Air University Review, May-June 1968
As part of the military establishment and as community leaders and citizens, reservists have many opportunities to promote effective planning and mobilization for civil defense. My purpose here is to delineate, in rather broad terms, some of the areas where such activities are possible and feasible and to suggest avenues of future approach.
It is essential to view civil defense as an interrelated complex of nonmilitary as well as military functions necessary to prepare or mobilize the entire nation against possible war; to maintain the continuity of government functions and essential economic activities; and to facilitate the early resumption of peacetime pursuits. The term “nonmilitary defense” is often used to convey the broad range of civilian activities that must be joined with the military for preparedness, defense, and recovery. A paramount aspect of civil defense is the degree to which state and local governments as well as civilian leaders are needed to participate in systems and programs in order to make them work properly. It is not a purely military problem although the military establishment plays a vital role. Civil defense planning and the responsibility for implementing plans rest to a surprising degree on local leadership; and this fact is currently reflected in civil defense plans and organizational structure. If it is assumed that planning functions which are now a part of the civil defense program will be implemented, then there will be created a critical requirement for correlative planning, and more intensive planning, at the state and local government levels. Many of our current problems in civil defense relate to the fact that serious planning and research in the whole field of nonmilitary defense activities have only recently been initiated. There needs to be further research, in depth, on many aspects of these problems; long-range planning and research functions related to civil defense should be augmented far beyond their present capabilities.
contributions of reservists
There are several unique contributions the reservist can make toward effective planning and mobilization. He can act as a promoter and coordinator between the military and civilian considerations involved. This would be true in both the planning and mobilization phases. With regard to the military aspects of civil defense, reservists can act in their roles in various reserve military units to insure preparation of adequate plans for participation of the units in the civil defense programs. Selected military reservists may also be placed in positions of responsibility within the civil defense organizations. In this capacity they could serve as part-time staff personnel while at the same time pursuing their normal civilian business or profession. The advantages of using reservists to augment full-time staff would be fourfold:
1. Trained people could be procured quickly from the reserve rolls without extensive recruiting problems or assignment of military personnel who may be urgently needed for other duties.
2. Use of reservists would entail much less cost to the government. Indeed, in some instances individual reservists would be willing to volunteer their time as a public service.
3. Reserve assignments could be used as a means for acquiring expert consultant services in a relatively inexpensive and expeditious manner.
4. Reservists could be used as a pool from which to select qualified people for full-time civilian employment in staff positions under civil service. Similarly they could be used on a selective basis for recall to active duty in uniform.
In addition to the military role, there is a second and highly productive role that reservists can play in civil defense programs. That is, in regard to the purely civilian aspects of civil defense, reservists can, as civilian community leaders, act as promoters of the program and fill positions of leadership in state and local civil defense programs. The rest of this discussion will be directed at this particular role of the reservist, which is a most important one.
the reservist as a civilian
leader
Leadership is extremely important because without extensive public support it will be impossible to achieve a desirable state of readiness. The formal organization for civil defense at the federal level is designed only to provide a framework within which the program can operate. A favorable expression of national interest is urgently needed. Until this interest is substantially heightened, there is little possibility that we can achieve a truly successful civil defense program even though substantial federal appropriations are provided. There is a critical need for civilian community leaders in thousands of cities across the country who are cognizant of the need for civil defense programs and who are willing to work toward that end. Reservists, because of their greater understanding of the implications of a thermonuclear war, are in a position to comprehend the nature of the problems involved much better than the average citizen. Also, many reservists occupy various positions of leadership in their respective communities in business, professions, and local government and are active in civic affairs. Such people are in a position to greatly influence the attitudes and actions of other citizens and strongly affect the degree of public acceptance of civil defense programs initiated at the federal level.
the national plan
The depth of the role of the reservist in civil defense is apparent when the provisions of the National Plan for Civil Defense Mobilization are reviewed. According to this plan, virtually all groups in the nation have civil defense responsibilities. Individuals are responsible for sheltering and sustaining themselves for at least two weeks and for contributing to the general recovery effort. State and local governments are responsible for their own survival, for giving civil defense direction, and for helping to sustain their populations. The federal government is responsible for direction and coordination of all civil defense efforts and for assistance in local problems as soon as possible. However, in most instances state and local organizations would be expected to carry on exclusively by their own devices for periods up to five weeks. This could be a most crucial period indeed and one in which reservists can and must provide active participation and leadership.
Executives and managers in industry, agriculture, labor, and finance, many of them officers in the reserve forces, are directly responsible for assisting the government in planning and executing measures designed to insure the functioning or restoration of essential elements of the economy. Professional, civic, service, religious, and social organizations are expected to make such contributions as may be possible. Individual federal agencies are assigned temporary responsibilities until emergency controls can be activated and permanent responsibilities established for eventual recovery. For example, the Department of Labor would handle manpower problems; the Department of Agriculture would be responsible for food distribution; the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare would engage in activities related to maintaining emergency health services; the Department of Housing and Urban Development would seek to provide emergency housing and rebuild cities after widespread destruction; and the Department of Transportation would promote movement of high-priority shipments of people and goods during the emergency. Similarly, virtually every other federal, state, and local government agency would be required to provide whatever service it could during a period of national crisis. In order to make these operations a success it will be necessary to involve people who are not only well trained and dedicated to their civilian jobs but who also possess an understanding and appreciation of the strategic military problems involved. Selected reservists can form the nucleus for such groups.
