To protect the homeland, a plan to form ten regional Civil Support Forces (CSF) made up of National Guard forces has been proposed by senior fellow Christine Wormuth of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The National Guard (NG), from its very beginning, has been tasked to respond to civil unrest and disasters. This well-established historic mission warrants an expansion to ensure coordinated military support in the event of a catastrophic national disaster or emergency. This Strategy Research Project (SRP) analyzes three courses of action to provide regional NG civil support. It explains how CSFs would be aligned in regions utilizing the Guard's State Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ). Participation in past civil support events reveals the desirability of a future integrated force. Laws and policies are reviewed for their effect on unity of command when multiple agencies have roles in operations. Finally, way-ahead issues are proposed.
Regional Civil Support Forces for Homeland Defense and Civil Support Missions
2007
27 pages
Report
No indication
English