Discussion: Disaster Relief and the Military

• A substantive comment should be approximately 250 words or more for every response.
• Cite sources within your comment to support your statements for every response. (4 Responses Total)
• Include at least two references minimum, properly formatted, not just a link.

• Review the Discussion grading rubric to see what is expected for an excellent discussion, in order to earn full credit.
• Review some resources to help you synthesize, such as the following:

Sullivan, J. (2011). Strategies for Synthesis Writing. Retrieved from http://www.findingdulcinea.com/features/edu/Strategies-for-Synthesis-Writing.html

SYNTHESIS MY DISCUSSION WITH THE 4 RESPONSES

SYNTHESIS MY DISCUSSION WITH THE 4 RESPONSES

SYNTHESIS MY DISCUSSION WITH THE 4 RESPONSES

I started my discussion with this:

Professor and Classmates,

Critical Infrastructure systems are assets and systems vital to the United States since they assist in providing essential services such as transportation and communication, among others, for economic and social activities. These systems and assets are largely interdependent, implying a failure in one system impacts the other. Research on critical infrastructure systems in disasters has increased mainly because disasters provide urgency to a problem. The Emergency Service Sector is a community made up of numerous highly skilled individuals and trained personnel who offer recovery services. The National Guard and Active Duty are often included in the Emergency Service Sector during disaster relief to assist in the recovery of critical infrastructure.

Active Duty is a full-time (24/7) duty in the military, and a significant capability among Active Duty is that they can be deployed into military service anytime. The same case can be applied as Active Duty can be deployed at any time to support disaster relief. Unlike Active Duty, the National Guard isn’t full-time, however, they can also be deployed at any time to support disaster relief. According to PPD-21, these are a need to adapt to changing conditions and recover from rapid disruptions; therefore, the ability to be deployed at any time suits this policy (Chang, 2016). I work here at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is three bases combined with Air Force, Army, and Marines. The base is tasked with an Emergency Management engaging in relief through community preparedness information such as flash floods and tornadoes. Due to research development, natural hazards are being studied, and new data provide urgency to a problem. Likewise, the National Guard and Active Duty are well-trained personnel who can provide effective and efficient disaster relief. Both Active Duty and the National Guard are included in the ESS, a community of trained personnel during disaster recovery (CISA, n.d).

Infrastructure destruction can impede the ability to deliver emergency services. This implies that the National Guard and Active Duty often have a difficult time navigating disaster zones to support disaster relief.

The Strategic National Risk Assessment (SNRA) defines various threats in a broad category that include physical and cyber-attacks. What this implies is that emergency responders are often vulnerable to effects caused by disasters. For instance, health issues often affect first responders, thus hindering their capacity to offer their services, and this can also include both the National Guard and Active Duty (DHS, 2013).

Pedro

Reference

Chang. S. E. (2016). Socioeconomic Impacts of Infrastructure Disruptions. Retrieved from; https://oxfordre.com/naturalhazardscience/view/10….

CISA. (n.d). Emergency Services Sector. Retrieved From; Https://www.Cisa.Gov/Emergency-Services-Sector

DHS, U. (2013). NIPP 2013: Partnering for Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience. Washington DC. Retrieved from; https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publicatio…

RESPONSE 1

Discussion: Disaster Relief and the Military

Class,

The military has always had a long history of responding and supporting the civilian community during a disaster. Initially, the military was used for combat missions, defense, and wars. When the military went to war, they had to have the resources for sustainment and the occupation. Without these resources, the military could not complete its overall missions. The military has always had units designed to help the combat units, such as food, medical, transportation, and even clean up. As time passed and technology development, these combat missions and capabilities would become support and relief. The military also improved its capabilities by developing new ways of response and support.

An example of this would be the field hospitals, which are rapid response hospitals that can be deployed rapidly with a lot of capability in a short time (LaBrecque, & Honsberger, 2018). Initially, the medical units were not on the front lines; however, during the Korean War, the army developed Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals (MASH) units and placed them close to the front lines. (Woodard, S 2003). The development and changes of these units opened the military’s opportunity to support the civilian population during a disaster.

