Read Morrissey, S. (2008). Should the Military Be Called in for Natural Disasters? http://content.time.comitime/nationiarticle/0,8599,1869089,00.html U.S. Army Brigade Deploys For Homeland Mission http://Www.nationalterroralert.com/2008/09/30/us-army-brigade-deploys-for-homeland-mission/ “Theoretically, even pacifists would probably admit that no one can respond as quickly and efficiently to a major U.S. disaster as the military. But the news that active-duty soldiers fresh from a combat tour will be gearing up to assist civilian agencies charged with responding to anything from accidental chemical spills to terrorist attacks has sparked mixed reactions from experts in emergency management and civil liberties advocates.” The Department of Defense plans to have 20,000 uniformed troops expressly trained to assist in national disaster rapid response at a moment’s notice. Since Oct. 1, some 4,700 soldiers belonging to a brigade combat team out of Fort Stewart, Ga., have already been engaged in the new assignment, according to Air Force Lt. Col. Almarah Belk, a spokeswoman at the Secretary of Defense’s office. The $556 million, five-year training program is part of a broader, $2.3 billion FEMA project to have civilian authorities in states such as Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Washington work with the military to develop response plans to a range of potential disasters, from a hurricane and earthquake to a terrorist attack and a pandemic flu? Answer the Following: 1. Could the use of the uniformed troops in national disaster rapid response be beyond the scope of the military? Does it overlap the FEMA mission?
