DOMESTIC MISSIONS FOR THE ARMED FORCES

Senator Sam Nunn

February 1993
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The views expressed in this report are those of the authors

and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of

the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, or the

U.S. Government. This report is approved for public release;

distribution unlimited. Portions may be quoted or represented

without permission, provided that a standard source credit line

is included.

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Comments pertaining to this publication are invited and may

be forwarded to: Director, Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army

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be conveyed by calling the Conference Organizer, Dr. Gary L.

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This paper was presented at the U.S. Army War College Fourth

Annual Strategy Conference held February 24-25, 1993, with the

assistance of the Office of Net Assessment. The Strategic Studies

Institute is pleased to publish the paper as part of its

Conference Series.
FOREWORD

During the summer of 1992, Senator Sam Nunn, Chairman of the

Senate Armed Services Committee, initiated legislation to enhance

civilian and military cooperative efforts in meeting critical

domestic needs. In a speech before the Senate Armed Services

Committee, he called for a major reexamination of the roles and

missions of the nation's Armed Forces to help solve these

problems.

The political context of Senator Nunn's speech is as

important as its content. The cold war was over, domestic crises

were manifesting themselves, and the Armed Forces, especially

after the Gulf War, enjoyed unprecedented prestige and unique

capabilities and efficiencies. These efficiencies, Senator Nunn

believes, can be turned on domestic difficulties.

As budgets were cut, the broad area of roles and missions

also became the vehicle for scrubbing the budget and revalidating

missions and force structures. The revalidation process continues

and, in simple terms, the defense budget will see dollars being

taken out or new missions added. This paper details Senator

Nunn's ideas for new missions. It sets forth his speech, the

relevant materials from reports of the Senate Armed Services

Committee and the House-Senate Conference Committee (Appendix A),

and the final text of the legislation as enacted in the National

Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993 (Appendix B).

The Strategic Studies Institute is pleased to publish this

document as part of the larger debate on roles and missions for

the Armed Forces.

WILLIAM A. STOFFT

Major General, U.S. Army

Commandant
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR

SAM NUNN, who was first elected to the United States Senate in

1972, has become one of the leading figures in American

government and an internationally recognized expert on defense

and foreign policy issues. He is Chairman of the Senate Armed

Services Committee and the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on

Investigations. He also serves on the Intelligence Committee and

on the Small Business Committee. His recent legislative

accomplishments include: co-authoring the 1988 law to expand

nationwide drug education, treatment, and law enforcement

programs; introduction of the National Service Bill to create a

"civilian service corps" by offering generous education benefits

in exchange for one or two years of public or military service;

passing sweeping reforms of the Pentagon bureaucracy to improve

management and efficiency and reduce waste; and development of

new co-operative methods to reduce the risk of accidental nuclear

war. Senator Nunn attended Georgia Tech and Emory University, and

Emory Law School, where he graduated with honors. After active

duty service in the U.S. Coast Guard, he served six years in the

U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. He first entered politics as a member

of the Georgia State House of Representatives in 1968.
DOMESTIC MISSIONS FOR THE ARMED FORCES

FORGING CIVIL-MILITARY COOPERATION FOR COMMUNITY REGENERATION

Mr. President, the end of the cold war has created a number

of opportunities, as well as challenges, for our nation. The

collapse of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union give us a chance

to make significant reductions in the size of our military forces

and our defense budget. Recent nuclear weapons agreements have

diffused a portion of the world's arsenal of weapons of mass

destruction. But tremors of instability and outright regional

conflict are continuing to shake many parts of the globe. These

volatile situations, coupled with the changing nature of the

world's balance of power, mean that we must still maintain a

strong, and perhaps, even more flexible military force.

Over the next few years, the nation will continue the debate

over what size the base force should be, what roles and missions

it should undertake, and how it should be structured. There is

considerable uncertainty at this time on just what kind of a

military capability we will need in the future and what size

force will be adequate.

We are leaving a security era that demanded large numbers of

U.S. combat forces stationed overseas or operating in forward

locations at high states of combat readiness in order to confront

a large and quantitatively superior opponent. That era has ended.

We are entering a security era that permits a shift in our

overall strategy more toward smaller force levels, with fewer

overseas deployments and lower operating tempos. The exact size

and organization of this future base force is still taking shape.

It will be a smaller force than we have today. We all know that.

No doubt it will be smaller. It will have to be just as

professional--and even more flexible. The force will still need a

basic amount of combat and operations training to sustain maximum

proficiency and as well as readiness. But there will be a much

greater opportunity than in the past to use military assets and

training to assist civilian efforts in critical domestic needs.