The military has two basic capabilities for deploying units for disaster relief. The military can deploy active-duty units or reserve units. The main reserve unit for disaster response is the state’s National Guard. The active-duty military has an extreme amount of supplies and capabilities that can be used to direct or support the National Guard. When a National Guard unit is activated, it may need the active duty military’s support for supplies. These two must work together.

In response to a disaster, the civilian community is responsible for the initial response. If the civilian community needs help, it can call the military for support. Before a military unit can be deployed to a disaster, a few questions must be answered. These questions will determine which units will be called upon and what the duties will be. The first question is to determine what the situation is? The second question is, what type of help does the civilian agency need? The third question is, what units are available? The fourth question is, what are the military unit’s capabilities and training? To answer these questions, the military and the civilian world must plan, coordinate, and communicate ahead of time to be prepared for various responses.

The active-duty military has several capabilities for disaster response. It has special skills, equipment, organized units, and an established chain of command. (RAND.org). Most active-duty units train and prepare for deployments. Many deploy entire units, equipment, and personnel to places worldwide and then move them back. The military also works directly with federal agencies on different levels. The active units have supplies and equipment for response and have specialized units that perform duties daily. Active duty military can move entire units and establish a complete operating facility quickly. A downfall is that many units depend on other units for support. When the civilian world requests the active-duty military help, they must consider that several units will respond. Active duty military may have a lot of capability; however, they may not have the legal authority to respond. Also, they may take longer for them to get organized and send troops.

The National Guard is the military for the state. The majority of the National Guard units are reservists, which means they do not do military duties daily. These soldiers are usually civilian personnel and only perform military duties once a month and annually. The National Guard depends on the active military for support and supplies. The National Guard may also have a limited budget. However, the National Guard has advantages of its own. Most members are part of the community and know the location. They have access to local resources. Being local can also be a disadvantage because the members can be personally and directly affected by the disaster. Also, because the National Guard members are part of the community, they may be required to perform their civilian duties as the initial response to the disaster.

An example of this is police officers and firefighters. Being a local police officer and a member of the National Guard can come into conflict if a police officer is called-up by the military to respond. That person will no longer be a police officer and have the legal authority to perform enforcement duties. The police department will also have lost a vital member of their forces.

Mark

REFERENCE:

LaBrecque, M. F., & Honsberger, M. A. (2018, August 23). Army field hospitals and expeditionary hospitalization. Retrieved October 29, 2020, from https://www.army.mil/article/210113/army_field_hos…

Woodward, S. C. (2003, July 7). The AMSUS History of Medicine Assay Award The Story of the … Retrieved October 29, 2020, from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Scott_Woodard…

RESPONSE 2

Disaster Relief and the Military post 1

Class,

The National Guard Bureau is one of the Department of Defense’s state-level forces. They provide a vast amount of personnel, equipment, and resources. “The National Guard has primary responsibility for providing military assistance to its state” (Chapter 5 Disasters and Domestic Emergencies, n.d).

They deliver a swift response within 72 hours of the disaster (Burkett, 2009). From my personal experience of being in the National Guard as a military police officer, we would get called out to help local law enforcement cordon an area and provide security and riot control. “Army officials say more than 300,000 National Guard troops are trained and ready to assist with hurricane response including evacuations, communications, delivering supplies and maintaining order” (When disasters strike, your military responds, 2019).

There are several National Guard units throughout each state. Different units provide different assets, resources, and capabilities. When a natural disaster happens, multiple states Guard units can be activated to assist. In preparation for Hurricane Dorian, a Puerto Rico Guard unit was called in to prepare for activation. “Hundreds of military vehicles and electrical generators were fueled Tuesday, while water distribution trucks were also replenished. Engineer and transportation units started to relocate to their assigned area” (Puerto Rico governor activates Guard as Dorian approaches, 2019).