One of the pertinent characteristics of the national plan is that it is not self-operating, and a great many of the steps needed to make it successful have not yet been taken. Although tremendous effort has gone into the program at all levels, our system to date has not developed the organization and trained citizenry required even to bring an effective response to alert signals.
The stakes are high. Civil defense preparedness can reduce total casualties very significantly in event of thermonuclear attack.
One of the problems we are facing is the relative lack of experience this country has had with any form of civil defense against enemy air attacks. This is one of the reasons why it is very difficult to convince the average citizen of the need for extensive protective measures. The fact that this nation has never suffered a bombing attack, although a fortunate circumstance, operates as a negative factor in lulling people into complacency, oblivious to the threat we are actually confronted with at this time.
There has been a great deal of speculation as to reasons for this country’s failure to face its civil defense needs. Contributing factors include the complex and unprecedented nature of the problems presented; the newness of the threat; the probability that an effective program would be costly; the assumption, perhaps wrong, that thermonuclear war is not very probable; the feeling that nothing can be done about a nuclear war; and lack of Congressional support. These and other arguments have all been advanced at one time or another. However, it should be noted that Americans, when pressed on the question, usually come out strongly in favor of a meaningful civil defense program.
reservists in the shelter
program
By far the most important aspect of civil defense activities relating directly to the protection of the population is the program for fallout and blast-resistant shelters. While the threat presented by hydrogen weapons is great and may well grow greater, one of the most promising lines of counter action seems to be the construction of shelters offering various degrees of protection. For a time, dispersal and evacuation were the favored tactic of civil defense planners. However, the introduction of more powerful weapons with their greater destruction radius and of intercontinental missiles with tremendous speed of delivery has completely changed this concept. As an alternative to dispersal, the protection concept is rapidly gaining acceptance. The shelter program, if implemented on a widespread basis, would solve some of the problems of civil defense, but it would introduce others. Various problems connected with shelters would include danger of radiation, falling debris, blocking of entrances, ventilation, water supply, food, and sanitation. Some of these problems have been subjected to extensive research, but most have not. Perhaps one of the most difficult problems is the engendering of morale and community spirit within the large community-type shelters where sizable numbers of people are forced into limited space for extended periods of time. Certainly a vast amount of high-quality leadership is going to be needed in order to make such a program work with any degree of effectiveness. Since people in shelters would probably be dissociated from normal governmental functions for several weeks after an attack, it will be necessary for initial guidance and leadership to come from local sources. This much-needed leadership can come from a well-informed group of citizen leaders, which the reserve pools can contribute to a remarkable degree.
Some criticism has been leveled at the shelter program. A small number of people have opposed it on grounds that it is too expensive, ineffective for blast protection, and apt to give a false sense of security. However, efforts can and must be made to dispell such opposition. Reservists can help by promoting a favorable image of civil defense in their respective communities.
continuity of government
Another important aspect of civil defense that could benefit from participation by reservists is the provision for continuing government functions in the event of widespread destruction. There is much to be done in this area.
The importance of providing for the continuity of government under extreme conditions has been recognized in the national plan. It provides for establishment of lines of succession to official positions, safekeeping of essential records, establishment of control centers and alternate sites for government emergency operations, and maximum use of personnel and resources during emergency periods. Most of the state and local governments and federal agencies have acted in some way towards meeting these requirements. However, full participation in the program by state and local government agencies is lagging far behind the federal effort. Many city and county governments have made no arrangements of this kind. The role that reservists can play is to use their influence as citizen leaders to emphasize the need for developing effective plans for continuity in localities where they live or work. Reservists who are local government officials or who are otherwise authorized can themselves actually prepare these plans.
economic planning
Next to survival of the population, the preservation of the national economy is perhaps the most important segment of plans for national survival. Reservists who are business or industrial leaders, economists, or government officials can play a vital role in the formation and implementation of economic plans and policies related to civil defense. The protection of the economy involves planning in a great many areas. Among the more important aspects are manpower, food, water, fuel and power, clothing, transportation, communication, and medical services. The American economy is somewhat vulnerable to attack, but with advance measures taken to reduce risks there is a possibility for rapid recovery from even large-scale destruction.
The relatively little economic planning accomplished thus far has been performed by government agencies, but some notable corollary work has been accomplished through industry groups and individual companies. A few companies have provided emergency headquarters, prepared lists of succession, built underground structures, stockpiled equipment and supplies, conducted evacuation drills for employees, and provided for protection of vital records. Fortunately, there are signs of increasing awareness by American industry, especially among the larger corporations, of the need for civil defense readiness. These activities need to be significantly expanded.
The possibility of increased use of reserve forces and individual reservists in civil defense programs should be explored. Reservists can assist in creation and implementation of plans for fallout protection, damage control, and preparation for recovery, as well as participate in programs of public information and education.
There needs to be research and development activity beyond the scope of present efforts on many aspects of nonmilitary defense. This should include, among other things, the design of systems incorporating various combinations of military and nonmilitary defense efforts and consideration of various mixes of reserve forces that might be used in the process.
Major David A. Singletary, AFRes (M.S.,
Georgia Institute of Technology) is a staff planner with the Department of
Housing and Urban Development, Tucker,
Disclaimer
The conclusions and opinions expressed in this
document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression,
academic environment of
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