Civilians at the Tip of the Spear

Commanders increasingly deploy with and rely upon civilian employees and contractors during deployed military operations. This article defines both categories of civilians and examines their employment under international and United States law, joint doctrine, and Department of Defense and Service regulations. The article discusses two major issues and several sub-issues involved in the utilization of civilian services in support of deployed operations. A legal perspective is brought to bear in analyzing the authorized physical and functional proximity to hostilities (termed "nexus to combat") in which a civilian may operate without becoming an unlawful combatant.