Official Remarks & Reports |
|
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS STATEMENT OF MR. PETER VERGA SPECIAL ASSISTANT FOR HOMELAND SECURITY |
|
|
|
MARCH 21, 2002 Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you about Department of Defense activities with respect to homeland security. I will outline the Department’s approach to organizing itself to oversee and conduct of homeland defense missions and how DoD assists and coordinates with the Office of Homeland Security. Emerging DoD Organizational Constructs for Homeland Defense and Civil Support At the direction of the Secretary of Defense, the Department is developing organizations that will oversee policy and conduct operational missions related to homeland defense and support to civil authorities. Secretary of the Army White has been managing day-to-day execution of homeland defense activities on a temporary basis in his capacity as "Interim Executive Agent for Homeland Security." The Deputy Secretary of Defense is leading the effort within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) to establish an office to provide policy guidance for and oversight of the Department’s homeland defense and civil support activities and to work with the Office of Homeland Security. The Deputy Secretary is scheduled to propose organizational options to the Secretary not later than 1 May 2002. This organization will ensure internal coordination of DoD policy direction and provide oversight for military activities in support of homeland defense and civil support. It will also provide a focused, coherent interface with the Office of Homeland Security and other agencies of the government. The schedule calls for the new office to be established by 30 June 2002, subject to any necessary legislation. Second, the Department is considering a revision to the Unified Command Plan (UCP). The objective is unity of command in the conduct of homeland defense missions. The UCP establishes U.S. Unified Commands and assigns to them geographic areas of responsibilities and missions or functional responsibilities. The Chairman has proposed to the Secretary the creation of a new combatant command, U.S. Northern Command. It would be assigned the mission of defending the United States against external threats and providing support to civil authorities. Under the proposal, Northern Command would assume responsibility for security cooperation with Canada and Mexico. The proposal is to activate the command on October 1, 2002. At the same time, the Deputy Secretary is overseeing preparation of a report mandated by the FY 2002 National Defense Authorization Act. The Congress has asked the Department to describe its supporting organization within the Office of the Secretary of Defense to address combating terrorism, homeland security, and sharing of intelligence information on these activities with other agencies. That report is due at the end of June 2002. The Department’s Role in Homeland Defense, Civil Support, and Emergency Preparedness The Quadrennial Defense Review recognized that the highest priority for the U.S. military is the defense of the U.S. homeland. The Department of Defense is a key agent for protecting U.S. sovereignty, territory, domestic population, and critical defense infrastructure against external threats and aggression In addition to its homeland defense role, the Department may be asked, from time-to-time, to support a Lead Federal Agency, such as FEMA or the Justice Department, in responding to domestic emergencies and for designated law enforcement and other activities. The Department stands ready and willing to assist civil authorities in crisis situations. The Secretary of Defense and Governor Ridge have agreed that, beyond such emergency situations, Department of Defense support to U.S. civil authorities should be called for only where DoD involvement is appropriate and where a clear end state for DoD’s mission is defined. The Secretary has also stressed the requirement for other agencies to reimburse the Department of Defense for civil support missions. To ensure the Department’s readiness for homeland defense and civil support missions, DoD Components also engage in emergency preparedness—those planning activities undertaken to ensure DoD processes, procedures, and resources are in place to support the Secretary of Defense and the President in a designated National Security Emergency. These include planning related to continuity of operations during crises and protection of critical defense infrastructure. Domestic Department of Defense Operations in Support of the Global War on Terrorism The direct defense of the American homeland, Operation NOBLE EAGLE, commenced immediately after the 11 September attacks. Activities the Department carries out under Operation NOBLE EAGLE include the combat air patrols over key domestic locations, expanded air operations, and command and control of active component forces, including US Navy ships with anti-aircraft systems to enhance the security of US domestic airspace. NOBLE EAGLE also entails Coast Guard inspections of cargo vessels and patrols in defense of major seaports. Other measures taken in support of civil authorities here in the United States include:
The use of military personnel to augment border security has been an area of particular concern to the Secretary of Defense, the President, and Congress. The Department of Defense received three requests for assistance in monitoring and securing the northern and southern borders: one from the Department of Treasury, and two from the Department of Justice, including the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The Secretary of Defense agreed to support these requests, and the Department of Defense finalized Memoranda of Agreement with the Department of Treasury and Immigration and Naturalization Service that specify the type, duration, nature, and funding for requested support. Accordingly, DoD is detailing 626 personnel to assist the U.S. Customs Service at Ports of Entry in 12 Border States as well as an additional 108 support personnel (734 DoD personnel total). The Department is also detailing 710 personnel to assist the Immigration and Nationalization Service at Ports of Entry in 9 Border States and an additional 114 support personnel (824 DoD personnel total). Finally, DoD is providing 83 personnel and 6 helicopters—16 personnel to support Sector Intelligence Centers in 8 northern Border Sectors and 67 personnel along with the helicopters to support 6 northern Border Sectors—to assist the U.S. Border Patrol. DoD personnel have already joined their Federal agency counterparts in their temporary border security missions. Protecting US Forces and Installations The events of the past six months have further strengthened the Secretary’s already strong determination and resolve to protect the Department’s personnel and installations at home and abroad. Threat and force protection levels are constantly evaluated, commanders are empowered with increased resources and flexibility to respond to changes in the threat, and exercising and training for chemical and biological attacks has increased markedly. Since September 11, the Army has completed a security infrastructure assessment at each of its installations to determine the incremental and total costs for structural and procedural enhancements for access control packages and equipment, critical mission essential areas, and weapons of mass destruction preparedness. In that same timeframe, the Department has mobilized over 31,000 National Guard and Reserve Security Forces to support force protection at domestic and overseas military bases. The Department is also finalizing new DoD guidance on Installation Emergency Preparedness, which, among other things, encourages interaction with local communities—to include planning, exercises, and interoperability of equipment—and leverages joint military-civilian response capabilities through Memoranda of Agreement. This guidance also extends to our DoD installations abroad. The Department’s Counterterrorism Priorities Defensive measures alone cannot deter terrorist incidents. At home, the domestic law enforcement community is responsible for countering terrorist threats; the Department of Defense stands ready to provide assets and capabilities in support of civil authorities, consistent with U.S. law. The Department’s counterterrorist focus is on bringing the fight to the terrorists abroad through the prosecution of the global War on Terrorism. As long as terrorist networks continue to recruit new members, plan and execute attacks against U.S. national interests and seek out weapons of mass destruction, our forces and Departmental assets will remain engaged. Our goals are to thwart terrorist operations, disrupt their plans, destroy their networks, and deter others who might consider such attacks on our nation. In the coming year, U.S. military forces will likely be called upon to act unilaterally or in concert with others to address terrorist threats in a number of countries. Our forces will, as they have in the past, undergo the most advanced, diverse training possible. US military personnel will constantly exercise—often with foreign counterparts—to maintain relevant counterterrorist proficiency and develop new skills. Supporting the Office of Homeland Security As we move forward with improving the Department’s organization for homeland defense and civil support missions, it is critical to coordinate our activities with those of the Office of Homeland Security (OHS). Secretary White, his staff, and I speak regularly with Gov. Ridge and his Deputy, Admiral Abbott. In addition, the Department of Defense is represented on the Homeland Security Council’s eleven different inter-agency committees, and their subordinate working groups, which cover issues ranging from bioterrorism to border security to a national threat advisory system. Mr. Chairman, that concludes my prepared statement. I will try to answer any questions that you or other members of the Subcommittee have for me.
|