The Heritage Foundation 2014 Defense Reform Handbook heritage.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from heritage.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Six years after 9/11, the federal government still lacks acomprehensive regime for planning and preparing for large-scaledisasters. Fixing the problem will require renewed vigor from theAdministration in setting clear policy guidelines, particularly inimplementing a National Exercise Program, emphasizing the priorityof interagency disaster preparedness for the National PlanningScenarios, and improving professional development.
The creation of the Department of Homeland Security and theNorthern Command did not hinder response during Hurricane Katrina,but better coordination was clearly needed. The Defense Departmentshould use the Quadrennial Defense Review to determine the rightforce size for catastrophic disasters and should restructure theNational Guard so it can provide effective catastrophe support.