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 Noun 1. Homeland Security - the federal department that administers all matters relating to homeland security Department of Homeland Security executive department - a federal department in the executive branch of the government of the United States Task Force, presented the workshop. Mr. Verga and his staff are responsible for establishing policies and procedures Policies and Procedures are a set of documents that describe an organization's policies for operation and the procedures necessary to fulfill the policies. They are often initiated because of some external requirement, such as environmental compliance or other governmental to focus and upgrade the Department of Defense's (DoD) preparation for and response to acts of terror. Army Secretary Thomas White Thomas White can refer to:
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 United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. 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 according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. 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 weapon of mass destruction (WMD) Weapon with the capacity to inflict death and destruction indiscriminately and on a massive scale. The term has been in currency since at least 1937, when it was used to describe massed formations of bomber aircraft. 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 Fort Sam Houston, U.S. army base, 3,300 acres (1,335 hectares), S Tex., in San Antonio; headquarters of the Fifth Army. San Antonio, long a military center, donated land in 1870 for the site of a permanent military post that was constructed from 1876 to 1890 and , 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 Mississippi River River, central U.S. It rises at Lake Itasca in Minnesota and flows south, meeting its major tributaries, the Missouri and the Ohio rivers, about halfway along its journey to the Gulf of Mexico. for Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, Bosnia, Kosovo, Southwest Asia, and Border Security. Ms. Rush has been a member of the Alamo Alamo Eighteenth-century mission in San Antonio, Texas, site of a historic siege of a small group of Texans by a Mexican army (1836) during the Texas war for independence from Mexico. City Chapter since 1984 and served as a vice president Most recently she was the recipient of the ASMC ASMC American Suzuki Motor Corporation ASMC American Society of Military Comptrollers ASMC Association of Sales & Marketing Companies ASMC Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Conference ASMC Area Support Medical Company ASMC American Small Manufacturers Coalition 2002 Distinguished Award in the area of budgeting. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion