Homeland Defense: DOD Needs to Take Actions to Enhance Interagency Coordination for Its Homeland Defense and Civil Support Missions

DOD has a number of strategy, policy, and guidance documents related to interagency coordination for its homeland defense and civil support missions; however, DOD entities do not have fully or clearly defined roles and responsibilities because key DOD documents are outdated, are not integrated, or are not comprehensive. Previous GAO work, the National Response Framework, and DOD strategy and guidance all identify the need for clearly defined roles and responsibilities to enhance interagency coordination. Regarding DOD's documents, its 2005 Strategy for Homeland Defense and Civil Support, its series of civil support policies and guidance, and its joint guidance for interagency coordination are outdated and not comprehensive. Also, conflicting directives create confusion as to which DOD office is responsible for coordinating with law enforcement agencies. For example, three separate DOD directives, including one on DOD's support to law enforcement agencies that was last updated in 1989, assign overlapping law enforcement support responsibilities to three different DOD entities. Planned changes to the 1989 law enforcement support directive will lead to a gap in DOD's policy on support to law enforcement agencies for the counterdrug mission. We also found that specific delineation in interagency coordination and external communication roles and responsibilities among ASD/HD, NORTHCOM, and PACOM is lacking. By updating, integrating, and ensuring the comprehensiveness of its strategy, policy, and guidance, DOD could enhance its interagency coordination efforts for homeland defense and civil support and clarify current overlapping roles. Therefore, we are recommending that DOD issue updated, integrated, and comprehensive strategy, policy, and guidance.