Which Air Force Civil Engineer Capabilities Can Complement USNORTHCOM's Role in Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA)?

摘要

The 2013 Strategy for Homeland Defense and Civil Support recognizes that, although the Department of Defense (DoD) is always in a support role to civilian authorities for disaster response; the capacity, capabilities, and training of the military mean that the DoD is often expected to play a prominent supporting role in response efforts. The strategy also notes that public expectations for a rapid federal response have grown in the wake of major disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. Furthermore, in his speech to the Environmental Defense Fund organization in May 2012, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta states that the rising sea levels, to severe droughts, to the melting of the polar ice caps, to more frequent and devastating natural disasters all raise demand for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Therefore, this thesis examined which types of civil support tasks could be requested during a natural and/or man-made disaster and which of those civil support tasks could be potentially accomplished by Air Force civil engineers. Through an analysis using the Civil Support Task List (CSTL), Universal Joint Task List (UJTL), Air Force Unit Task List (AFUTL), and various Air Force civil engineer Unit Type Codes (UTCs) and their associated Mission Capability (MISCAP) statements, numerous Air Force civil engineer capabilities were identified. These capabilities could be utilized to complement, not replace, the capabilities of USNORTHCOM, and/or its Joint Task Force Civil Support and an associated Defense CBRN Force (DCRF), when the DoD is requested to support civilian authorities for both natural and/or man-made disasters.