The U.S. military and disaster response.

Reprint

The current world scene is changing at an unprecedented pace, and U.S. policy makers are struggling to define a clear guide for the future. One constant in all of this struggling is the fact that the military will be used in disaster relief operations and they may well be the most significant endeavor a battalion or brigade commander faces during his command. This paper introduces to the army in the field how the military interfaces with the civilian community and other federal agencies when conducting disaster relief operations. DOD has established set procedures and an organization designed to make order out of the chaos of disaster relief. The paper discusses disasters, military relief operations, regulatory guidance and the relief process. The paper concludes with a listing of available references and on-going actions