ABSTRACT

Highly destructive man-made and natural disasters during the first years of the twenty-first century have brought the Federal Government’s involvement in post-disaster operations under scrutiny. A number of federal agencies are mandated to assist civil authorities with preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters. As a department with access to unique capabilities and tremendous manpower resources, the Department of Defense has played a key role in such operations. The exact role of the Department of Defense, however, remains misunderstood by a number of key individuals and organizations. This research investigates the various processes available to local, state, and federal authorities to request Department of Defense involvement. A number of critical factors are to be considered prior to either requesting or authorizing such involvement, as the use and activities of federal military forces within the continental United States are carefully regimented. This project examines United States codes, as well as the federal regulations and mandates governing military forces, in order to assess the processes that determine the nature and extent of Department of Defense involvement in post-disaster operations.