350th Civil Affairs Command Gets New Home

As Pensacola welcomes in a new year, it also welcomes one of its oldest neighbors to a new home. Concealed along the western fence line on Corry station is a new multi-story building belonging to the United States Army. The building is the new Army Reserve Center and home of the 350th Civil Affairs Command.

While the national television cameras capture the bombings and fire fights of our military forces, they are usually gone on to other places when the rebuilding work begins. The Civil Affairs Active and Reserve personnel are the behind the scenes face of the United States Army. A Civil Affairs unit enters the combats zones with the trigger pullers, but they stay after the shooting is done to rebuild a nation as a friend to the United States and not an ignored festering enemy.

When an army stops combat operations short of total destruction on an enemy nation, there is usually a vacuum in the local civilian leadership. Placing armed combat boots on the ground sets a bad taste in the occupied nation. The Army recognized this problem and established Civil Affairs units to work with the local people. These Civil Affairs unit personnel are specifically trained in the language and customs of the occupied country. These individuals help organize local infrastructure projects and help establish new governments.

The commanding officer is the very personable Brigadier General Mark Hendrix. General Hendrix has a local staff of approximately 50 soldiers and veterans of foreign wars. The command has units deployed not only in the Middle East, but also in Central and South America.

On Tuesday morning the United States Army Reserve center held an open house for local educational leaders and elected officials. General Hendrix and his staff were eager to show off their new home and capabilities. After decades in an old building at the Pensacola airport, the new home on Corry Station allows the Army Reserve to grow, train, and adjusts to any future requirements placed on them.

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