Introduction to the Civilian Response Corps
The challenges of the 21st century require a significant increase in our capacity to respond quickly and effectively to emerging threats that unstable states present to the security of the United States and to our friends and allies.
Civilian Response Corps (CRC) members develop and implement a “Whole of Government” approach needed to help fragile states quickly restore stability and the rule of law, and achieve economic recovery and sustainable growth.
The central idea behind the Civilian Response Crops is building more effective partnerships – among our government’s civilian departments and agencies, among our civilian and military institutions, together with our friends and allies abroad, and with foreign leaders and citizens whose countries are in crisis, or approaching crisis, and who want our support. Ultimately, the Corps’ goal is to enable countries in crisis to transition as quickly as possible to governing themselves, sustaining themselves, and securing themselves – without U.S. or international assistance.
Because no single U.S. Government entity has all of the relevant expertise to deal with these threats, the Civilian Response Corps is a partnership of eight departments and agencies: the Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, and Department of the Treasury.
The Secretary of State, in partnership with the aforementioned agencies, has requested funding for 250 full time employees for an interagency Active component comprised of trained and equipped R&S first responders who can deploy in 48 hours to countries in crisis. The request would also fund training for 2,000 Standby members drawn from within these agencies. Additionally, it proposes to build a Reserve, whose members would be drawn from the private sector and state and local governments across the United States, with expertise in the range of processes necessary in a transition from crisis including: policing and rule of law, infrastructure development, economic stabilization, state and local governance, agriculture, and provision of basic services.
Membership in the Active and Standby components was expanded to the interagency on July 16, 2008 at a ceremony held by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Website Here
Vacancies Here