Chemical and Biological Defense: DOD Needs to Clarify Expectations for Medical Readiness

摘要

The U.S. strategy against chemical and biological (CB) weapons is based largely on deterrence. In the event deterrence fails, medical response planning will be essential. However, following the 1991 Gulf War, reviews that GAO and the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) completed in 1992 and 1993 identified a number of shortcomings in DOD's capacity to provide medical support for the numbers of contaminated casualties that were predicted, and in 1996 we found that many of the problems identified in these reports persisted. In the 10 years since Desert Storm, DOD has implemented a mandatory immunization program for anthrax, but, despite statements from defense officials emphasizing the seriousness of these threats, questions remain about DOD's overall medical readiness for the full array of chemical and biological warfare threats that have been identified. The attack on the United States, on September 11, 2001, underscores the need for medical readiness should deterrence fail.