Disaster Response: Staff Officer's Handbook with Observations, Insights, and Lessons - Comprehensive Information on Military Response to Natural Disasters, Emergency Management, Terrorism

This is a uniquely valuable, informative, and up-to-date guide to military emergency management response, covering all aspects of defense support to civilians in times of crisis. Contents: Introduction * Chapter 1 - The Language of Disasters and Incidents * Chapter 2 - The Legal Framework * Chapter 3 - The National Response Framework and National Incident Management System * Chapter 4 - Department of Defense Role in Incident Response * Chapter 5 - Emergency Support Functions * Appendix A - Unit Planning Considerations * Appendix B - Casualties * Appendix C - Biological Incidents * Appendix D - Nuclear and Radiological Incidents * Appendix E - Catastrophic Incidents * Appendix F - Terrorist Incidents * Appendix G - Mass Evacuation Incidents * Appendix H - Nongovernmental Organizations * Appendix I - Legal Considerations and Law Enforcement * Appendix J - Operations Security * Appendix K - Airspace Command and Control * Appendix L - Search and Rescue * Appendix M - After-Action Reviews * Appendix N - Composite Risk Management * Appendix O - State Points of Contact * Appendix P - Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officers * Appendix Q - Websites.

Natural and man-made disasters in the United States cause pain and heartbreak to our fellow citizens. Picking up the pieces of shattered lives and homes is devastating, even to the stoutest among us. While the military cannot repair the emotional damage, it can mitigate the effects of tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, wildland fires, oil spills, and terrorist attacks.

U.S. military response in the homeland provides overwhelmed first responders with the help they need after a major incident. Our ability to act quickly and effectively in response to fast-moving, deadly situations offers tremendous support to our fellow citizens. Civilian officials also know this assistance is short term; local and state leaders bear the responsibility of restoring their communities and cannot become dependent on the resources of the military. The support offered by the National Guard, followed by active duty units, provides a cushion for civilian leaders. Defense support to civil authorities is complex and impacted by myriad statutes, regulations, and presidential orders.
If it was easy, anyone could do it. This mission is yours. Once it is accomplished the military will exit the incident, leaving the on-scene experts to finish the job.

Federal forces supported state and local authorities during Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in many other natural disasters in the past decade. Navy divers assisted local, state and federal authorities during the Minnesota bridge collapse of 2007. In 2008, U.S. Army North, U.S. Northern Command's joint force land component command, deployed a two-star task force to command and control federal military forces in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state of Texas during Hurricane Ike. National Guard units routinely deploy to assist their states with wildland fires, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, and oil spills, and to prepare for large scale incidents.

Defense support to civil authorities (DSCA) within the United States is not a new mission for the military. Despite this, Center for Army Lessons Learned collection and analysis teams routinely report that tactical units do not understand the constraints placed upon them by the body of statutes, regulations, and presidential orders pertaining to responding to disasters and incidents at home. This is because the primary mission of tactical units is expeditionary warfare, and that has been their focus for the past eight years in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Horn of Africa, and the Philippines.

Military units come to a disaster with a number of strengths: disciplined and trained personnel; a ready fleet of vehicles, surface craft, and aircraft; the capability to operate in austere environments for extended periods of time. Defense can be ta

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