer and West Point graduate, emphasizes the critical importance of possessing a strong understanding of global affairs. “We need to understand what our direct competitors are doing to undermine the United States as the global hegemonic,” Baker said. “I think it’s sort of our responsibility to have an understanding of why we’re in the military and why we’re supporting U.S. efforts globally to counter China and Russia.”
The speaker who most piqued Baker’s interest was Dr. Asunka, who she felt was “incredibly articulate, smart and knowledgeable.”
“He had the broader lens and view in terms of how different factors are in affecting the state of things in Africa,” Baker replied. “It was interesting to see the data and what the data says about U.S. and China in Africa.”
Baker said listening to speakers like Dr. Asunka is “great exposure to brilliant minds and good leaders, which is incredibly valuable when it comes to being a future leader.”
“We’re constantly exposed to the greatest minds and really phenomenal leaders,” Baker said. “I think over the course of four or five years here … if you’re receptive to that and you are willing to absorb it like a sponge and take as much as you can from that, you will be equipped with everything you need to lead effectively.”
Baker said the magnitude of having dialogue with civilians about these critical issues is greatly vital.
“I try to have these conversations as much as possible because I think there’s a negative perception outside of the military and outside of people who work for the government that the United States meddles in other countries’ affairs and global affairs,” Baker exclaimed. “I don’t think that there is a real appreciation for the threat to the liberal international order – a Western-led global order, a United Stated-led order.
“I don’t think people understand the threat to our way of life and the freedom and democracy of the West more broadly,” she added. “As much as I can, that’s my why for being in the military, and that’s my why for coming to West Point. I think the dialogue between military and our civilian counterparts is incredibly important to also garner support and just motivate action toward fighting the good fight against China.”
Jablon, a Psychology major with a minor in Geography, found the discussion about the destruction of cultural heritage particularly intriguing, especially concerning its implications for states, particularly in Africa.
“We talked quite a bit about some indicators of stability or instability in a country like Africa,” Jablon explained. “We did have a few speakers who were able to talk a little about how that acts as a canary in a coal mine. I thought it was interesting to see something that seems maybe nascent to a lot of junior officers, but actually holds a lot of meaning and that can give us some insight into the future.”
While Jablon was disappointed there were no civilian students available for the event this year, having the civilian subject matter experts speaking and answering their questions gave them “a different perspective on many of the topics, so that we’re not as much of a microcosm at West Point.”
“I think, ultimately, getting these outside perspectives from the academia world gives us a fuller picture on some of these really complicated issues that we’re going to have to face as junior officers,” Jablon expressed. “Ultimately, anything that helps us to widen our scope a little bit. I think it is going to be beneficial for us as we come to lead Soldiers in the next year, two or three.”
Jablon added that understanding the environment that they’re going to be operating in as junior officers is just as important.
“It is about realizing all the complexities in this world, and it just keeps on getting more complex,” she said. “From my perspective, outside of my major, a lot of these topics that we’re talking about do require an interdisciplinary approach.
“I’m really grateful that we were able to hear from some of these speakers, who may not have had a Geography focus … but who could offer their unique perspectives on the way that art history even relates to some of these issues, the way that we can learn more about people and about the world that we’re operating in, so we can be more sensitive when we make some really big decisions.
“Ultimately, all of us cadets, we’re studying here so we can be leaders who can make the right decisions,” she added. “This kind of gives us more data points to be able to reference when we’re making decisions that do affect people.”
Jablon concluded by saying that being at West Point and gaining knowledge in this environment is “what makes West Point so special.”
“We have access to a number of people who have such varied experiences,” Jablon said. “People who come in from the outside to give their perspectives … I think for all of us cadets, it’s a very enriching experience. Learning from the wisdom of people who have come before us, and hopefully, being able to use that in the next year or so to make a difference in the world.”
| Date Taken: | 03.05.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.06.2024 10:29 |
| Story ID: | 465458 |
| Location: | WEST POINT, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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