The Defense Department is eying the formation of new military units designed to rapidly respond to catastrophic terrorist attacks on domestic soil, a move that could establish 10 "Homeland Response Forces," one aligned with each of the Federal Emergency Management Agency regional administrators, according to Pentagon officials and documents.rnThis proposal is central to Defense Department deliberations taking place as part of the Quadrennial Defense Review about how best to posture military forces to support civilian authorities in the wake of a disaster- man-made or force of nature - that cause significant numbers of deaths as well as large-scale physical and economic damage, Pentagon officials said.rn"It's being looked at strongly," said one Defense Department official familiar with the proposal. "The idea is to regionalize them so that, hopefully, you will be able to respond faster to an event."
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