Recent events in Los Angeles, with their terrible cost in

life and property, should remind us all that our society faces

numerous domestic challenges that in many respects are as

daunting as any potential foreign threat to our national

security. While the Soviet threat is gone, we are still battling

at home drugs, poverty, urban decay, lack of self esteem,

unemployment, and racism. The military certainly cannot solve all

of these problems and I don't stand here today proposing any

magic solution to the numerous problems we have at home. But I am

totally convinced that there is a proper and important role the

Armed Forces can play in addressing many of these pressing

issues. I believe we can re-invigorate the military's spectrum of

capabilities to address such needs as deteriorating

infrastructure, the lack of role models for tens of thousands,

indeed hundreds of thousands if not millions, of young people,
limited training and education opportunities for the

disadvantaged, and serious health and nutrition problems facing

many of our citizens, particularly our children.

THE ARMY'S DOMESTIC ACTION PROGRAM

There is a solid precedent for civil-military cooperation in

addressing domestic problems. Army Regulation 28-19, developed

under the leadership of Secretary Howard "Bo" Callaway in the

Ford Administration and issued in 1975, authorized a "Domestic

Action Program." The purpose of the program was to authorize "use

of Department of the Army human and physical resources to assist

and support the continued improvement and development of

society." Under this program, local military commanders helped

communities with activities such as fixing up recreation

facilities and conducting summer programs for disadvantaged young

people. The program, however, was decentralized, and, of course,

in many respects needed to be decentralized. But it had very

little management emphasis from the Army's leadership. In the

1980s, as the Army increased its focus on military training,

interest in the Domestic Action Program faded, and the regulation

was rescinded in 1988.

ASSIST MEETING DOMESTIC NEEDS WITH INNOVATIVE MILITARY TRAINING

As we restructure our Armed Forces over the next decade, the

attention of DoD's civilian and military leadership must remain

focused on training the Armed Forces for their primary mission

which is the military mission. But that goal, in my view, is

compatible with enhancing the military's ability to assist in

meeting domestic needs. Creative commanders have always devised

numerous innovative activities for their units--beyond routine

training--to build morale and also to build unit cohesion.

Community service projects present an excellent opportunity for

them to do so while providing important services to our society.

The military involvement in counter-narcotics activities is a

good example of a mission that enhances military skills, helps to

address an important domestic problem, and improves the morale of

the people involved.

During markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for

Fiscal Year 1993, I intend to offer a proposal to authorize the

Armed Forces to engage in appropriate community service programs.

I would like to outline the basic concept today, in order to

encourage comments and suggestions from my colleagues and from

the Department of Defense before the final details are developed

during the markup. In other words, Mr. President, I'm not locked

in concrete. I'm throwing out these concepts today. I know

Senator Warner has been looking on behalf of the minority at a

number of concepts and I'm hoping that by stimulating the

thinking in this area we can refine this proposal in the next two

or three weeks.

PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES OF A CIVIL-MILITARY COOPERATIVE ACTION
PROGRAM

Mr. President, I want to stress at the outset that any such

programs must be governed by three essential principles:

1. Any such project must be undertaken in a manner that is

consistent with the military mission of the unit in question.

2. The project must fill a need that is not otherwise being

met, and must not compete with the private sector or with

services provided by other government agencies.

3. The program cannot become a basis for justifying

additional overall military expenditures or for retaining excess

military personnel. Projects should be undertaken only with

personnel, resources, and facilities that exist for legitimate

military purposes.

Building on the Army's experience with its Domestic Action

Program, I would envision a new Civil-Military Cooperative Action

Program with the following objectives:

• First, enhancing individual and unit training and morale

through meaningful community involvement.

• Second, encouraging cooperation between civilian and

military sectors of our society.

• Third, advancing equal opportunity in the nation and

helping to alleviate racial tension and conflict and strife and

misunderstandings in our nation.

• Fourth, enriching the civilian economy by transfer of

technological advances and manpower skills.

• Fifth, improving the ecological environment and economic

and social conditions of the areas that are within the reach of

our existing military base structure.

• And, finally, increasing the opportunities for

disadvantaged citizens, particularly children, to receive

employment, training, education, as well as recreation.

