USD(AT & L) to help develop support strategy for homeland defense and civil support.

In a June 24 memorandum to all DoD components, agencies, and activities, Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England set forth the Department's broad direction on homeland defense and civil support matters. As a part of that effort, he tasked the under secretary of defense (acquisition, technology and logistics) with two major initiatives.

Systematic Approach to Providing Technology and Systems for Homeland Defense

Develop a comprehensive and systematic approach to identifying and providing technology and systems solutions for homeland defense. This plan, according to the secretary's directive, should:

* Build on other analytic efforts, integrating broad capabilities needed to implement the department's strategy, including information infrastructure, interdict and defeat capabilities, mission assurance, and relevant national and international capabilities; and identifying critical needs that could be supported by defense systems.

* Include a baseline review of acquisition programs and plans; advanced concept technology demonstrations; research, development, test and evaluation; and science and technology initiatives relevant to the strategy.

* Recommend ways of leveraging these specific initiatives.

Migration of Civil Support Capabilities

The under secretary of defense for policy, in coordination with the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics and the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, will identify DoD capabilities for potential migration to other federal agencies. The plan will address those capabilities that are currently unique to DoD as well as those that are provided to civil authorities on a routine basis. The effort will be coordinated fully with DoD's interagency partners. The under secretary of defense for policy will present the proposed interagency process and timeline for this effort, along with initial recommendations for potential migration.

Although the migration analysis is due to the deputy secretary in September 2005, initial recommendations on the systematic approach analysis are not due until January 2006. The under secretary of defense for policy, however, will monitor progress on each of these analyses and report their status to the deputy secretary on a regular basis.