83rd Civil Affairs Battalion

83rd Civil Affairs Battalion 41st Civil Affairs Company
83rd CA BN
Battalion Coat of Arms
Active	1945–1947 1955–1970 2012–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Civil Affairs Corps
Role	Civil Affairs
Size	Battalion
Part of	16th Military Police Brigade
Garrison/HQ	Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Motto(s)	"Order and Balance"
Engagements	Korean War Vietnam War
Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia

The 83rd Civil Affairs Battalion (83rd CA BN) is a civil affairs battalion of the United States Army, since 2018 it is the only regular civil affairs unit in the United States Army Forces Command.

History

The 83rd Civil Affairs Battalion traces its history the 41st Military Government, formed on 25 August 1945 at the Presidio of Monterey in California. The battalion then deployed to South Korea and took part in the early phases of the Korean War. However, with the end of the war, and later post-war cuts, the battalion was inactivated on 31 May 1947 in Kusan, Korea.

On 1 February 1944, the battalion was reduced to the 41st Military Government Company, and allotted to the United States Army Reserve. On 18 March 1955, the battalion was re-activated at Camp Gordon in Georgia. On 25 June 1959, all 'Military Government' units were renamed as 'Civil Affairs' units. Therefore, as a result of the changes, the company became the 41st Civil Affairs Company.

In November 1965, the U.S. Forces began to intervene in the Vietnam War, and the company was reorganised and deployed to the Republic of Vietnam, where it was assigned to Headquarters, I Field Force, Vietnam, and headquartered out of Nah Trang. After the formation of the I Field Force, the 41st CA Company was now the primary civil affairs support unit in the force. At its greatest deployed strength, the 41st CA Company consisted of twenty teams (each of section level, appx. 7 platoons) assigned to all unitns deployed throughout the II Corps Tactical Zone. In late 1968, after participation in all major campaigns to date, the 41st was awarded the first Meritorious Unit Citation for its service in the pacification efforts across the I Field Force area of responsibility. In the wake of the drawdown of U.S. Forces in Vietnam, the company was finally inactivated on 28 February 1970, having served for five continuous years in Vietnam.

The battalion was granted many honours in the war: Defense, Counteroffensive, Counteroffensive Phase II, Counteroffensive Phase III, Tet Counteroffensive, Counteroffensive Phase IV, Counteroffensive Phase V, Counteroffensive Phase VI, Tet 69/Counteroffensive, Summer-Fall 1969, and finally Winter-Spring 1970. On 28 February 1970, the company was inactivated while still in Vietnam. In addition to the above Campaign Participation Credit, the company was also granted four decorations:

Designation	Award	Insignia
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)	Streamer embroidered Vietnam 1967
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)	Streamer embroidered Vietnam 1966; 1968
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm	Streamer embroidered Vietnam 1965–1970
Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class	Streamer embroidered Vietnam 1968–1969

On 15 October 2009, in preparation for its reformation, the 41st CA Company was expanded into the 83rd Civil Affairs Battalion, and activated on 16 September 2012. The battalion was at first the U.S. Army's active duty, Central Command-aligned conventional forces civil affairs battalion. After activating, the battalion is how based at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and is the only battalion directly assigned to Headquarters United States Army Forces Command. The battalion is also currently the only active duty civil affairs battalion within Army Forces Command. The battalion is tasked with civil reconnaissance, civil & network engagement, civil information management, multi-domain operations, and large scale combat operations.

Since its reformation, the battalion had been part of the 85th Civil Affairs Brigade, but with the drawdown from Iraq and Afghanistan, the brigade was later inactivated, and all but the 83rd CA BN were inactivated along with it. The battalion then transferred to the 16th Military Police Brigade, which is a part of to this day.

Heraldry

Distinctive Unit Insignia

Description/Blazon

A Silver color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned:  Purpure a pall surmounted by an octagon Argent voided of the field, overall a stag's head and antlers affronté Or (Translucent Yellow) in chief a mullet of the second.  Attached below the shield a triparted Purple scroll inscribed "ORDER AND BALANCE" in Silver letters.

Symbolism

Purple and white are the Civil Affairs branch colors.  Purple signifies loyalty and patience.  White signifies the five virtues of humility, beauty, purity, clarity and innocence.  The eight sided octagon and the three pronged pall suggest the unit's numerical designation.  The stag is a symbol of strength, harmony and fortitude and also represents one who does not fight unless provoked.  The mullet represents the third cadency within the 85th Civil Affairs Brigade as well as the Brigade's organization in Texas, the "Lone Star State."  Yellow represents nobleness, goodwill, vigor and magnanimity.

Background

The distinctive unit insignia was approved effective 16 September 2012.

Description/Blazon

Shield

Purpure, a bordure Argent a pall surmounted by an octagon of the like voided of the field, overall a stag's head with antlers Proper, in chief a mullet of the second.

Crest

From a wreath Argent and Purpure, a formy cross and swords in saltire Or, overlaid by an eight point star of the last fimbriated Gules and bordered Vert charged with two bars of the fourth couped between these are the Roman Numerals XLI Sable.

Symbolism

Shield

Purple and white are the Civil Affairs branch colors.  Purple signifies loyalty and patience.  White signifies the five virtues of humility, beauty, purity, clarity and innocence.  The eight sided octagon and the three pronged pall suggest the unit's numerical designation.  The stag is a symbol of strength, harmony and fortitude and also represents one who does not fight unless provoked.  The mullet represents the third cadency within the 85th Civil Affairs Brigade as well as the Brigade's organization in Texas, the "Lone Star State."  Yellow represents nobleness, goodwill, vigor and magnanimity.

Crest

Purple and white are the Civil Affairs branch colors.  Purple signifies loyalty and patience.  White signifies the five virtues of humility, beauty, purity, clarity and innocence.  The formy cross and swords in saltire are taken from the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry medal, the eight point star suggests the Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor medal fimbriated and bordered in the ribbon colors of green and red.  The two red bars represent the two Meritorious Unit Commendations.  These four awards recall the lineage of the 41st Civil Affairs Company which is the reason for the Roman Numeral XLI.  Yellow signifies nobleness, goodwill, vigor and magnanimity.  Red signifies valiance.  Green signifies honor.