New Rapid-Response Forces to Bolster Homeland Defense Mission

American Forces Press Service ^ | Gerry J. Gilmore

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2008 – Pentagon officials have established a new rapid-response joint task force and plan to create two more in coming years to bolster assistance to civil authorities following potential chemical, biological or nuclear attacks or natural disasters, a senior U.S. official said here yesterday.

The new units will team with other federal agencies in support of local responders following chemical, biological or nuclear terror attacks on the homeland or during natural disasters, Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and Americas’ security affairs, told American Forces Press Service and Pentagon Channel reporters.

The establishment of the new units “builds upon a decade of improving [Defense Department] capabilities to deal with a domestic terrorist attack involving a weapon of mass destruction,” McHale said.

The first new 4,700-member task force was assigned to a component of U.S. Northern Command on Oct. 1, McHale said. The new unit, he said, is built around a core of active-duty soldiers from the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Stewart, Ga. This task force, he said, falls under the control of Northcom’s Joint Force Land Component Command, U.S. Army North, in San Antonio.

Plans are to stand up the other two new joint task forces in 2010 and 2011, respectively, McHale said. These units, he said, mostly will comprise reserve component personnel from all the military services.

Each task force will be capable of performing tasks such as medical response, decontamination, technical rescue, patient evacuation, and communications and logistics support, to include air and land transportation assets for transport of supplies, people and equipment, according to U.S. Army North documents.

The task forces would be ordered into action by the president, McHale said, following requests for disaster-relief assistance from state governors.

The new units, he emphasized, do not conduct law-enforcement missions. In the event of civil disturbances and some other types of national emergencies, he said, other designated U.S. military units could be ordered by the president to help civil authorities establish order as part of the Garden Plot domestic security plan.

The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States prompted U.S. officials to consider whether existing National Guard-staffed civil support teams could provide enough resources to support civil authorities during multiple catastrophic events, McHale said.

McHale said 9/11 also “was the genesis for the creation of U.S. Northern Command.” Northcom, he said, is responsible for homeland defense of the continental U.S. and Alaska, while U.S. Pacific Command is responsible for Hawaii. Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr. commands Northcom as well as North American Aerospace Defense Command, which are co-located at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colo.

National Guard-staffed civil support teams were developed through a Pentagon initiative dating to the mid-1990s. Today, there are 53 civil support teams distributed across the United States, McHale said. These 22-member units, he said, are trained to test for chemical, biological or nuclear contamination in the event of a weapons-of-mass-destruction-attack on the United States.

Additionally, Marine Corps-operated emergency-response units that specialize in relief operations are available during chemical, biological and nuclear attacks, he said.

Biographies:
Paul McHale
Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr.

Related Sites:
U.S. Northern Command

Related Articles:
No Law Enforcement for Emergency Units
Home From Iraq, Army Brigade Trains for Homeland Response Mission
Guard-Staffed WMD Civil Support Teams Slated for Increase
Congress Funds Five More WMD Civil Support Teams

[randomhero97]

Yeah, I’m not liking where all this is going.

[TonyStark]

Otherwise known as the Office of The Supreme Executive’s Gun Violence Reduction Force.

[KoRn]

So this is what they are officially calling it.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I hope the ACLU challenges this in court, and prevails.

[brushcop]

We’ve never needed such forces before in our country, this is an outright lie. Something is afoot and we’re not stupid. Given Biden’s careless remark, something is brewing and it ain’t from without, it’s from within. No, I don’t wear tinfoil hats either but I didn’t spend 31 years in LE without becoming skeptical and know BS when I see or hear it.

See, it doesn’t fit, for disasters, that’s what FEMA is for, nothing fits. Local LE dept. ARE equipped for disasters, I’ve been there, done that. The LEOs I know that are still working have been cross-trained in Homeland Security and go on FEDERAL details concerning illegal immigrants (this in Texas), disasters come and go and we’ve always handled it, called in the Guard when needed, that’s what THEY are for.

I originally understood that several thousand were from 3ID and I’m sure they bolstered that number from other units, many of those young men have several combat deployments under their belt, not sure if they have hurricane relief training also. /s

[randomhero97]

many of those young men have several combat deployments under their belt,

When these units are bolstered with troops that have urban warfare combat experience then we will know SHTF.

[brushcop]

That was my first thought also. We made a number of trips to Ft. Benning seeing them off on deployments since ‘04, got to know quite a few they’ve gone to other units or have discharged out. But I know when something smells for sure.

[smokingfrog]

Not sure how much of this is true, but makes for some interesting reading.

[brushcop]

Also Random, I clicked on several links posted at the top and of course they’re all emphasizing “disasters” and “terrorist” related attacks such as the Japan sarin gas attack by the crazies there.

Still doesn’t fit what with our total lack of border security that we have had about EIGHT YEARS to address, nor the other common-sense issues dealing with terrorist activities assessments.

Yet, suddenly we need 32 “Teams” of highly-trained, combat experienced US Army troops on station in the US. This stinks to high heaven, this is a lie, a deception for something else and it’s not paranoia here. Read the list of states for yourselves, think about if those states have such high incidents of disasters or even terrorist threats, where’s the data? Where’s the justification?

[CodeToad]

The military is not law enforcement and are not the best at handling terror strikes. The civilians have plenty of training and capabilities. This is about something else altogether. I fear this is about controlling We the People once something is announced that we won’t tolerate.

[brushcop]

Thanks for posting that, Smokin’. Interesting read, that makes more sense to me than the stupid “natural disasters” angle. Let’s say a bit more than half is true, STILL makes more sense.

[randomhero97]

Totally agree. Isn't the Governor of the state supposed to request federal assistance before it's given anyways? Until then I was under the assumption that the guard took orders from the governor.

I'm prior military as well and this smells of bad mojo.

[brushcop]

Yes and one of the articles talks about these “teams” being under the Governor’s control, like the guard, still stinks. I’m also wondering if the “teams” are Brigade size, such as 1st BCT (3ID), etc.? That might give us a clear indication of just how large these forces really are.

So, where will they be housed, fed and operate from? Ah well, we’re just the little people anyway...

[hreardon]

What scares me is this totally by-passes the National Guard, whose job should be to protect us domestically. I suppose the problem being is that the Guard is controlled by the governors of each state, not the executive branch. Also, presumably, it would be difficult to get Guard members to "pacify" residents of their own home state, and more effective to have federal troops to do it.

[PeteePie]

“So, where will they be housed, fed and operate from?”

Why peoples’ homes of course. They are to be seized in the name of the king for as long as his majesty’s forces may require. BTW I should think a red uniform would be quite becoming of the new force, what.

[brushcop]

ROTFLMAO! Thanks for that, needed some good humor to dilute my rampage!

[GOP Poet]

bookmark

[PA Engineer]

BTTT.

[bamahead]

In the event of civil disturbances and other types of national emergencies, he said, other designated U.S. military units could be ordered by the president to help civil authorities establish order as part of the Garden Plot domestic security plan.



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[elkfersupper]

I wonder what they think about my firearms and ammunition.