The program would be organized under the supervision of the

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management and

Personnel. I believe that we should give the military departments

and the Department of Defense broad discretion to manage the

program in a manner consistent with their military missions, who

would in turn grant flexibility to local commanders in the

implementation of the program. Every base will be different--

different missions, different talents, different capabilities,

different geographic areas. There won't be one model for the

country.
To ensure that projects meet important community needs, and

do not compete with the private sector and other government

organizations, local installations would establish Advisory

Councils on Civil-Military Cooperation. In these groups,

officials from the military installations, representatives of

appropriate local, state, and federal agencies, leaders of civic

and social service organizations, and business and labor

representatives from the private sector would meet to provide

advice to local commanders in planning and executing civilian -

military projects.

Mr. President, if we commit ourselves to it, this plan, as I

view it, can make a major contribution to community restoration

and regeneration efforts across the country. The American

taxpayers have invested in and have built a great stockpile of

innovative ideas, knowledge, trained, talented people, and

equipment in the military over the years. These resources, if

properly matched to local needs and coordinated with civilian

efforts, can make a useful contribution to addressing the

problems we face in blighted urban areas, in neglected rural

regions, in schools, and elsewhere.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR MILITARY ASSISTANCE

Depending on the capabilities and availability of specific

units, and the needs of local communities, the Armed Forces can

assist civilian authorities in addressing a significant number of

domestic problems.

Role Models.

I would put at the top of the list role models. One of the

key strengths of the Armed Forces is developing role models.

Hard-working, disciplined men and women who command respect and

honor in their very presence can serve as a very powerful force

among our young people--especially where family structures are

weakened by poverty, drugs, and crime. We should enhance

opportunities for good role models to interact with our young

people.

Take, for example, the case of Sergeant First Class Lenard

Robinson, stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, who actively

corresponded with learning handicapped children at a school in

California while he was overseas during Operation DESERT STORM.

Typically, learning handicapped children have great difficulty

expressing themselves in writing. Sergeant Robinson's vivid

descriptions of his experiences overseas, combined with photos

and videos that he sent, have inspired many children to read his

letters. And many of the children, who never wrote more than a

few words before they heard of Sergeant Robinson, now write long

letters to him. We have thousands of Sergeant Robinsons in our

military services today.
The YESS program in Michigan is a collaborative effort

between the private sector, non-profit organizations, and the

Michigan National Guard to provide disadvantaged young people

with role models and specific educational skills. Young people

live on a military base for 5 days, receiving science and math

tutoring, as well as exposure to military hardware and

operations. This provides an exciting, stimulating environment to

not only enhance their educational skills, but also to provide

them with role models that encourage these young people to set

goals for their own lives. It enables them to look at others who

have come from similar circumstances and say, "If they did it, I

can do it also."

Senator Levin brought this program to my attention. He's

very familiar with the program, and will be describing it in more

detail when he speaks on this subject. Why not expand this

program so that it can benefit young people throughout our

nation?

The nation is familiar with our senior military leaders,

many of whom are black who served our nation so well during

Operation DESERT STORM, such as General Colin Powell and

Lieutenant General Calvin Waller. Over 400,000 members of the

Armed Forces today who serve our nation well and ably who are

black, and over 90,000 who are Hispanic, whose service, in

Operation DESERT STORM and elsewhere, represent a model for every

citizen in our country. These include Marines such as Captain Ed

Ray, a light infantry company commander whose testimony before

our committee about combat in Operation DESERT STORM demonstrated

the professionalism and competence of our junior officers. Or

Specialist Jonathan Alston of the Second Armored Division whose

heroism in DESERT STORM earned him the Silver Star and who is

featured in the television docudrama "The Heros of DESERT STORM."

These individuals can serve, not just those who've been in DESERT

STORM but thousands of others who have achieved great

professionalism, can serve as a role model in community service

programs throughout our country.

But there must be a structured program to enable community

organizations to benefit from the capabilities and qualities of

military role models. Military leadership, at both the officer

and enlisted level, is an example of unique national resources.

Why not use this resource as an example to tens of thousands of

inner city and rural youth who, for example, may never have had a

father in their own home?

Rehabilitation and Renewal of Community Facilities.

Mr. President, all across this country, schools, public

housing, and recreational facilities, as well as roads and

bridges, need repair in areas where government funds and private

sector involvement are simply not available. Active duty and

reserve units, particularly those with engineering capabilities,
could participate in restoring part of our infrastructure in this

country. Military construction units may need to be beefed-up and

perhaps redistributed to ensure that capabilities exist in all

geographic areas to meet this important need.