The Federal Military also provides a strong force. When a disaster exhausts the state and local resources the President will declare a state of disaster and get the federal resources involved. Depending on who is in command either state or Federal level will cause limitation to both the NGB and the Federal military. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) will most likely take control. The federal military can support federal civilian authorities. This can be a limitation because they have to fall under law enforcement procedures, not their military laws. This force doesn’t usually stockpile resources for natural disasters either. Their main focus is to respond, recover, and restore.

Stephany

Reference:

Burkett, J. (2009, December). Command and Control: Command and Control of Military Forces in the Homeland. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/re…

Chapter 5 Disasters and Domestic Emergencies. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2020, from https://fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm100-19/fm100-19_…

Puerto Rico governor activates Guard as Dorian approaches. (2019, August 28). Retrieved October 27, 2020, from https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article/1946595…

RESPONSE 3

MOD2/POST1

Class,

Since being in the military, being a part of a disaster relief operation has always been an interest of mine. I have never had the opportunity to assist with any type of disaster relief efforts. The military can be a great resource to use before, during and after and disaster. But, there are limitations between both National Guard and Active Duty military response to an incident.

The military can get it’s tasking from FEMA or other agencies during a disaster (“Audit of the DoD’s”, 2019). The Stafford Act is what gives the US President the authority to provide military resources to states for essential assistance, a governor declared emergency or major disaster but DOD commanders always have the authority to immediately respond to save lives and property (Elsea & Mason, 2012). But a major area of contention can develop between the governors’ state National Guard and the implementation of federal military elements.

Each state’s governor has his National Guard to command and control under Title 32 authorities but the funding comes from the state (“Disaster Response”, 2010). The governor can request federal military support (Title 10) and it won’t come out of his budget but they lose command and control to the federal government, unless a dual status commander is identified (“Disaster Response”, 2010). A dual status commander option was established to help with chain of command and tasking, in this scenario an authorized Title 32 National Guard commander can command federal forces under Title 10 authorities (“Disaster Response”, 2010). We must consider this could be a friction point for Title 10 forces.

In my experiences, in the past, there is a divide between National Guard and Active Duty military. There’s a feeling that National Guardsmen are not up to the same level of capabilities and having a Title 32 commander over Title 10 could create issues. This may not be justified but should still be considered. A benefit to dual status command can be the relationship and connection with the community they live in. If I were coming in to assist, I wouldn’t have the same feelings towards a community I have no relationship with. If federal military resources are used, both state and federal leaders should consider using dual status commanders.

Scott

Reference:

Audit of the DoD’s Preparation for Natural Disasters DODIG-2019-086. (2019). Retrieved from: file:///Users/scottyliddick/Desktop/College/EDM502/Audit%20of%20the%20DoD%E2%80%99s%20Preparation%20for%20Natural%20Disasters%20DODIG-2019-086%20_%20Department%20of%20Defense%20Office%20of%20Inspector%20General%20_%20DoD%20OIG%20Reports.htm

Disaster Response Staff Officer’s Handbook. (2010). No. 11-07. Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL). US Army Combined Arms Center. Retrieved from: https://usacac.army.mil/sites/default/files/public…

Elsea, J. and Mason, R. (2012). The Use of Federal Troops for Disaster Assistance: Legal Issues. Congressional Research Service. Retrieved from: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RS22266.pdf

RESPONSE 4

The Military’s Role in Disaster Relief

Class,

The United States Military has an important role in responding to natural disasters and other crises. There are many layers of support and when you peel everything back and look at the roles and responsibilities of each department within each local, state, and federal agency it gets rather perplexing. For this discussion, we are only going to look at the active-duty military and the National Guard’s capabilities and limitations when called upon to respond to a disaster, both domestically and internationally.

