The Domestic Coalition: The Command and Control Relationship Between Active Component and National Guard Forces in Defense Support of Civil Authorities Operations
Abstract
The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina saw the largest military response ever undertaken by the United States. While the press highlighted the political clashes at the strategic level, there was also confusion at the operational level that led to a lack of efficiency. The command and control structure among the military forces was a constant irritant that degraded relief operations. This paper addresses the specific issue of the relationship between active component and National Guard forces during the Hurricane Katrina response operations. When confronted with any situation, the American military turns to doctrine to identify solutions and best practices. In this case, Joint Doctrine does provide a framework for effective C2 and coordination for domestic disaster response operations but it was not well utilized. This study uses the doctrinal framework to develop command authorities, relationships, and operational areas that allow the rapid response to crisis situations by all portions of our military. With unity of effort, not unity of command, as the goal, the Parallel Command Model is a good fit for DSCA operations. Treating the active component and National Guard forces as a coalition is appropriate. Using the support relationship clearly delineates the responsibilities of all involved. As the final piece to our analysis of the doctrinal framework for DSCA operations, future plans must account for FEMA and State adherence to state boundaries. Smaller JTFs with an objective of supporting a single state, and a JOA drawn accordingly, prevent adding any extraneous confusion during already complex DSCA operations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 06, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA476794
Entities
People
- Michael J. Teague
Organizations
- Naval War College