News From the Front - The 404th Civil Affairs Battalion: Enabling Capacity Building Through English Discussion Groups (EDGs): The Pros and Cons

English Discussion Groups (EDGs) have been an enduring mission of the Civil Affairs Battalion (CA BN) in Djibouti since 2007. EDGs are not new to the Army and are considered a component of capacity building, but this type of mission has not been addressed in civil affairs doctrine since the late sixties. It has, however, reemerged as a priority line of effort for the CA BN deployed to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa in Djibouti. This document describes the various EDGs currently in operation in Djibouti and is meant to summarize the strengths and weaknesses of this as an enabling activity in the region. The information is presented from the perspective of the Civil Information Management Cell officer-in-charge.