A Reserve Component for the Reserve Component?: Homeland Security's Antiterrorist Needs

Abstract

Paul McHale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense, recently said "one big threat to our security, the Soviet Union, has now been replaced." "The biggest threat is the global proliferation of weapons of mass destruction." This threat is "now compounded by the emergence of transnational terrorist groups...We must seek out and defeat those terrorist groups." In response to this, limited Federal military and civil support are currently being augmented from such State and municipal agencies and organizations as the State Police, State health agencies, municipal police, hospitals and local physicians, and those remaining National Guard (NG) units not selected for military duty elsewhere. However, this homeland security (HS) force is not sufficiently adequate to provide security for our borders, critical infrastructures, critical material logistics depots and buildings, and it will further create other delivery of services problems when those programs are stripped to staff the HS mission(s). There is a clear indication that the freedom loving people of the world are facing a potential World War III against organized terrorism. Although the NG is the obvious player in providing HS support to its State, it is just as clear that the NG has its plate full to overflowing with Federal missions, including combat and homeland defense activities. Therefore, it is vital that Federal and State leadership and both their military leaders recognize the need for a Reserve Component to back up the NG and to focus on their obvious candidate for this assignment. This means that much of the Adjutant General and NG leadership must bury their traditional negative concerns about the State Defense Forces and focus on immediately building up and preparing their state forces for this awesome challenge.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2005
Accession Number
ADA497685

Entities

People

  • Martin Hershkowitz

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Department Of Defense
  • Disasters
  • First Responders
  • Governments
  • Health Services
  • Homeland Defense
  • Homeland Security
  • Infrastructure
  • Law
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Reserves
  • National Guard
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Economics
  • Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.