New Department of Defense Framework for Efficient Defense Support of Civil Authorities

摘要

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, triggered a new focus on Department of Defense (DoD) capabilities support to civilian authorities during emergencies. Hurricane Katrina added to this national attention on the role the Department of Defense should play in responding to emergencies. Despite this recognition of the significance of military involvement, little has been done to organize a military framework that can effectively respond to a no notice domestic incident. This thesis analyzes the current context in which DoD capabilities are approved and utilized in a national crisis to examine two core issues: (1) under what circumstances can DoD capabilities be better leveraged in response to a catastrophic domestic event and (2) what are the strategic implications for DoD if they assume a more proactive role in domestic events. Two situational vignettes carved out of the National Planning Scenarios are used to demonstrate that the DoD validation and approval process for civil support operations is slowed by current DoD policy. The study culminates by advocating that DoD reorganize its force structure to most efficiently support a military response to a domestic event. It recommends a new Civil Support Expeditionary Force framework for Defense Support of Civil Authorities.