Suchergebnisse

Disaster response in the United States: how the system is supposed to work -- When the system fails -- Disaster relief and the military: civil defense and homeland security -- Hurricane Agnes, Three Mile Island, and the establishment of FEMA -- Hurricane Hugo and Andrew -- Hurricane Katrina -- Two other models -- Conclusions and recommendations

The art of statecraft has often involved efforts to improve the security of one state by taking advantage of the power and influence of other states. This is, for example, why a state typically seeks to forge military alliances with others. It is also why some states provide economic and military support to client or de- pendent states and why some advocate the formation of multistate trading blocs. The theory behind the trading-bloc strategy is that cooperation on secu- rity matters is more likely when there are strong economic and other mutually beneficial connections among the members of the bloc.

The armed fordes have payed important roles in disaster relief for more than a century. In fact the military has been so heavily involved in responding to domestic disasters, and for so long, that two questions naturally arise. The first is why there continues to be any controversy about military involvement in disaster relief. The second question is whether, in this dawning era of government reinvention, the federal disaster relief program should be administered by the military rather than by a civilian agency, as it is today.

James F. Miskel is professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College.

James F. Miskel is professor of national security at the U.S. Naval War College.