Bill Guilfoil of the Atlanta Project at the Carter Center in

Georgia reported to me that at least 1500 public housing units

are boarded-up and unoccupied in Atlanta because of their state

of disrepair. Meanwhile, the city's homeless population numbers

at least 12,000. I think this story would be repeated in city

after city after city across our land.

There are dozens of combat engineer units, located in

Georgia, that really need to do construction and maintenance

training in order to keep up their proficiency because that's

what they do. That's what they have to do in any kind of

conflict. I think it makes sense to put those domestic needs and

our military engineering resources together. Army combat

engineering units could be effectively used to repair dilapidated

public housing, repair aging schools, and refurbish old

recreational facilities. They could also provide temporary

facilities to meet pressing public needs. As noted in an article,

I believe it was The Washington Post last week, the WIC (Women's

Infants and Children) Program center that served the south

central Los Angeles area was destroyed in the riots, leaving the

area without the capability to ensure that children and pregnant

mothers receive vital nutrition. The military has the capability

to provide temporary buildings on a very short notice. Why not

use this capability to deal with such an emergency?

Last year, in Operation PROVIDE COMFORT in Iraq, military

maintenance and construction units built housing, laid cement

roads, put in plumbing systems--and the list goes on and on--for

the desperate Kurds. We have desperate people in America. Why not

put those resources to work at home? In many areas, these units

are located right next door to blighted areas.

National Guard Bureau for a National Guard Youth Corps.

The military should examine ways to refocus local reserve

component training on local community support initiatives

whenever feasible and operationally justified. I will be

proposing a pilot program to be implemented by the National Guard

Bureau for a National Guard Youth Corps.

Last year in the Department of Defense Appropriations Act

for Fiscal Year 1992, Congress appropriated funds for the

National Guard Bureau to develop a program designed to

demonstrate how disadvantaged youth can be aided through a

program, based on a military model, of education, personal and

skills development, and work in service to their communities.

This initiative was sponsored by Senator Byrd and I compliment

him on his proposal.
The National Guard Bureau has since completed its work on

designing a pilot program. I think it's very promising. As it is

currently envisioned, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau

would be authorized to enter into agreements with the governors

of 10 states to operate a military-based training program to

improve basic skills and employability of high school dropouts.

In this regard, I will be working with Senator Byrd, and with

Senator Glenn, who chairs our Manpower Subcommittee, to include a

provision in our defense markup this year authorizing such a

pilot program which is really being enthusiastically requested by

the Guard Bureau.

The program would require a relatively modest investment of

the talent that is already available in National Guard units. I

also have been informed that General Colin Powell, Chairman of

the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is interested in expanding the Junior

ROTC training program, an effort, which I applaud, which could

benefit from the types of assistance that I have outlined in

these remarks. An expansion of the Junior ROTC program,

particularly in our inner cities, could be very beneficial. I

look forward to getting that proposal from General Powell and

others he is working with.

If these plans are implemented, they could do much to help

the young people of our country. Why not put our military

resources to work on this type endeavor?

Summer Programs.

Our young people need other kinds of help. I believe we

should investigate ways to refocus DoD summer hire programs to

recruit disadvantaged students where feasible. In areas where the

DoD operates schools, teachers and perhaps facilities could be

involved in summer school outreach to disadvantaged children. Why

not put these resources to work in areas of greatest need?

Job Training and Education.

There is a dire need for job training and education--

especially in the inner cities--to enable men and women to meet

the needs of the evolving workplace. While our educational system

and private industry must bear the primary responsibility for

training and education, there may be opportunities in specific

locations for civil-military cooperation in use of military

training facilities to assist in meeting these needs. Why not

look at our military resources as a resource for this kind of

training and education?

Medical Transport.

Our ability to transport people to medical facilities in an

emergency can never be fast enough, particularly for trauma
victims. Every day, military medevac units must log certain hours

of flight training. That's what they train for all year long, to

be ready in a contingency. That's what they're in business to do,

to help evacuate people in a conflict situation. I submit that

they should be allowed to do so while helping our own citizens at

the same time. Currently, 97 percent of the aeromedical

evacuation units are in the Air National Guard and Air Force

Reserve. These units provide long distance medical evacuation. In

addition, one reserve and 17 active helicopter units in the Army,

and one Air Force reserve helicopter unit, provide short distance

emergency medical evacuation under the Military Assistance to

Safety and Traffic Program already available in a number of

states. In Georgia, for example, the 498th medical company at

Fort Benning has provided critical emergency medical support to

assist communities throughout southwest Georgia, particularly in

rural areas. I believe that these units can be more centrally

integrated and managed as they train to provide even more

assistance to our communities.

