How can the US military respond to crisis in other countries...From Haiti, to Japan, to the Tsunami's in God knows where...to the flooding in Pakistan and have no forces available to assist overwhelmed local authorities in Alabama, Oklahoma and other states hit by natural disasters?
It makes no sense for the US Government to have established a Northern Command to respond to disasters here in the states and to not have that Command forward leaning when such situations strike.
But wanna know what the Commander of Northern Command got for what I consider a lack of leadership?
Promotion to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
On May 16th they (Northern Command) were bragging about an exercise in which all major players in the disaster relief community assembled and drilled for contingencies. The next day Tornadoes devastated the heartland.
On the 25th after the President was in the middle of his trip to Europe and just days before his arrival in the zone of destruction, Northern Command got off its collective ass and made this announcement.
May 25, 2011
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Northern Command activated the Defense Coordinating Officer and Defense Coordinating Element for FEMA Region VII and extended the DCO and DCE for FEMA Region VI today in support of response efforts to the severe weather in the Midwest.
U.S. Army North DCO and DCE for FEMA Region VI was initially activated to support flood relief in the south and have been extended with the activation of FEMA Region VII to provide assessment and coordinate DoD assets as required in the Midwest. DCOs and DCEs work very closely with federal, state, tribal and local officials to determine what unique DOD capabilities can be brought to assist in mitigating the effects of severe weather.
Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officers from U.S. Fleet Forces Command, U.S. Air Forces Northern and Marine Forces North will deploy to FEMA Region VII to assist the DCO assess and plan Department of Defense support of civil authorities.
The Department of Defense has capabilities that can be used to save lives as well as many other unique support capabilities such as air lift, medical, communications, and catastrophic planning.
USNORTHCOM is the joint combatant command formed in the wake of the Sept.11, 2001 terrorist attacks to provide homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities.
U.S. Army North provides defense support of civil authorities as the Army component of USNORTHCOM, the combatant command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., that is responsible for homeland defense and civil support.
Sorry Admiral but that just won't do. Not only is it too little but its too damn late. But even accounting for a bloated bureaucracy, why are you sending Liaison Officers instead of activating Medical Personnel to help out? Why are you not sending an Engineer Battalion or two to help with clean up?
The point is this.
We sent ships at flank speed to help the Japanese and Haitians. We extended an MEU to help Pakistan.
But when it comes to our military helping our own citizens its just too big a burden?
Say it out loud Admiral and see if it makes sense.
NOTE: Since the beginning of this year the US has been hit with savage storms, tornadoes, flooding of the nations largest river and we're not even halfway thru yet. Want to see the list? Go here.
I guess key here is FEMA. The local National Guard is first to assist, and only then - and untill after FEMA/Homeland Security requests it - NORTHCOM can act.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Marcase. It is not as simple as Solomon likes to claim.
ReplyDeleteyou men are using posse comittatus as a way to hide from action.
ReplyDeletewhat i specifically called for was for medical and engineering battalions to be brought to a state of readiness for deployment.
not infantry and military police battalions. i'm talking about disaster assistance not a martial law situation.
hey Thomas...i don't care how Canada does their thing or Europe in Marcase's instance.
what i do care about is a perception that we have a Command that has been established that is suppose to be for disasters but does nothing. SOME people claim that all its for is to act in case of some incident that would potentially destabilize the government.
a quick way to prove the tin foil hat wrong would be for northern command to act within its charter.
oh and Thomas one other thing. Marcase is talking FEMA when before you were talking states having to request the assistance.
make up your mind.
oh and i notice that its mostly people from other countries that are making excuses for this command.
ReplyDeletebut for a us citizen its PISSING ME OFF to see us rushing all over the globe helping people that could care less and then watching our own (Americans) hurt with no help coming.
its not a matter of posse comittatus but the chain thats the mechanisms in place, army corps of engineers may go in soon but it just hasnt been a military role in the past to respond to natural disasters, i am all for them taking a stronger role but it would have to be a more direct mechanism to allow military assets to act sooner.
ReplyDeletelol not making excuses, just trying to figure it out! :)
ReplyDeleteAs I understand it, there are a lot of state and federal links in the chain that ultimately connect Homeland Security, FEMA, Northcom, State Dept and state institutions.
IIRC it's not just simply giving NORTHCOM a call, it's first the state governor that's (supposed to) run disaster control, then FEMA and only after the US President declares it a national disaster can other assets - Northcom - join the fray.
Again, that's how I understand it.
From here across the pond, Posse Comittatus is just... weird. European national militaries have standing orders to assist in national disasters, with playbooks at the ready for all kinds of contingencies; power outages, flooding, medical assistance, SAR etc. etc.
Again, many countries don't have seperate regular and national guard armies, or make the distinction between local State/province and national jurisdiction.
So isn't NORTHCOM to fall under Homeland Security during (large) disasters? With both Northcom and the USCG, Homeland Security is supposed to be the prime (military) disaster control/assistence force - at least, that's how I read it.
It's easy to compare international disaster response mechanisms, but this issue is USA-unique, so a USA-solution must be found.
Marcase, very good point, i also think historically in america you see alot of reluctance to get military involved in anything domestic, so i think that making homeland security, national guard and FEMA do alot of the work is good, i would like to see an expanded role for military but its just not in our history for the last many years.
ReplyDeletethere you're wrong. during the 1950's the US military (active duty forces) assisted in everything from wildfires in California to floods in LA.
ReplyDeletethe idea that its unusual for the US to use active duty forces on its own shores is a lie. heck during the 60's they were called out for demonstrations! if they can be used for something like that then why the fuck not for this kind of devastation!
I don't disagree with you Solomon, I too would like to see our tax dollars that support the military being used to a betterment of our country. When you brought up the fact of the military being involved in demonstrations (Kent State as the primary headline) might give politicians pause when wanting to call them into action today. Personally I feel we should be using them at home, as you've said in many posts Solomon, there is an abundance of equipment sitting and waiting to be used, had they been called up sooner, who knows what kind of a difference they could have made after hurricane Katrina. If we need to change the laws that would let governors call the National Guard up sooner in times of crisis, then let us begin the process.
ReplyDeletei think the use of the military in the 50s and 60s (remember eisenhower used the airborne units to enforce brown v. board), is one of the reasons the military isnt used today. I agree we should use them more in supportive roles of disaster relife but we do remember Kent state and people do remember the military keeping files on groups in the united states, so i think it makes people very cautious as not to spook people.
ReplyDeletegeeez joe.
ReplyDeletei'm losing my patience with you guy.
kent state was national guard not active duty forces. they already are used in police and disaster roles. if you all want to stay stuck on intergration and the use of the military...then remember that the 101st airborne was used to escort some kids into a school.
let it go dude....you lost.
Phil.
Thanks.
'Nuff Said!