White Announces Realignments to Address Homeland Security
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2001 -- Army Secretary Thomas E.
White, wearing his hat as the Defense Department's
executive agent for homeland security, today announced DoD
is realigning resources to better address ongoing and
possible future terrorist threats to the nation.
White told Pentagon reporters of his Senate committee
hearing Oct. 25, which addressed the protection of the
United States and its citizens from terrorists' acts.
Marine Gen. Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, and Air Force Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, commander
of the U.S. Space Command and the North American Aerospace
Defense Command, were among senior DoD officials who
accompanied White.
In view of the current U.S. situation in regard to global
terrorism, three principal tasks need to be accomplished,
White noted, adding, "We're working on all three."
According to White, DoD will:
- Consolidate responsibility for homeland security and
its associated issues and functions across the DoD staff
into a single organization.
- Complete a review of operational planning for
homeland security through the chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, the Joint Staff and the unified commands.
- Establish communications, coordination between the
Office of Homeland Security, headed by former Pennsylvania
Gov. Thomas Ridge, and DoD and its agencies.
White, designated Oct. 2 by Defense Secretary Donald H.
Rumsfeld as DoD's executive agent for homeland security
matters, said he looks at homeland security as having two
main components.
"The first is homeland defense, and I define 'defense' as
those areas where the department takes the lead in the
activity," he said. That would the likes of combat air
patrols, which are Eberhart's purview as head of NORAD.
This also includes maritime and coastal security, White
added, under the purview of Joint Forces Command, in
conjunction with the Coast Guard.
"So, there are a set of activities where the unique
capabilities of the department cause us to be the lead,"
White remarked.
Secondly, White added, there are "other activities where we
provide support as requested to other federal agencies that
have the lead, and we call that civil support." That
support, he said, can involve "a wide range" of DoD
assistance provided to federal, state and local
organizations.
To illustrate a form of DoD-provided civil support, White
pointed to National Guard members activated for various
homeland security missions in the wake of the Sept. 11
terror attacks. National Guard members, he added, normally
fall under the control of their state governors.
"But, federal money is paying for those (homeland security)
activities. That would include airport security, for
example," White said.
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