Communities that do not have access to current military or

civilian medical transportation services need these resources.

Why not look at the inventory of our military resources,

determine which areas can be matched up, determine where the

private sector is not able to provide this kind of service, and

use the military in meeting these critical needs.

Public Health Outreach.

In a similar vein, there are many citizens in both urban and

rural areas who lack the very basics of health and medical

services. There may be opportunities in specific locations to use

DoD medical capabilities to assist civilian authorities in

providing public health outreach to these urban areas. The Center

for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta estimates that fewer than

half of all American children are fully immunized against

diseases such as polio, diphtheria, tetanus, measles, and

rubella. Infant vaccination and basic medical treatment are

services that the military provides routinely in humanitarian

missions abroad. Why not use these resources at home?

Nutrition.

There may be areas in which the military could even play a

useful role by assisting civilian authorities in addressing the

serious problem of hunger in America. The Food Research and

Action Center--which recently honored our colleague Senator Lugar

for his leadership on this issue--has estimated that 5 million

children under age 12--one in eight in America--suffer from

hunger.

An old military saying is that "the Army travels on its

stomach." The military has extensive food storage, preparation,

and distribution systems. Military units responsible for these
systems, including those in the National Guard and Reserve, could

play an important role in the distribution of surplus food. They

could help provide transportation, storage, and preparation

assistance to federal, state, and local agencies while they are

preparing for their basic mission. Where civilian agencies need

this assistance, and military units are capable of providing it,

why not put these resources to work?

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR POSITIVE CHANGE

Mr. President, the time to turn these ideas into action, I

think, is this year--during this window of change and

flexibility. As we reconfigure our military forces for our future

defense requirements, I believe that we can reduce some of the

combat missions that have been assigned to the National Guard and

Reserves. At the same time, because warning times will be much

longer, we should realign more of the military's support missions

to the National Guard and the Reserves. These support units must

be distributed in a regionally balanced way to provide a more

effective capability for each state, with the added benefit of

facilitating the opportunities for civil-military cooperation.

Pentagon officials should put greater emphasis on coordinating

military training with the potential benefits that such training

can have in improving our communities. They need authority to do

so and they need an expression from the congressional branch of

government to do so.

I am confident that this Civil-Military Cooperative Action

Program can be structured in a manner consistent with our

military needs, without competing with the private sector or

other government agencies. It is imperative that we not undercut

private enterprise. But we can all look at the cities of our

country today, we can look at the problems in Los Angeles and the

problems in Atlanta and the problems in Chicago and the problems

in New York and Boston, and on and on, and we can easily say,

without any fear of being repudiated that the private sector

cannot handle the job that needs to be done. All we have to do is

look at the federal budget deficit and know that there is not

going to be an instant solution with huge, billions and billions

of dollars of new expenditures.

There are many opportunities for the military to get

involved. I don't pretend the military can solve all these

problems. They would have to be carefully tailored to each

individual base, each individual unit's capability, and we'd have

to keep our focus on the military mission, first and foremost,

but there are many opportunities for military assistance to

community needs that cannot be met with current private sector or

civilian public resources.

Mr. President, I watched the faces of the people who fought

in DESERT STORM. I watched the faces of those who provided relief

to people who were dying on the desert who they'd been fighting

with a few minutes before, and I watched the young people, and
the satisfaction they had in helping people who were dying in

need. I also talked to many people who came back from helping the

Kurds. I talked to people who've come back from Bangladesh in

helping there. Nothing gives military people more pride than

carrying out a mission of humanity, a mission of peace, a mission

of mercy. This is something they enjoy doing. It gives them

tremendous satisfaction and it's something they do well.

By using the capabilities we have in the military, we can

assist civilian authorities in addressing the critical

fundamentals upon which a healthy society, a healthy economy, and

a healthy military are built. I believe this is a sensible

investment we can make in our future, and a vital one. I look

forward to working with my colleagues in receiving suggestions,

additions, warnings, caveats, and so forth to this proposal. I

look forward to working with the senior leadership of the Defense

Department--Secretary Cheney, General Powell--I've already

discussed this with General Sullivan of the Army. I have talked

about it with several other individuals and I believe that

working together we can develop a vibrant Civil-Military

Cooperative Action Program to begin working on some of these

problems that afflict our nation.
APPENDIX A

Excerpt from Senate Report No. 352, 102d Congress, 2d

Session, A Report to Accompany S. 3114, the National Defense

Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993 (July 31, 1992):

Civil-Military Cooperative Action Program.

