96th Civil Affairs Battalion The 96th Civil Affairs Battalion ( Airborne ) is a civil affairs battalion of the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade ( Airborne ) based at Fort Bragg , North Carolina . It is a member of the only Active duty United States special operations forces civil affairs brigade in the United States Department of Defense . The concept for a civil affairs brigade had been under consideration for years , but was finally approved as a result of the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review . The Battalion was constituted on 25 August 1945 in the Army of the United States as the 96th Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment , Military Government Group . It was activated on 26 August 1945 at the Presidio of Monterey , California and inactivated on 25 January 1949 in Korea . The Battalion was redesignated on 10 May 1967 as the 96th Civil Affairs Group and allotted to the Regular Army . It was activated once again on 25 August 1967 at Fort Lee , Virginia . It was later reorganized and redesignated on 26 November 1971 as the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion . The 95th Civil Affairs Brigade was not officially activated until 2006 , and remained a provisional unit until 2007 as a part of the growth of Active Army Civil Affairs from 96th Civil Affairs Battalion to the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade and four regionally - oriented battalions . Its creation was part of a US Army plan to increase civil affairs units , and special forces units overall . The brigade is a direct reporting command of the United States Army Special Operations Command , and as such , is airborne qualified . It commands five geographically aligned civil affairs battalions . Service Members from the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion ( Airborne ) take pride in being known as " The Originals " . Organization . The 96th Civil Affairs Battalion is directly subordinate to the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade Command based at Fort Bragg . The battalion commands five subordinate companies all headquartered at Fort Bragg along with the battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company : The 96th Civil Affairs Battalion ( Airborne ) is the only active component , airborne Civil Affairs asset available to the United States Central Command . Its lineage and structure extend back to the formation of those small groups of uniquely trained and qualified individuals who comprised the Allied Military Government of the Occupied Territory , or AMGOTs . History . Origins . Originally designated as the 96th Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment , Military Government Group , the unit was activated on 25 August 1945 at the Presidio of Monterey , California to help capture Army Civil Affairs expertise gained during World War II . The unit served in various theaters until 25 January 1949 , when , while located in Korea , it was inactivated . On 10 May 1967 , the unit was re - designated the 96th Civil Affairs Group and allocated to the Regular Army . The formal activation ceremony took place on 25 August 1967 at Fort Lee , Virginia . The unit was reorganized and redesignated on 26 November 1971 as the Civil Affairs Battalion . Deployment . The 96th Civil Affairs Battalion ( Airborne ) has been deployed worldwide in support of Operation Just Cause – Panama , Operation Desert Storm – Kuwait / Iraq , Operation Provide Comfort – Northern Iraq , Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines , Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan , and Operation Iraqi Freedom as well as several countries in the CENTCOM AOR . The battalion has suffered fatal casualties and casualties which were rehabilitated through the new Wounded Warrior program .