• Is there a method to insure appropriate funding for homeland security missions? The establishment of Northern Command could be used to help address this question. Unlike JTF-Civil Support, NORTHCOM will have responsibility for all tasks related to defending the homeland, including securing air space and territorial waters, as well as all military activities related to preventing and protecting against terrorists attacks and performing consequence management. NORTHCOM will generate plans and requirements just like other unified commands. In turn, NORTHCOM’s statement of requirements for forces and equipment will compete with the other commands through the Joint Chiefs of Staff planning system. Thus, homeland security needs should be better able to contend for resources with other defense demands. Alternatively, to ensure appropriate resources for homeland security NORTHCOM could be given an independent budget line in the same manner as the U.S. Special Operations Command. Another means to provide funding is for Congress to modify Title 32, creating a program similar to the congressionally-directed drug interdiction program. A homeland security Title 32 program would allow states to draft their own homeland security plans for employing National Guard forces that could then be submitted to appropriate federal agencies for approval. Once they were approved, operations would be conducted by National Guard forces mobilized under Title 32 and funded by Congress. The advantage of the Title 32 approach is that it would allow states to tailor programs to meet their individual needs.
  • Is there a better way? There may be alternative models for providing homeland security support, particularly for threats other than catastrophic attacks. For example, it might be far more efficient and cost-effective to rely on early warning, monitoring, and detection equipment to enhance the physical security of infrastructure than to employ ground, naval, and air forces as guards. In other cases, contracting services with the commercial sector might be more cost effective.

As typified by RCE-05, peering deep into the future and mapping out an appropriate role for the Reserve Component in homeland security has not been the driving force in shaping the Defense Department’s recommendations to date. The department’s report to Congress this month will have to offer up better ways for employing citizen-soldiers in defense of the homeland. This will require a comprehensive strategy which may lead to a significant reorganization of the Reserve Component and require substantial resources.

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For more information, contact James Jay Carafano at (202) 331-7990.

The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments is an independent public policy research institute established to promote innovative thinking about defense planning and investment strategies for the 21st Century. The Center is directed by Dr. Andrew F. Krepinevich. For more information about CSBA, see our website at: http://www.csbaonline.org.