Military Assistance for Special Events: Planning Requirements and Support Methodology

摘要

The United States has been the site for many world events since the turn of the century. These events have allowed the nation to showcase the American way of life and proclaim the American spirit. Other countries have played host to international events. Worlds Fairs, Olympics, meetings of NATO, G-7 and sessions of the United Nations have been conducted at various locations around the world. These events were celebrations and usually conducted with little or no disruption. In 1972 the world of special events was forever changed by the terrorist attack on the Israeli athletes in Munich during the Summer Olympic Games. Every country vowed not to repeat the tragedy. The United States, being the worlds only super power, is an inviting target for terrorists and dissident groups. The need to conduct special events in a safe and secure atmosphere has required greater involvement by the federal government. The Department of Defense was the primary supplier of assistance to organizers and law enforcement. This assistance included personnel, expertise, and equipment. The Office of Special Events in the Department of Defense was charged with this responsibility from the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York to the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta. During the Atlanta Games the United States Army assumed the lead for special events.