Go Fast, Go Big, Go Early, and Go Smart: The Air National Guard in Complex Catastrophies

Abstract

Can the Air National Guard (ANG) go fast, go big, go early, and go smart in a complex catastrophe? In other words, can the ANG respond quickly and efficiently with adequate capacity in a timely manner to save and sustain lives in the face of a humanitarian disaster exponentially larger than Hurricane Katrina? Devastating earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, and Japan illustrated vividly and tragically the human, economic, and social impact of such a catastrophic disaster. Cognizant of the threat complex catastrophes pose to national resilience, the President issued Presidential Policy Directive (PPD-8) National Preparedness. As such, the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, and supporting agencies were tasked to define national preparedness, build frameworks to support preparedness, and examine how the nation may respond collectively in a whole of community approach. Consequently, the Secretary of Defense solicited the Department of Defense (DOD) for recommendations to improve DOD support of civil authorities during a complex catastrophe while allowing for no additional force structure. The ANGs inherent dual-use role, civil support lineage, and geographical dispersion throughout the 54 states and territories suggest the ANG can play a role in combating the effects of a complex catastrophe. To that end, this work examines four questions. First, does the ANG possess unique and specialized capabilities, capable of spanning many missions, and are multi-purpose. Second, can the ANG arrive quickly and provide a safe and secure environment for local, state, and private sector partnerships to work effectively. Third, where should the ANG reside in an integrated DOD wide effort to bring forces to bear in a timely fashion should governors ask for support. Lastly, can the ANG leverage its capabilities across FEMA regions vice simply in and around local bases? The scope is limited to the ANG specifically vice the National Guard as a whole.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2012
Accession Number
AD1019412

Entities

People

  • Britt Hatley

Organizations

  • Air University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Civil Engineering
  • Combatant Commanders
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Emergency Response
  • Employment
  • Health Services
  • Homeland Security
  • Humanitarian Assistance
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Personnel
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Test And Evaluation
  • United States Government
  • United States Northern Command
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Distributed Systems and Data Platform Development
  • Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
  • Strategic Security Studies