There are numerous planning considerations when preparing for complex catastrophes. There are planning considerations applicable to any crisis or unplanned event, but complex catastrophe planning presents challenges for the Department of Defense (DOD) personnel. There is no clearly defined enemy to defeat, there is no overseas deployment, and the support response is immediate. The response may be no further than the community you work or live, and your training for this support may lack specificity. The lessons learned from many of the non-complex catastrophes, hurricanes as an example, provide a frame of reference and baseline for planning consideration in a complex catastrophe. First, the paper examines how leaders and planners must better
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The DOD is the only agency capable of providing the level of support required to reduce the loss of life and provide the needed security. Safety and security are indistinguishably interwoven and serve as the measure to the success or failure of DOD support during any form of catastrophe. Gauging the level of indispensable support requires leaders and planners to understand all aspects of their environment. There is no catastrophe, complex or not, that precludes a politico-military approach to saving U.S. …show more content…
A complex catastrophe quickly becomes politically charged, and DOD’s ability to provide sustained support to multiple events in numerous locations is how the public will measure DOD’s success. If correctly planned, the required level of support becomes the byproduct of the prior coordination. A leader’s ability to forge relations with local and state authorities may assist to enhance the understanding of capabilities DOD brings, and the requirements the local and state authorities needs in a possible catastrophe. Identifying needed capabilities allow military planners to collaborate with state and local planners and further refines the burden placed on DOD. An example of prior catastrophe collaboration is exploring the use of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA). Prior understanding of the RPA capabilities and the requirements for a Proper Use Memorandum (PUM) with each state would reduce the time needed to have the RPA assisting state and local authorities. A military planners understanding of the limits placed on RPA use in the United States as well as the local and state authorities understanding the capabilities of RPAs must be explored and defined prior to a catastrophic
The DOD is the only agency capable of providing the level of support required to reduce the loss of life and provide the needed security. Safety and security are indistinguishably interwoven and serve as the measure to the success or failure of DOD support during any form of catastrophe. Gauging the level of indispensable support requires leaders and planners to understand all aspects of their environment. There is no catastrophe, complex or not, that precludes a politico-military approach to saving U.S. …show more content…
A complex catastrophe quickly becomes politically charged, and DOD’s ability to provide sustained support to multiple events in numerous locations is how the public will measure DOD’s success. If correctly planned, the required level of support becomes the byproduct of the prior coordination. A leader’s ability to forge relations with local and state authorities may assist to enhance the understanding of capabilities DOD brings, and the requirements the local and state authorities needs in a possible catastrophe. Identifying needed capabilities allow military planners to collaborate with state and local planners and further refines the burden placed on DOD. An example of prior catastrophe collaboration is exploring the use of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA). Prior understanding of the RPA capabilities and the requirements for a Proper Use Memorandum (PUM) with each state would reduce the time needed to have the RPA assisting state and local authorities. A military planners understanding of the limits placed on RPA use in the United States as well as the local and state authorities understanding the capabilities of RPAs must be explored and defined prior to a catastrophic