As detailed elsewhere in this report, the end of the cold

war and the related defense build-down mean that the Armed Forces

will have fewer overseas deployments and lower operating tempos.

In addition, the roles and missions of the National Guard and

Reserve Components will be redefined to place greater emphasis on

combat support and combat service support. Although it is

essential that our nation maintain strong and flexible military

forces, the post-cold war environment means that the Armed Forces

will have a much greater opportunity than in the past to assist

civilian efforts to address critical domestic problems.

The American people have made an enormous investment in

developing the skills, capabilities, and resources of the Armed

Forces. These resources, if properly matched to local needs and

coordinated with civilian efforts, can make a useful contribution

to addressing the serious domestic needs of the United States.

There is considerable precedent for such an effort. In 1969,

for example, Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird established a DoD

Domestic Action Program "to contribute to the improvement of

society, including its disadvantaged members." The Army, under

the leadership of Secretary Howard "Bo" Callaway, issued a

detailed regulation in 1975 authorizing "use of Department of the

Army human and physical resources to assist and support the

continued improvement and development of society." Under the

program, local military commanders helped communities with

activities such as fixing up recreation facilities and conducting

summer programs for disadvantaged young people. The program was

decentralized, and the regulatory guidance was rescinded in 1988,

but individual programs at local installations have continued to

this day.

The other services have sponsored similar programs over the

years. The Navy, for example, established a Personal Excellence

Partnership Program in 1985 to help America's youth become better

educated, healthy, and responsible citizens. Navy volunteers have

assisted thousands of young people with mentoring, tutoring,

coaching, health and science fairs, environmental projects, and

other community service projects. Six of these projects have been

recognized under the President's "Daily Points of Light" program.

As the nation restructures our Armed Forces over the next

decade, the attention of DoD civilian and military leadership

must remain focused on training the Armed Forces for their

military missions. That goal, however, is compatible with
enhancing the military's ability to assist in meeting domestic

needs. Creative commanders have always devised innovative

activities for their units, beyond routine training, to build

morale and unit cohesion. Community service projects present an

excellent opportunity to do so while providing important services

to society.

Members of the Armed Forces have the training, education,

and experience to serve as role models for the youth of our

nation. The nation has significant domestic needs in areas such

as health care, nutrition, education, and infrastructure that

cannot be met by current and anticipated governmental and private

sector programs. Civil-military cooperative efforts to address

these problems can be undertaken in a manner that is consistent

with the military mission and does not compete with the private

sector.

The committee recommends a provision that would provide a

statutory basis for domestic assistance--the Civil-Military

Cooperative Action Program. The program would be governed by

three essential principles: (1) any project under the program

must be undertaken in a manner that is consistent with the

military mission of the unit in question; (2) the project must

fill a need that is not otherwise being met, and should not

compete with the private sector or with services provided by

other government agencies; and (3) the program cannot become a

basis for justifying additional overall defense expenditures or

for retaining excess military personnel. Projects should be

undertaken only with personnel, resources, and facilities that

exist for legitimate military purposes.

The legislation would authorize the Secretary of Defense to

use the skills, capabilities, and resources of the Armed Forces

to assist civilian efforts to meet the domestic needs of the

United States. The proposal would require that this assistance be

provided "in accordance with other applicable law." This means

that projects under the Civil-Military Cooperative Action Program

would be subject to the same statutes that otherwise govern

activities of the Department of Defense.

The Program would have the following objectives: (1)

enhancing individual and unit training and morale through

meaningful community involvement; (2) encouraging cooperation

between civilian and military sectors of society in addressing

areas of domestic need; (3) advancing equal opportunity and

improving relations among racial and ethnic groups; (4) enriching

the civilian economy through education, training, and transfer of

technological advances; (5) improving the environment and

economic and social conditions; and (6) providing opportunities

for disadvantaged citizens. It is not the purpose of the

legislation, however, to assign to the Department of Defense the

responsibility for accomplishing those objectives. Therefore,

while the Department of Defense is authorized to use its

resources to assist civilian officials, the legislation would not
assign to the Department of Defense the primary federal

responsibility for addressing these problems.

The legislation would authorize the Department of Defense to

use its resources for Civil-Military Cooperative Action projects.

The committee intends that the Department do so through the use

of resources that have been acquired for military purposes. As a

general matter, the committee expects the Department to minimize

the number of personnel and resources that are applied

exclusively to this Program; rather, it would assign personnel

and apply resources to the Program in conjunction with

traditional military functions.

