Bush trying to establish martial law before H2H2H

Look at history. Just last night on history Channel there was a show about the Union Prison Camp in Chicago, IL. The commander “uncovered” a "plot" by normal people to attack the well armed camp, and he declared martial law in Chicago. Although it was not legal, he had the guns, eh? Normal people were arrested and thrown into dungeons (yes they were dungeons and called such) in a death camp because they did such things as saying that dungeons weren't a way to keep people locked up in the USA.

In New Orleans martial law was not officially declared. In reality, there were troops in the streets with guns ordering people to go to "shelters" like the  fine Superdome shelter that was so nice. Guns were seized.  NRA had to sue to get guns back.

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck....

There are various scenarios that I can assure will be implemented in case the need arises. There is no need for  anything "new" to be added to our already existing laws. Mt. Weather is there for a reason. There are "plans" for all kinds of emergencies where various forms of order are maintained by the Army, et al. Some are just plain asinine (in case of nukes on the way, proceed out of town in an orderly manner, in line by license plate number... police will be directing traffic... yeah that would happen if a city was gonna be nuked in 10 minutes people would pull over and wait in line....)

Legal or no, I'm not going to argue with well armed people if they tell me moon men  are spreading bird flu. Better yet I won't be anywhere near well armed people, rather be in a cave somewhere.

I agree that our best qualified troops are overseas and  likeley to stay there, and that there are serious standards problems right now in the military. I personally know of the Army keeping a mentally unstable clown despite him going AWOL, committing various (serious) offenses, etc. Back even a few years ago at least they would have sent him home, probably would have made him stay for a bit in a stockade before they did so, too. I'd rather be alone in Iraq than have him "watching my back".

That said, I doubt you'll have nationwide martial law, Mt.Weather taking over, and TEOTWAWKI. And in some places, LA for instance, I'd imagine people would beg for martial law if disruptions in law enforcement reach projected levels... decsions decsions.... ill prepared troops, or roving bands of thugs.

I also think it is reasonable that a dispruption in law enforcement would embolden any terror cells among us, Arab, homegrown, or otherwise, we have plenty.

Mass disaster drill tests
JTF-CS capability

STORY AND PHOTO BY SGT. JACOB BOYER
28th PUBLIC AFFAIRS DETACHMENT

Terrorist attacks, hurricanes, pandemic influenza and plague are all threats that could potentially cripple parts of the United States on their own. However, if more than one of these disasters occurs simultaneously, resources could be stretched thin on a national level, and command and control over disaster-relief assets would be key in ensuring Americans receive the help they need.

The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and civilians of Joint Task Force Civil Support, headquartered at Fort Monroe, faced the specter of all four disasters May 10-16 during Exercise Ardent Sentry ‘06, a nationwide Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed exercise to rehearse cooperation between Department of Defense assets and local, state and federal agencies as well as the Canadian government.

“Exercises like this are tremendously important not only to our unit, but to the nation as a whole,” said Air Force Col. Jim Wolcott, JTF-CS operations officer. “If something like this were to really happen, we’d be there to help save lives, prevent suffering and perform critical lifesaving tasks in support of the lead civilian agency on the ground.”

The scenario for Ardent Sentry involved multiple threats: a hurricane off the coast of Florida, a plague in Mexico reaching across the border into Arizona and New Mexico, terrorist attacks involving chemical and radiological elements in and around Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, and the emerging human-to-human spread of the H5N1 virus, more commonly known as avian flu.

JTF-CS deployed to Selfridge Air National Guard Base, northeast of Detroit, on May 10 after the exercise’s first simulated terrorist attack — a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device that led to a large chlorine release in Port Huron, also near Detroit.

“The exercise started with a buildup of intelligence reports indicating there might be (additional) terrorist acts in the works,” Wolcott said. “That put the task force in a heightened state of awareness.”

The following day, three simulated high-yield “dirty” bombs — those involving radiological agents — were set off in Windsor and Detroit.

JTF-CS deployed after local, state and federal authorities decided the scope of the attack required military support, Wolcott said. The task force’s mission is to act as the command and control element for all DoD assets deployed in support of federal agencies following chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive incidents.

“We’re always in support of the lead federal agency, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” Wolcott said. “We can provide medical, decontamination and logistics support.”

JTF-CS made contact with a simulated joint field office in Lansing, Mich., from which all requests would come in the form of mission assignments, he said. Once those missions are approved by U.S. Northern Command, the lead DoD organization in homeland defense, the task force turns them into orders they push down to subordinate military units.

Once the task force arrived at Selfridge and got its joint operations center (JOC) established, its subordinate commands began to arrive.

The simulated threat in the Detroit area expanded further May 12 when phosgene gas was released in the city. JTF-CS faced thousands of fatalities and injuries. At the same time, Hurricane Xena bore down on Florida and a pneumonic plague was working its way across the U.S.-Mexico border, two situations that would require further support from the task force. To top things off, avian flu was beginning to be transmitted between humans; a development many fear could push the virus into a full-blown pandemic.

