Military Support to Law Enforcement and Posse Comitatus: Is the Search for Nontraditional Missions on a Collision Course with Operational Readiness
Abstract
The potential danger to operational readiness of the search for nontraditional roles and missions for the U.S. armed forces is examined. The paper explores the incentives for adding new missions to the armed forces in light of the post-Cold War draw-down and looks at Military Support to Law Enforcement (MSLE) as an example of the types of missions being considered for the military. It reviews the history of and recent changes to the Posse Comitatus Act, the traditional deterrent to military involvement in civilian law enforcement operations Possible detrimental effects on operational readiness are discussed, as peacetime missions are equated to training for the wartime mission. Possible methods to evaluate potential missions are presented. The recommendation is made to keep the focus on the wartime mission and the needs of the operational commander when considering ancillary missions for the armed forces.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 18, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA266650
Entities
People
- Richard D. Baranzini
Organizations
- Naval War College