Emergency services - Katrina's Forgotten Responders: State Defense Forces Play a Vital Role

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Katrina's Forgotten Responders: State Defense Forces Play a Vital Role

fgoodwin

2005-10-06, 10:46 pm

Katrina's Forgotten Responders: State Defense Forces Play a Vital
Role

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Ho...fense/em984.cfm

by James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., and John R. Brinkerhoff
October 5, 2005
Executive Memorandum #984

U.S. law allows states to raise and maintain state defense forces
(SDF). As the emergency response to Hurricane Katrina demonstrated,
these groups can be an important supplement to the National Guard,
particularly during catastrophic disasters. When trained, disciplined,
and well organized, local responders are essential for providing
immediate aid and security. Congress and the Bush Administration should
encourage states to better organize, train, and equip these volunteer
units.

Authorized Under Law.

The U.S. Constitution and United States Code Title 32, Section 309,
authorize state defense forces. An SDF is under the command of the
governor and reports to the state's Adjutant General. The state's
constitution and laws prescribe the SDF's duties and responsibilities.
These forces are state troops and are not funded by the federal
government. In order to use armories, train on military installations,
and receive in-kind support, states have to comply with federal
standards for the National Guard in matters of accession, training,
uniforms, and discipline. SDF personnel receive no pay for training but
may be paid for active duty under state control.

A Historic Force.

Several states formed SDF units during World War I to replace their
National Guard, which had been called into federal active duty. About
100,000 armed SDF personnel guarded key infrastructure and secured the
coastlines and land frontiers. During World War II, about 200,000 state
guardsmen, with War Department support, replaced the mobilized National
Guard. The SDF program was revived in 1980 during the Cold War under
the premise that SDF personnel would have to replace the National Guard
on the home front if troops were mobilized to fight in Europe.
Currently, 23 states maintain state defense forces of some kind, for a
nationwide total of about 14,000 personnel.

In the Wake of Disaster.

So far, several thousand SDF personnel from at least eight states have
participated in the response to Hurricane Katrina. Louisiana activated
all of its SDF. About 150 of these personnel were used in the response
operation in support of the Louisiana National Guard. Mississippi also
activated all of its State Guard personnel, principally in support of
the Army National Guard, to provide security and operate shelters.
Under the direction of the Adjutant General, Alabama SDF personnel
assisted in providing security and supported the operations of the
Alabama National Guard.

Although most SDF personnel were used in their own states, some were
also deployed to the Gulf Coast. The Texas State Guard activated over
1,000 members on paid active duty. Medical and military police units
received evacuees at Kelly Air Force Base and supported operations at
the Houston Astrodome and at shelters in four other locations within
Texas. Georgia SDF personnel were activated in unpaid status to process
evacuees through Dobbins Air Reserve Base and to provide medical and
administrative support and security for shelters. Virginia used about
100 unpaid volunteers as part of the Katrina response operation. This
allowed additional members of the Virginia National Guard to deploy to
the Gulf Coast. Members of the Virginia defense force assisted in the
deployment of National Guard units and provided security for armories.
The Maryland defense force sent an 81-person medical team to Louisiana.
The Tennessee State Guard was alerted on September 1 and activated 150
volunteers to secure and support shelter operations at several
locations.

Force for the Future.

Katrina demonstrated the difference between a "normal" disaster and a
catastrophe. The normal response to disaster calls for a cascading
response. Local community resources have the primary responsibility to
respond. When their resources are overwhelmed, they seek aid from the
state. In turn, when state assets are exhausted, the federal government
provides assistance. This process usually takes days. By contrast, in a
catastrophic disaster, state and local responders are stressed from the
start. In these situations, it is vital to draw on volunteer groups to
help close the support gap until the resources of the nation can be
mobilized.

Although governors have great responsibility for preparedness and
response in catastrophic emergencies, they have few resources other
than their National Guard available to them. SDF provide a low-cost way
for states to increase the resources available. However, they have
received little attention. Some state Adjutants General want strong and
effective SDF under their command as part of their state military
departments. Others resist having SDF, in some cases because of the
additional work necessary to administer them. Historically, the
Pentagon has offered little support or advice to the states.
Additionally, while the Department of Homeland Security promotes
volunteer participation in national preparedness and response programs,
it has paid scant attention to SDF.