“NORTHCOM is in charge of the whole country — the pneumonic plague from Mexico, the hurricane in Florida, the terrorist incidents here and the avian flu threat,” Wolcott said. “But we’re not only command and control for this. Because of our subject matter experts, we’re providing support on analysis of the impact of the hurricane because petroleum refineries could be damaged. We’re also looking at the avian flu and seeing if it could evolve into an epidemic.”

Each of the incidents had a CBRNE element, which meant medical support would be necessary everywhere, said Navy Capt. Jeff Timby, JTF-CS surgeon.

“Chemical infrastructure can be damaged in a storm. Weapons of mass destruction fall under the umbrella of CBRNE,” he said. “It can be incidents or attacks. An explosive vest on a suicide bomber can become a WMD just by him standing next to a chemical tanker truck. The center of importance here is saving lives and preventing further injuries.”

Three distinct task forces answer to JTF-CS in support of its mission: Task Force Medical, Task Force Response and Task Force Support, Wolcott said. Each has its own assets that complement the types of relief citizens caught in the crossfire of either a man-made or natural disaster require. As the scenario unfolded and more needs were recognized, each task force hit the ground ready to take orders from the JOC.

Ardent Sentry was a command and control exercise, which meant the task forces did not have actual service members on the scene administering aid, but Soldiers from Fort Bragg, N.C. and Fort Carson, Colo., were present to run the task forces’ headquarters elements.

“If they needed boots on the ground, our troops would be out there to help,” said Army Lt. Col. Joe Rose, Task Force Response commander, who deployed from his duties at Fort Bragg as the 82nd Infantry Division (Airborne)’s chemical officer for the exercise. “We’re not a police force. We set up tent cities, provide security for DoD installations and fulfill whatever other manpower needs JTF-CS has. We’ve also got a nuclear, biological and chemical reconnaissance team if the need arises.”

That team would also be responsible for going out to survey and mark areas that had been affected by agents in the multiple attacks, Wolcott said.

Task Force Medical is responsible for making sure any civilian requests for medical support can be filled, including evacuations, providing surgical assets, dealing with medical logistics and treating patients, said Army Lt. Col. Wendy Harder, Task Force Medical commander. She deployed with members of the 44th Medical Command from Fort Bragg.

“We come in to work relief operations and CBRNE responsibilities and make sure missions are effective and assets are placed correctly,” she said. “So far, we’ve (simulated the launch of) medical assets out to augment local hospitals. We’ve also helped with ground evacuations.”

Task Force Support’s mission is twofold – supporting its fellow task forces and providing logistics support to JTF-CS, said Army Maj. Robert Caviness, the task force operations officer. The group can provide transportation, aviation, engineer, supply, laundry, shower and mortuary affairs assets in a CBRNE situation. TFS’s headquarters was comprised of members of the 43rd Area Support Group, Fort Carson.

Working in a joint environment with augmentees from around the country as well as civilian agencies can present its own set of challenges. Wolcott said the biggest was information management.

“What that means to the task force is finding out what happened, what the agencies want us to do and tracking missions and support in a timely manner,” he said. “When you’re working with other service members, even in different services, most of us speak the same language. The challenge is working side-by-side and integrating with the civilian side of the national response. They’re communicating on different networks and using a different language, but the National Response Plan has great benefits. Exercising with these people makes us better as a country.”

Caviness said the exercise provided valuable training for units like the 43rd ASG that augment JTF-CS in real-world situations.

“There are not a whole lot of units like us,” he said. “We’re responsible for headquarters and planning for subordinate units from across the services. Right now, we’ve got a naval mobile construction battalion. It forces us to look at other units’ capabilities. As Soldiers, it’s easy to look at an Army unit and know what equipment they have and what they look like. This forces us to find out what other services’ units have and can do.”

With every event comes a lesson learned, Wolcott said. JTF-CS was able to quickly take those lessons and integrate them even in the midst of Ardent Sentry.

“Lessons learned are integrated immediately into our processes,” he said. “If we learn lessons about our practices in the morning, they’re integrated in the afternoon so that if something like this happens next week, we’ll be ready to do it.”

Wolcott said the training has increased national readiness in the face of multiple disasters.

“This kind of training is valuable to the unit, because it’s the closest thing to practicing and improving readiness without actually doing it,” he said. “It’s always good to have opportunities for DoD and the Department of Homeland Security to work together. It increases the nation’s readiness and prepares us to provide the rapid, effective response the American public may require.”

Martial law is defined as: military rule or authority imposed on a civilian population when the civil authorities cannot maintain law and order, as in a time of war or during an emergency. "

I would very much like for someone to explain the differences between existing law and what this administration is proposing to do. If it had always been policy...and that policy was put to paper in 1969...and we already have things in place to make sure that peace can be kept...then what is it they are wanting to change?