The Department of Defense as Lead Federal Agency for Consequence Management - Poised for Success?
Abstract
The events of September 11, 2001 brought home that the use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the U.S. is a likely future event. In response to this potential threat, the federal government has built the federal response plan. This plan addresses both crisis response and consequence management. The Department of Defense (DoD) plays only a supporting role in these areas, being subordinate to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for crisis response and to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for consequence management. The local, state, and federal response systems may initially be overwhelmed and unable to respond in the event of multiple WMD strikes within the U.S. Given the personnel and assets possessed by DoD, it is likely in this case that DoD will be designated the lead federal agency for consequence management. DoD is not currently prepared for such an event. Questions of scope of authority to respond and scope of mission need to be answered before response efforts can begin. The current statutory regime is confusing and no there is no available plan within DoD that specifically contemplates DoD as the lead federal agency. The combination of these may well lead to confusion and a slow response by DoD assets at a time when speed is of the essence. These statutes should be rewritten to clarify the expected DoD mission and DoD should initiate a deliberate plan that specifically contemplates DoD as the lead federal agency for consequence management.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 04, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA401375
Entities
People
- Paul Wilson
Organizations
- Naval War College