"The Navy, as you all probably know, never has had a civil affairs force in the past, although Admiral Bullard liked to say we'd been in the business

for a long time," said U.S. Navy Capt. Robert McKenna, commanding officer of the Maritime Civil Affairs Group of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command who joined us today for the DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable. The MCAG is a result of the Chief of Naval Operations, Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) initiative. Its mission will be to conduct Civil Affairs activities and to support Civil/Military Operations. Civil Affairs activities enhance the relationship between military forces and civil authorities and involve the application of Civil Affairs Functional Specialty Skills in areas normally the responsibility of the civil government.

On the call with is today was Jim Dolbow of the Unofficial Coast Guard Blog and Grim of Blackfive.