One of the biggest advantages of using the active military in response to a disaster is the amount of time it would take to deploy them to the location. With the active military always readily available, it would take far less time for them to have boots on the ground. An additional benefit is the amount of funding they receive from the Department of Defense.

It is important to know that the role of active-duty military personnel in any domestic disaster is limited under legislation known as the Posse Comitatus Act. This law prohibits the use of federal troops in domestic law enforcement in any capacity. However, active-duty troops frequently are frequently called to help in a disaster, but only in a supporting role.

Side Note: This is something that I had to work with a lot while I was in the military. An explosive search dog is something that the military has plenty of and oftentimes called on to support local law enforcement to respond to bomb threats and other instances where searching for explosives was necessary. Many civilian police agencies do not have an explosive trained dog simply due to the nature of their duties. When we were called to respond, we were strictly in a support role so as not to violate Posse Comitatus. No markings on our vehicles, plain clothes, no sidearm, etc.

The Coronavirus and securing our nation’s Southern border are a couple of recent examples when the active-duty military has domestically assisted civil authorities. However, a commonality that I’ve come across on this topic is that there is a lot of tension among senators, governors, and other political figures when it comes to using the active military domestically. There is fear that there will be a misuse of active military personnel to carry out other political agendas. Are there checks and balances to ensure that the active-duty military is only operating in a supporting role?

Strategically, the National Guard is better positioned to respond to national disasters and are easier to activate than the active-duty personnel because they are controlled by the governor of the state. The National Guard is very unique in the fact that they are the only ones who can serve under three different roles. For example, when they are activated under Title 32, which is normally what occurs when they are on their annual training operations, is the preferred way to utilize the National Guard because it allows the state’s governor to maintain control of the Guard to civil support with federal funding. The second way that the National Guard is utilized is under the state’s control. In this instance, the Department of Defense and the federal government have no control over how governors use these forces in response to a natural disaster or any type of civil unrest. Lastly, they can be activated under Title 10 which allows the National Guard to provide support the same way that the active-duty military responds to crisis. When this occurs the Guard bypasses the Governor and is under control of the Department of Defense and the President. It’s also important to know that the President can bypass the Governor and activate the National Guard if needed (Petty, 2016).

Hurricane Katrina exposed several limitations when it comes to our nation’s ability to respond to disasters. “Governors of states affected by the storm initially did not ask for the help of federal troops, and National Guard units did not have the equipment to deal with the disaster. In Washington, policy-makers are discussing whether the federal military should be brought in more quickly and play a bigger role” (Profile, 2005). The question is, when and what criteria must be met to request help from the federal government? Perhaps if there were policies that clearly outlined this process the response would have been more effective. If there is anything that has been learned over the years is the need to implement a Unified Military Command to better coordinate military efforts in response to an incident. This would streamline planning and strategic deployment to different threats. (Helvarg, 2020).

Nicholas

References:

Helvarg, D. (2020). We Need a Unified Military Command for Disaster Response.

Petty, S. F., & Air War College Montgomery United States. (2016). Coordinating Military Response to Disasters.

Profile: The Military’s Role in Disaster Response (2005). Washington, D.C.: NPR. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.trident.edu/docview/189796190?accountid=28844

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Module 2 – Background

NATURAL DISASTERS AND INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE

Required Reading

Chang, S. E. (2016). Socioeconomic impacts of infrastructure disruptions. Oxford. Retrieved from https://oxfordre.com/naturalhazardscience/view/10….

NIPP 2013: Partnering for Infrastructure Security and Resilience. (2013). DHS.gov. retrieved from https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publicatio…
Read pages 7–14.

Required Websites

Critical Infrastructure Sectors. https://www.dhs.gov/cisa/critical-infrastructure-s…

Disaster Information Management Research Center. https://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/

Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS). http://www.gdacs.org/

Grass GIS. https://grass.osgeo.org/

National Infrastructure Protection Plan. https://www.dhs.gov/national-infrastructure-protec…

Natural Disasters and Severe Weather. https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/index.html