The December 31, 2008 issue of Time.com has an interesting article on the application of the military for disaster response in the U.S. Current plans are that by 2011 the Department of Defense will have 20,000 uniformed troops
expressly trained to assist in national disaster rapid response. READ MORE
OPINION: This is a very complex and important issue and concerns much more than the application of military personnel. For example, the implementation of the DHS National Applications Office continues to be stalled because of Congressional concerns over privacy and civil liberties. Although recent changes in policy are primarily the result of the events of September 11, 2001 and the failures during the Hurricane Katrina response the issues involved date back to the Posse Comitatus Act, a 130-year-old law that specifically bars the President from using the U.S. military for law enforcement in the United States. It is interesting to note that some of these technology policy issues were addressed over ten years ago in the Disaster Information Task Force report whose recommendations included the "Formulation of a policy environment that fosters interagency cooperation through integrated strategic planning and coordination of disaster information budget initiatives and promotes public/private partnerships. Develop a sustainable plan for timely access to classified data and derived products."
OPINION: This is a very complex and important issue and concerns much more than the application of military personnel. For example, the implementation of the DHS National Applications Office continues to be stalled because of Congressional concerns over privacy and civil liberties. Although recent changes in policy are primarily the result of the events of September 11, 2001 and the failures during the Hurricane Katrina response the issues involved date back to the Posse Comitatus Act, a 130-year-old law that specifically bars the President from using the U.S. military for law enforcement in the United States. It is interesting to note that some of these technology policy issues were addressed over ten years ago in the Disaster Information Task Force report whose recommendations included the "Formulation of a policy environment that fosters interagency cooperation through integrated strategic planning and coordination of disaster information budget initiatives and promotes public/private partnerships. Develop a sustainable plan for timely access to classified data and derived products."