For the program to achieve its broader goals, it must be a

cooperative effort between the civilian and military sectors, and

not simply a military response to domestic problems. The

legislation would provide that the Secretary of Defense should

encourage the establishment of advisory councils on Civil--

Military Cooperation at the state, regional, and local levels to

recommend projects, activities, and guidance for the Program. The

committee anticipates that activities of the National Guard will

be coordinated at the state level, while activities of active

duty installations could be coordinated at the state, local, or

regional level. The councils should include officials from

relevant military organizations, representatives of appropriate

local, state, and federal agencies, representatives of civic and

social service organizations, and business and labor

representatives.

The legislation would require the Secretary of Defense to

issue regulations governing assistance under this section,

including the following: (1) rules governing the types of

assistance that may be provided under this section; (2)

procedures governing the delivery of assistance so that, insofar

as practicable, such assistance is provided in conjunction with,

rather than separate from, civilian efforts; (3) procedures for

appropriate coordination with civilian officials to ensure that

the assistance will meet a valid need and will not duplicate

other public services; (4) procedures for the provision of

assistance in a manner that does not compete with the private

sector; (5) procedures to minimize the degree to which DoD

resources, including personnel, are applied exclusively to the

program; and (6) standards to ensure that assistance is provided

in a manner that is consistent with the military mission of the

applicable organization. The committee intends these rules to

provide maximum decentralization and minimal approval

requirements so that the program is not strangled by paperwork

and coordination procedures.

The legislation would make it clear that the provision

should not be construed as authorizing use of the Armed Forces

for law enforcement purposes, since military assistance to

domestic law enforcement agencies is governed by Chapter 18 of

Title 10, United States Code. However, this does not restrict
cooperative action programs with police officials in matters that

do not involve enforcement of the laws, such as recreation and

education programs. The legislation also would not authorize use

of Department of Defense personnel or resources for any program,

project, or activity that is otherwise prohibited by law.

The Armed Forces have earned a well-deserved reputation for

the excellence of their training and education programs. Military

personnel are particularly well-qualified to provide valuable

assistance in addressing the significant problems that challenge

our nation's schools. At the present time, several installations

have entered into cooperative agreements with local school boards

to provide such assistance. The committee believes that such

efforts should be given particular attention and support in the

implementation of the Civil-Military Cooperative Agreement

Program.

******

Excerpt from House Report No. 966, 102d Congress, 2d

Session, The Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 5006, The

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993 (Oct. 1,

1992):

Civil-Military Cooperative Action Program (Sec. 1081).

The Senate amendment contained a provision (Sec. 1060) that

would authorize the Secretary of Defense to establish a civil--

military cooperative action program to use the skills,

capabilities, and resources of the Armed Forces to assist

civilian efforts to meet critical domestic needs of the United

States.

The program would have the following objectives: (1)

enhancing individual and unit training and morale through

meaningful community involvement; (2) encouraging cooperation

between civilian and military sectors of society in addressing

areas of domestic need; (3) advancing equal opportunity and

improving relations among racial and ethnic groups; (4) enriching

the civilian economy through education, training, and transfer of

technological advances; (5) improving the environment and

economic and social conditions; and (6) providing opportunities

for disadvantaged citizens.

The program would be governed by three essential principles:

(l) any project under the program must be undertaken in a manner

that is consistent with the military mission of the unit in

question; (2) the project must fill a need that is not otherwise

being met, and should not compete with the private sector or with

services provided by other government agencies; and (3) the

program cannot become a basis for justifying additional overall

defense expenditures or for retaining excess military personnel.

Projects should be undertaken only with personnel, resources, and
facilities that exist for legitimate military purposes.

The House amendment contained no similar provision.

The important role that the military can play in meeting

domestic needs has been underscored by the critical role of the

Armed Forces in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. Although the

relief effort required the cooperative efforts of many federal,

state, and local entities, only the Department of Defense had the

equipment and personnel to provide the logistics and

infrastructure necessary for the timely provision of essential

food, shelter, medical, sanitation, and communications services

for a disaster of this magnitude.

The conferees agree that a vibrant civil-military

cooperative action program can assist civilian officials in

addressing a variety of domestic needs, consistent with the

military mission and the primary role of other government

agencies and the private sector in dealing with domestic matters.

The House recedes.

