The role of Department of Defense Office of Homeland Security. (Workshop Report).

Mr. Peter F. Verga, Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for the Homeland Security Task Force, presented the workshop. Mr. Verga and his staff are responsible for establishing policies and procedures to focus and upgrade the Department of Defense's (DoD) preparation for and response to acts of terror. Army Secretary Thomas White is DoD's interim executive agent for homeland security.

In the past, DoD responded to acts of terror on two levels: crisis management and consequence management. Homeland security is a national-level effort undertaken throughout the United States government to ensure that Americans are secure from acts of terrorism, Verga said.

The DoD looks at homeland security support in three areas. The first area is homeland defense. According to Mr. Verga, "This is the application of DoD resources under extraordinary circumstances to counter terrorist threats within the U.S. The best example is the combat air patrols we put up over the United States after September 11."

The second area is civil support. This is the traditional role the military has in supporting other federal, state, and local agencies. The DoD provides capabilities that these agencies do not have, usually in emergencies such as fires, floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes.

The third area is emergency preparedness. The DoD provides this support on a temporary basis, such as support to the Olympics and the Super Bowl, and also provides training for civilian communities so that they can build up their own capabilities.

Emergency preparedness also refers to being prepared for circumstances in which the DoD might be called upon to provide support that very quickly exceeds civilian capability. A good example of that would be a weapon of mass destruction detonated in a U.S. city. The DoD could be called to take the lead, on a temporary basis, until civil authorities are ready.

Mr. Verga said the biggest challenge facing his office has been simultaneously setting up the organization and working with Governor Tom Ridge's Office of Homeland Security on national strategy. The DoD office is currently operating in a coordinating mode, but it will be moving to a proactive mission and information-sharing mode.

At the conclusion of his presentation, Mr. Verga fielded questions from the audience, including the following:

Q: How much better off are we now, in terms of preparedness and awareness since 9/11?

A: Sixty to 70 percent. The public is more aware and appears to be more agreeable to military presence than in the past.

Q: When will updated guidance on the DoD's role in homeland security be published?

A: The DoD directives should be updated by October 2, 2002.

Q: Is there legislation pending authorizing additional military end strength for homeland defense?

A: The Secretary of Defense would make a recommendation after completion of an ongoing study of jobs currently being performed by military that could possibly be accomplished by civilians and/or contractors.

Reported by Deborah L. Rush

Deborah L. Rush is the Chief Program and Budget Division at Fifth U.S. Army, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. She is responsible for the management and oversight of all funding allocated to support training and mobilization of Army National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers in the 2l states west of the Mississippi River for Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, Bosnia, Kosovo, Southwest Asia, and Border Security. Ms. Rush has been a member of the Alamo City Chapter since 1984 and served as a vice president Most recently she was the recipient of the ASMC 2002 Distinguished Award in the area of budgeting.