Destined

Last December, Defense Department officials published a proposed rule in the Federal Register that set out guidelines for use of the military during domestic crises.

As it turns out, the rule is slated to replace DOD directive 3025, titled “Military Support to Civil Authorities.” That's according to James Reeves, who is the who is chief of the homeland defense/civil support capabilities-based assessment division in U.S. Northern Command's J-8 directorate.

Reeves and his team just finished up work on a capabilities-based assessment covering the areas homeland defense and civil support.

The CBA, signed by NORTHCOM commander Gen. Victor Renuart on March 11, assumed that the rule/directive would soon become official DOD policy, Reeves said. The new directive would tweak the way defense officials go about buying equipment for civil support missions, he told us. The current directive is “a little more restrictive” in that context, he said.

"It ((doesn't)) prevent anyone from going and acquiring capabilities for civil support, but you had to go up to the ((Office of the Secretary of Defense)) level and seek permission. The new directive changes that so that the department can resource for CS capabilities."

The public comment period for the rule ended on Feb. 2.