******
APPENDIX B

Section 1081 of the National Defense Authorization Act for

Fiscal Year 1993, Public Law 102-484, 106 Stat. 2514 (Oct. 23,

1992):

Sec. 1081. Civil-Military Cooperative Action Program.

(a) FINDINGS.--Congress makes the following findings:

(1) Many of the skills, capabilities, and resources that the

Armed Forces have developed to meet military requirements can

assist in meeting the civilian domestic needs of the United

States.

(2) Members of the Armed Forces have the training,

education, and experience to serve as role models for United

States youth.

(3) As a result of the reductions in the Armed Forces

resulting from the ending of the cold war, the Armed Forces will

have fewer overseas deployments and lower operating tempos, and

there will be a much greater opportunity than in the past for the

Armed Forces to assist civilian efforts to address critical

domestic problems.

(4) The United States has significant domestic needs in

areas such as health care, nutrition, education, housing, and

infrastructure that cannot be met by current and anticipated

governmental and private sector programs.

(5) There are significant opportunities for the resources of

the Armed Forces, which are maintained for national security

purposes, to be applied in cooperative efforts with civilian

officials to address these vital domestic needs.

(6) Civil-military cooperative efforts can be undertaken in

a manner that is consistent with the military mission and does

not compete with the private sector.

(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF CIVIL-MILITARY COOPERATIVE ACTION

PROGRAM--Chapter 20 of Title 10, United States Code, is amended

[by adding a new subchapter II at the end thereof entitled

"Civil-Military Cooperation" and by inserting a new Section 410

in the new Subchapter I, as follows:

"410. Civil-Military Cooperative Action Program.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.--The Secretary of Defense shall establish

a program to be known as the `Civil-Military Cooperative Action

Program'. Under the program, the Secretary may, in accordance

with other applicable laws, use the skills, capabilities, and

resources of the Armed Forces to assist civilian efforts to meet
the domestic needs of the United States.

(b) PROGRAM OBJECTIVES.--The program shall have the

following objectives:

(1) To enhance individual and unit training and morale in

the Armed Forces through meaningful community involvement of the

Armed Forces.

(2) To encourage cooperation between civilian and military

sectors of society in addressing domestic needs.

(3) To advance equal opportunity.

(4) To enrich the civilian economy of the United States

through education, training, and transfer of technological

advances.

(5) To improve the environment and economic and social

conditions.

(6) To provide opportunities for disadvantaged citizens of

the United States.

(c) ADVISORY COUNCILS.

(1) The Secretary of Defense shall encourage the

establishment of advisory councils on civil-military cooperation

at the regional, State, and local levels, as appropriate, in

order to obtain recommendations for projects and activities under

the program and guidance for the program from persons who are

knowledgeable about regional, state, and local conditions and

needs.

(2) The advisory councils should include officials from

relevant military organizations, representatives of appropriate

local, state, and federal agencies, representatives of civic and

social service organizations, business representatives, and labor

representatives.

(3) The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall

not apply to such councils.

(d) REGULATIONS.--The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe

regulations governing the provision of assistance under the

program. The regulations shall include the following:

(1) Rules governing the types of assistance that may be

provided.

(2) Procedures governing the delivery of assistance that

ensure, to the maximum extent possible, that such assistance is

provided in conjunction with, rather than separate from, civilian

efforts.
(3) Procedures for appropriate coordination with civilian

officials to ensure that the assistance--

(A) meets a valid need; and

(B) does not duplicate other available public services.

(4) Procedures for the provision of assistance in a manner

that does not compete with the private sector.

(5) Procedures to minimize the extent to which Department of

Defense resources are applied exclusively to the program.

(6) Standards to ensure that assistance is provided under

this section in a manner that is consistent with the military

mission of the units of the Armed Forces involved in providing

the assistance.

(e) CONSTRUCTION OF PROVISION.--Nothing in this section

shall be construed as authorizing--

(1) the use of the Armed Forces for civilian law enforcement

purposes; or

(2) the use of Department of Defense personnel or resources

for any program, project, or activity that is prohibited by law."

******
U.S. ARMY WAR COLLEGE

Major General William A. Stofft

Commandant

*****

STRATEGIC STUDIES INSTITUTE

Director

Colonel John W. Mountcastle

Director of Research

Dr. Gary L. Guertner

Author

Senator Sam Nunn

Director of Publications and Production

Ms. Marianne P. Cowling

Secretaries

Ms. Rita A. Rummel

*****

Composition

Mr. Daniel B. Barnett

Cover Artist

Mr. Lawrence C. Miller