Department of Defense Support of Civil Authorities: Assessment and Strategy

U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) are updating their existing civil support plans to include a complex catastrophe scenario, as directed by the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Staff. However, the commands are delaying the identification of capabilities that could be provided to execute the plans until the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the lead federal response agency, completes its regional planning efforts in 2018. This book assesses the extent to which DOD has planned for and identified capabilities to respond to complex catastrophes; and established a command and control construct for complex catastrophes and other multistate incidents. It also establishes Department of Defense (DoD) priorities in the areas of homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities through 2020, consistent with the president’s National Security Strategy and the 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance.