Civil Affairs Students Examine Local Municipalities

On Friday, a group of Civil Affairs students from the John F. Kennedy Special War Center and School visited the Sanford Municipal Center to learn more about the infrastructure and management of cities and counties.

Director of the Sanford/Lee County Department of Planning and Community Development, Bob Bridwell, led a program that included presentations from the NC Department of Transportation, Lee County GIS, the Sanford Police Department, the Sanford Fire Department, and Lee County Emergency Services.

Key personnel from each department shared how the city and county work together to provide services to and promote the welfare of residents, as well as how they rely on each other during emergency situations.

The Civil Affairs students will apply what they've learned during these discussions when they are deployed to third-world and war-torn nations. These students will be responsible for setting up infrastructure and working with local officials in those countries.

This is the Kennedy Center's second visit to the City of Sanford's municipal center in as many months. An earlier group toured the Sanford Police Department this October to learn more about security and special operations.

Sanford PD Hosts Special Operations Students

On Friday afternoon, a group of students from the John F. Kennedy Special War Center and School visited the Sanford Police Department.

The students, who ranged in age from 18 to 22, are training to serve as U.S. Army Civil Affairs personnel. Each recently completed basic training and are now researching their Army career paths.

In particular, Friday's tour was an opportunity for the students to deepen their understanding of local police training and operations. They met with Capt. Tony Hancox and officers Patrick Carroll and Doug Womack of the Community Policing Division for a question-and-answer session followed by a tour of the department.

The Sanford PD provides tours to any group or organization. To schedule one, contact Kelly Quinones Miller at 919-777-1133 or kelly.miller@sanfordnc.net.