U.S. Army Analyzes Cape May

CAPE MAY – Alpha Co. 404th Civil Affairs Battalion of the Army worked with Cape May and surrounding areas to assess the functionality of emergency preparation from Nov. 3-8.
The purpose of the 404th Civil Affairs Battalion, made up of regular and Reserve personnel, is to work with civilians to ensure that, in case of catastrophe, the impact of military assistance is lessened. The team of 26 analyzed the infrastructure of Cape May and some sites outside of the city limits. They concluded their mission by holding a meeting with Mayor Edward Mahaney and City Council Nov. 8.
Four teams of five presented strengths and weaknesses of approximately 100 sites in the city as they relate to emergency preparedness. Mahaney said that the city was “getting more evacuation resources.”
Each team was impressed with the “deep roots” everyone had in the county and the military-friendly attitude that the team was met with from everyone including business owners.
Cpl. Phillip Spuler said, “Resources are not an issue when it comes to emergency services.” Cape May has an abundance of emergency response vehicles and supplies and ample backup support from surrounding towns. Spuler suggested the city engage more volunteers for its fire department and emergency medical services to help support the few full-time staff employed on a year-round basis.
Councilman Jack Wichterman said the city “does not have a lot of volunteers. Not a lot of young people are volunteering to go out and fight the fire.”
First Lt. Sean Rios has been a Philadelphia police officer for the last six years. He was amazed at the low crime rate in Cape May. He offered free training information for the police department to combat “complacency” due to the low crime rate. He stressed that those programs would be of no cost to tax payers.
Aside from examining emergency response teams in the city, the 404th Battalion worked with the Chamber of Commerce and other local businesses to evaluate the economic impact.
Sgt. 1st Class Sean Mathis encouraged businesses to get involved with the Chamber of Commerce and to also hire some full-time staff for the chamber, which focuses on keeping the town historic and viable.
Due to the nature of the mission the teams looked at hotels as they related to the economy and the emergency capabilities. Sgt. 1st Class David Mackenzie spent some time at the Grand Hotel. Mackenzie said, “in the event of a natural disaster they could house a lot of people.”
The teams also suggested that the city have a place to post regular business hours to increase traffic to Cape May during the slower season. The 404th Battalion also thought allowing internships and having farms work with the Cape May County Zoo would increase revenue all over the county.
Mahaney was thankful for the feedback provided by the team. “We’re very happy as a city to entertain the 404th Battalion this week,” he stated.
Maj. Ben Kenion said that after the report they write about their time in Cape May, it would come as no surprise if more branches do not contact the city for training mission opportunities.
The work of the soldiers was in preparation for missions around the globe.
The soldiers, from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, have been practicing their skills in preparation for real-world missions overseas. During their local stay, they were housed at the Coast Guard Training Center.
Three months ago, Mahaney was approached by the Army to conduct training in the city. Mahaney said the benefits to the city made the decision to host the Civil Affairs Battalion an easy one. “It gives us a true feeling that we’re cooperating with the military who have given us the freedoms we enjoy every day in the city, and it strengthens our relationship with the military,” said Mahaney during council’s work session on Nov. 4. “We’re very proud to do this.”
Civil Affairs was started in 1877 by Gen. Winfield Scott as a way to mediate conflicts between civilians and members of the military. Today, Civil Affairs has nearly 13,000 soldiers in 30 states and Puerto Rico and makes up 7 percent of the Army Reserve strength.
Kenion said there are five pillars to Civil Affairs’ duties: Populace and Resource Control, Foreign Humanitarian Assistance, Nation Assistance, Support to Civil Administration, and Civil Information Management, which is the focus of their training in Cape May. This last branch helps soldiers build a rapport within the communities through partnership and trust.
“Civil Affairs is a bridge between a commander and a country or a society that we’re working with,” explained Kenion. “We learn from you. Our soldiers may learn something about fisheries when they’re going out, or marinas, and that will directly help them when they go to another country where there are fisheries or marinas, desalination plants, a zoo.”
These “citizen soldiers” come from all walks of life. Kenion is an occupational therapist. “We also have veterinarians, we have lawyers,” said Kenion. “So each unit has a lot to offer everywhere we go.”
The five companies of Alpha Team, each consisting of 25-30 soldiers, have been tasked with gathering information from local businesses, government, hospitals, churches and parks, just to name a few. The exercise helps to prepare the soldiers by allowing them to practice talking to people and teaching them to ask the right questions, in the right way.
“Some of the soldiers are just out of college. They’ve never spoken to a mayor before or a city councilman. So this is a good opportunity for them to practice,” said Kenion.
Deputy Mayor William Murray said, in his experience, the presence of the Army in some countries can be seen as an intrusion, and he asked Kenion how Civil Affairs soldiers navigate that roadblock. To that, Kenion reiterated Civil Affairs’ role in mediating conflicts between the public and the military. “If we can work with them and we follow through on the things they need, they’ll trust us more and they’ll be more apt to work with us and solve the issues they have before they become violent issues,” said Kenion.
(ED. NOTE: Kirby Reed contributed to this article.)
To contact Ashley Hoff, email ahoff@cmcherald.com.