HOMELAND SECURITY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Homeland security is the national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism, and minimize the damage and assist in the recovery from terrorist attacks.

The Department of Defense (DoD) provides support to the federal, state and local authorities that have the primary responsibility for homeland security. Upon a request for assistance from a lead federal agency – the Department of Homeland Security and its component agencies or the Federal Bureau of Investigation – to deal with a terrorist threat or other man-made or natural disaster, the DoD will make military personnel and other assets available.

In addition, the DoD has primary responsibility for homeland defense, which is the military protection of the territory, population and critical defense infrastructure of the United States against external threats and aggression. This includes routine military actions that are aimed at deterring attacks by terrorists and preparing U.S. military forces for action if this fails.

The Senate Armed Services Committee, of which Senator Levin is the chairman, provides legislative oversight of the Department of Defense, authorizing its budget, including the parts that fund homeland defense activities, and approving or establishing policies to improve the civil-military effort to prevent or respond to attacks on the United States.

Within the DoD, the Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense has responsibility for policies supporting the homeland defense and security missions. Under Senator Levin’s chairmanship of the Senate Armed Services Committee in 2002, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 created this position.

The coordination of the military mission for homeland defense is the responsibility of the Northern Command, a geographic command that was established in Colorado in October 2002, and includes the continental United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and surrounding water to approximately 500 nautical miles, as well as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Gulf of Mexico. The defense of Hawaii and the Pacific territories and possessions remains the responsibility of the Pacific Command, headquartered in Hawaii.

As part of its Homeland Security support mission, the Department of Defense provides support to states in detecting chemical and biological attacks through its Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Teams, which are comprised of National Guard members.

In November 2001, after Senator Levin had made several requests on behalf of Michigan, the Pentagon announced that it would establish a team in Michigan. It was subsequently established in Battle Creek, Michigan, and was certified in February 2003.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 included a legislative provision that directed the Secretary of Defense to develop a plan to establish a Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team for every U.S. state and territory.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 authorized and funded 12 additional teams and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 authorized and funded seven more teams, resulting in a total of 55, ensuring one was authorized for each state and territory by the end of fiscal year 2005. As of the beginning of 2007, the DoD had certified 47 of the 55 teams..

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 also authorized the Secretary of Defense to approve deployment of National Guard units and personnel under the authority of state governors for up to 180 days to perform homeland defense activities. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 authorized five National Guard Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High Yield Explosive (CBRNE) Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) teams in addition to the existing 12 teams. These would provide support to civilian authorities in the aftermath of a weapons of mass destruction incident.

The John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 contained several provisions designed to enhance the Defense Department's homeland defense capabilities, including: an expansion of the types of emergencies for which the WMD-CSTs can be deployed; a requirement that the Secretary of Defense develop plans, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, to support civilian authorities, and maintain a database of the emergency capabilities of each State's National Guard that could be used in disaster situations; and authorization for the Secretary of Defense to preposition food, medical supplies, and communication equipment in order to improve the ability of the Department of Defense to respond to requests for emergency support from civil authorities.