The Future Role of the United States Army Reserves in a Catastrophic WMD Attack on the Homeland
Abstract
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, changed the lives of every American. With the horrible loss of life came a wake-up call that our country was embroiled in a war with wily, determined enemies. These enemies are fighting asymmetrically and are intent on destroying our way of life by any means possible. Future attacks on our nation are inevitable and our mindset must not be if weapons of mass destruction are used, but rather how are we going to respond to the aftermath when they are used . The USNORTHCOM Commander is responsible for providing military assistance to civil authorities, which includes consequence management operations in response to attacks using Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High-Yield Explosives (CBRNE). This joint Department of Defense mission must be able to respond with all the available resources that are needed in the most expeditious way possible. Presently, there are logistical resources from the United States Army Reserves (USAR) that are scarcely being implemented into the National Response Plan. This paper proposes uses for the combat support and combat service support elements of the USAR that could significantly assist the efforts of the consequence management team during a WMD catastrophic attack.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 18, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA426012
Entities
People
- John J. Gallagher
Organizations
- Naval War College