摘要: The threat to the United States today remains complex and both ambiguous and apparent. While major strides in planning, preparation, funding, and training in support of homeland defense and civil support have occurred over the pas... 展开 The threat to the United States today remains complex and both ambiguous and apparent. While major strides in planning, preparation, funding, and training in support of homeland defense and civil support have occurred over the past 10 years, there remains significant room for improvement. All strategic documents dealing with national security include the imperative of responding to threats to and within the homeland, whether manmade or natural. The complexity of bringing together local, state, federal, and nongovernmental organizations into a coherent functioning organization is as daunting as the importance of the mission. The recommendations of this paper incorporate the reality of a United States military that is shrinking in size and capacity, which means that it is imperative to look at options from a holistic point of view. When the military is required to respond to a catastrophic incident involving significant amounts of both civilian casualties and property damage, it must be prepared to properly respond. 收起