You may recognize these phases from Joint
Pub 3-28 as being similar to the basic operational
phases of Joint Pub 3-0. They are very similar.
The only difference is that one is focused
on military operations and the other is focused
on Defense Support to Civilian Authorities.
The operation phases of Defense Support to
Civil Authorities are simply adapted to match
the requirements of the Domestic Incident
Response. A few take aways from the Joint
Pub 3-0 Notional Operational Plan Phases,
first is level of effort diagram that you
see, just like operational plans, DSCA requires
that for full effectiveness and efficiency
the phases should be conducted sequentially.
However, history tells us that the complexity
of these disasters cause many activities within
each phase to overlap, just as the level of
effort does in the diagram. They may not only
overlap in the next phase, but across multiple
phases is probably the more realistic view.
As we walk through these phases, think about
the local incident you chose to study for
this course; because your final exercise will
require you to break down your local incident
using these phases.
So, let’s walk through each of these phases.
There are generally six phases of DSCA operations,
including shape, anticipate, respond, operate,
stabilize, and transition. Similar to the
military operational planning, during DSCA
planning, the JFC establishes conditions,
objectives, or events for transitioning from
one phase to another.
If we remember, we discussed the critical
nature of understanding our priorities and
objectives as we engage in the domestic incident
response. This is where the planning starts,
but remember, this is just the planning. It
will stray when met by real incident. Flexibility
is the key.
Phase 0, or shape, is continuous situational
awareness and preparedness. Sound familiar?
Well, it should, because it’s similar to
the gain and maintain situational awareness
phase of emergency response we discussed earlier.
Activities during this phase that you may
find yourself involved in include interagency
coordination, planning, identification of
gaps, preparation exercises, and public affairs
outreach.
In a 2013 GAO study, they determined that
this is one of the areas that we as the DoD
need to improve. The GAO recommended that
combatant commands work through their DCO
officers, remember we talked about those guys,
to develop an interim set of specific DoD
capabilities that could be provided to prepare
for and respond to complex catastrophes.
These needed to be clearly defined with good
communication and be able to implement this
construct for the command and control of federal
forces during multi-state civil support incidents,
such as complex catastrophes.
DoD concurred with both the recommendations
and NORTHCOM is hard at work making this happen;
including the development of what NORTHCOM
is calling, “playbooks.”
As you can see from this quote, General Jacoby
really believes these playbooks are the key
to not only shaping the environment, but the
stepping-off point for the rest of the phases.
Representatives from various military branches,
as well as representatives from Cal Fire and
west coast city and state officials, met for
the two-day defense support of civil authority’s
open house in San Diego, April 28th through 29th.
We, as the Navy Marine Corps Team, you know,
are here to be forward deployed and fight
the country’s wars. But, if called upon,
the President or obviously, the Secretary
of Defense determines us to support the homeland.
Uh, it’s important that we’re able to
respond, whether to save lives or help the
civilian authorities during times of crisis.
This is the beginning of a relationship; this
is the beginning of a partnership. It’s
very hard to do things when you’re called
to do during a crisis. But, once we establish
these relationships and we surge trust, because
you can surge trust, then once it’s time
to go to a mission we can execute that mission.
You look out here, you see a lot of the equipment,
you see a lot of machinery, and what not.
This is what our military’s about – not
just going overseas and fighting battles;
not just providing HADR offshore and overseas
– but, it’s about here, right here in
the United States in support of our Americans
when they are in need of our services and
our support.
Phase I begins with the identification of
a potential DSCA mission, a no-notice event;
or when directed by the President or Secretary
of Defense.
For example, days before Sandy made landfall,
President Obama directed Homeland Security
Advisor, John Brennan, to ensure that all available
federal resources were being brought to bear
to support state and local responders; especially
in potentially affected areas along the eastern
seaboard as they prepared for the severe weather.
This led to multiple military actions, including
the deployment of JTS-CS and the DCOs from
NORTHCOM, airlift preparation by AMC, and
so much more.
The Anticipate phase ends with assigned response
forces deployed or when the determination
is made that there is no event requiring DSCA
response.
Success is achieved when deployment of a DCO,
EPLO, and other selected response forces is
accomplished. So, you can see as we’re going
through this, there’s definitely some links
between all three of these continuums. It’s
just a matter of who you are, who you work
for, and where your focus is.
So, in General Mathis’ JFLC, JTF-CS, AFNORTH’s
National Security Emergency Preparedness Directorate,
emergency preparedness liaison officers and
the DCOs were all in place for Sandy – we
could move into Phase II (Respond).
Phase II or Respond, begins with the deployment
of initial response capabilities. These are
not the command and control elements we discussed
in Phase II, but the actual emergency responders.
For example, based on the state requests and
Presidential direction to assist, Marine Corps
General Fox, the commanding general of Marine
Expeditionary Forces, ordered the 26th Marine
Expeditionary Unit to board the USS Wasp to
deploy in support of Sandy’s response.
You learned about the 26th MEU in Lesson 2.
The 26th MEU is uniquely suited to the task
as Marine Corps Crisis Response Force that’s
designed to remain afloat for months at a
time.
Operating from a Navy vessel, the unit’s
air assets have an agility that ensures aid
can be delivered anywhere within a hundred
miles. So, when the USS Wasp arrives in the
area of operation, they do not have to be
docked to be considered in place and ready
to respond.
From a logistical standpoint, this type of
response force is valuable. Because they can
conduct operations from the sea, thus they do not
have a large footprint on the shore.
As logisticians, our focus is responding to
those in need. So, we must minimize our footprint
because it inherently pulls resources from
the focused mission.
Each airman, marine, or soldier that we put
in the immediate area requires logistics.
Thus, puts a load on the lines of communications
and logistics capabilities.
Phase II ends when response forces are ready
to conduct operations in the JOA. Phase II
success is achieved when forces are deployed
with significant capability to support civil
authorities in accomplishment of the mission.
So, when the 26th MEU and all the other DoD
assets were deployed and we felt that they
had sufficient capability to support civilian
authorities in accomplishing the mission,
we could claim Phase II success.