Neglecting SDF is a mistake. With National Guard forces being called to
active duty more frequently than at any time since the Korean War, the
need for SDF to provide some measure of backup support to the states
should be readily apparent.

Moving Forward.

SDF should be a core part of the volunteer assets available to states
in time of crisis. Congress can help by establishing a legislative
framework to require appropriate cooperation between the Departments of
Defense and Homeland Security and the state governments on SDF matters.
One bill, H.R. 3401 (the State Defense Force Improvement Act),
introduced by Representatives Joe Wilson (R-GA) and Lincoln Davis
(D-TN), provides that Congress recognize state defense forces as "an
integral military component of the Nation's homeland security effort"
under state control and for use at the state level in accordance with
state laws. It would also authorize the Pentagon and Department of
Homeland Security to provide limited support for SDF at no direct cost
to the federal government.

Conclusion.

In considering how best to respond to disasters like Katrina, not all
of the answers can be found in Washington. Building a stronger
community response through volunteer groups such as state defense
forces is an essential part of preparedness.

James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., is Senior Research Fellow for National
Security and Homeland Security in the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis
Institute for International Studies at The Heritage Foundation. John R.
Brinkerhoff is an Adjunct Research Staff Member at the Institute for
Defense Analyses.

kayakkhan

2005-10-06, 10:46 pm

Stunning Propaganda
If you are, by now, uncertain what must be done in reality, and actually
believe that throwing more resources at the problem represents the solution,
then you are doomed to repeat history. I do however admire your optimism.

"fgoodwin" <fgoodwin@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1128542245.968108.140580@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Katrina's Forgotten Responders: State Defense Forces Play a Vital
> Role
>
> http://www.heritage.org/Research/Ho...fense/em984.cfm
>
> by James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., and John R. Brinkerhoff
> October 5, 2005
> Executive Memorandum #984
>
Snip the drivel..

Gunner

2005-10-06, 10:46 pm

Subject: another point of view For the people of New
Orleans... First we would like to say, Sorry for your
loss.

With that said, Lets go through a few hurricane
rules: (Unlike an earthquake, we know it's coming)

#1. A mandatory evacuation means just that... Get the
hell out. Don't blame the Government after they tell
you to go. If they hadn't said anything, I can see the
argument. They said get out... if you didn't, it's
your fault, not theirs. (We don't want to hear it,
even if you don't have a car, you can get out.)

#2. If there is an emergency, stock up on water and
non-perishables. If you didn't do this, it's not the
governments fault you're starving.

#2a. If you run out of food and water, find a store that
has some. (Remember, shoes, TV's, DVD's and CD's are
not edible. Leave them alone.)

#2b. If the local store is too looted of food or water,
leave your neighbor's TV and stereo alone. (See # 2a)
They worked hard to get their stuff. Just because they
were smart enough to leave during a mandatory
evacuation, doesn't give you the right to take their
stuff... it's theirs, not yours.

#3. If someone comes in to help you, don't shoot at them
and then complain no one is helping you. I'm not
getting shot to help save some dumb-XXX who didn't
leave when told to do so.

#4. If you are in your house that is completely under
water, your belongings are probably too far gone for
anyone to want them. If someone does want them, Let
them have them and hopefully they'll die in the filth.
Just leave! (For Christ's sakes, it's New Orleans,
find a voodoo warrior and put a curse on them)

#5. My tax money should not pay to rebuild a 2 million
dollar house, a sports stadium or a floating casino.
Also, my tax money shouldn't go to rebuild a city that
is under sea level. You wouldn't build your house on
quicksand would you? You want to live below sea-level,
do your country some good and join the Navy.

#6. Regardless what the Poverty Pimps Jessie Jackson and
Al Sharpton want you to believe, The US Government
didn't create the Hurricane as a way to eradicate the
black people of New Orleans; (Neither did Russia as a
way to destroy America). The US Government didn't
cause global warming that caused the hurricane (We've
been coming out of an ice age for over a million
years).

#7. The government isn't responsible for giving you
anything. This is the land of the free and the home of
the brave, but you gotta work for what you want.
McDonalds and Walmart are always hiring, get a damn
job and stop spooning off the people who are actually
working for a living.

President Kennedy said it best... "Ask not what your
country can do for you, ask what you can do for your
country."

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner