Lt. Col. Damone Garner’s first deployment focused less on aiming shells at buildings and more on finding ways to construct new ones in the wake of the Army’s 2003 invasion of Iraq.That philosophy is one he plans to carry over as commander of Fort Carson’s newest unit.Garner took command on Saturday of the 440th Civil Affairs Battalion, a new addition to the post aimed at winning over the hearts and minds of people along the Pacific Rim as part of an increased effort to build ties in the region.Five people began organizing the battalion in October. The unit has since grown to 163 soldiers, with an additional 37 expected to join in the coming months, said 1st Lt. Ryan Hignight, a battalion spokesman.“The key thing to keep us out of war is to build partnerships and stability,” Garner said. “The best way to fight a war is partnerships.”An Army reserve unit made up mostly of soldiers from Colorado Springs and Denver, the battalion is the latest in the Defense Department’s new strategy to engage countries along the Pacific Ocean as conflicts in the Middle East wind down.The biggest difference between the battalion and other units on the post lies in each soldiers’training.The reservists — many of whom hold jobs in law enforcement — have been asked to learn Mandarin Chinese and Korean. Nearly all the time spent preparing for deployment — aside from standard weapons training — centers on learning the cultures of countries, including South Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Mongolia and the Philippines.Defense Department leaders singled out the region as the country’s new priority amid China’s rise to international prominence and other persistent threats, including North Korea. In the coming years, the battalion’s two companies will be ready to deploy to any of 34 countries near the Pacific Ocean, Garner said.When deployed, the reservists plan to operate in teams of five or six soldiers, conducting humanitarian missions aimed at clearing civilians from battlefields, coordinating the construction of schools and establishing refugee camps.Garner’s deployment to Iraq ended with his soldiers helping the State Department and nongovernmental organizations assume responsibility for services and buildings they planned for the Iraqis.During Garner’s second deployment — a tour to Afghanistan that ended in fall 2011 — the colonel advised local police forces, which were preparing alongside Afghan soldiers to take over responsibility of the country’s security in 2014.In the past, civil affairs battalions have worked closely with special forces troops. While that mission will continue, Garner said his reservists will partner with less specialized Army units, including brigades from the post’s 4th Infantry Division.When earthquakes or tsunamis hit impoverished countries, the reservists could also deploy in a humanitarian mission.“We don’t take the usual approach,” said Pfc. Stephanie Davenport, who’s majoring in criminal justice at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. “Instead of the whole shoot and fight thing, you try to show them that the U.S. is here to help.”—Contact Jakob Rodgers: 476-1654Twitter @jakobrodgersFacebook Jakob Rodgers

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