page_title: Civil Affairs Staging Area
section_title: The Prefectural Project
hierarchical_section_title: Civil Affairs Staging Area / Office of Strategic Services (OSS) CASA Outpost / Functions / The Prefectural Project
caption_attribution_description: English: Army / Navy Civil Affairs Staging Area (CASA) officers at an assembly, in front of a stage with a large map of Asia, listen to a civilian speaker.
context_page_description: The Civil Affairs Staging Area also known as the Civil Affairs Holding and Staging Area was a combined U.S. Army, U.S Navy military formation authorized by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on June 18, 1944, during World War Two for military government theater planning, training and provision of military government personnel to areas of the Far East liberated from the Empire of Japan, including East China, Formosa and Korea. CASA had two divisions: The Operations and Training Division focused on language instruction and execution of civil affairs duties at a local level. These duties varied greatly and, as an example, included mass feeding of civilians, camp sanitation, provision of medical supplies, containment of epidemic diseases, labor relations and rodent control. The Theatre Planning & Research Division developed plans for military government at a national level such as control of Japan's economic institutions, control of Japan's education system and methods for increasing the overall supply of food throughout, not only Japan, but also previously occupied areas like East China.
context_section_description: CASA early conceived the idea of producing an intelligence manual for each of the Japanese prefectures. The purpose of the manual was to provide the military government officer with a single volume of information, not elsewhere available in organized form, of a local and regional nature. OSS was asked to provide research materials of a classified nature, expert direction and supervision of research methods and techniques, and final editing and approval of each manual. In addition, a map packet was to constitute an integral part of each manual. Each map-packet was to contain 20 to 30 maps selected by OSS, covering the prefecture and its parts, and was also to include a map made especially for Military Government. OSS was to procure maps already produced from its own collection, from the hydrographic Office, G-2, and Army Map Service. The map, which was to be especially made for Military Government, was to be produced by CASA officers, making base maps and overlays, and OSS/Washington was to care for drafting and reproduction.
caption: Assembled CASA Army / Navy officers, in front of a stage with a large map of Asia, listen to a civilian speaker.
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