JP 3-28, Civil Support - Federation of American Scientists

Department of Defense Operational Environment
For more information on EPLO, refer to DODD 3025.16, Military Emergency Preparedness Liaison
Officer (EPLO) Program.
6. Interagency Coordination
a. For CS operations, DOD must coordinate with a variety of other government agencies (OGAs),
including LEAs. Agreements between DOD and OGAs may help in defining the scope of support to be
provided either routinely or in an emergency. However, these agreements may not constitute SecDef
preapproval of DOD support for all CS missions.
b. Synchronization, coordination, and integration of all instruments of national power are
required to ensure the successful execution of CS missions. The challenges facing the Nation
are increasingly complex and will require the skills and resources of many organizations. Some guidelines
for interagency coordination are listed below:
(1) Identify CS mission capabilities compliant with NIMS Incident Command System and
governing federal statutes, policy, guidelines, and best practices.
(2) Identify DOD agencies and organizations potentially involved in the operation.
(3) Identify key elements of information that various agencies can share.
(4) Identify required resources.
(5) Establish interagency assessment teams.
c. Challenges of Interagency Cooperation and Coordination during CS Operations.
(1) CS is conducted in a complex environment with literally thousands of different
jurisdictions and agencies (federal, state, tribal, and local). CS may at times involve neighboring
countries due to the proximity of an event to national borders and the interconnectedness of
nations. This complex environment necessitates coordinated and integrated operations with agency
partners to enable rapid mutual aid, in response to natural or man-made disasters or during national
emergencies.
(2) DOD actions in CS operations may require rapid response to mitigate the impact of a
disaster on US domestic population and critical infrastructure. Legal and policy constraints, guidelines,
intensive media coverage, multiple jurisdictions, and the competing demands by various levels of political
authorities may complicate the effectiveness of DOD response. This environment necessitates an effective
interagency and PA process and program.
(3) Interagency coordination can at times be a significant challenge and take considerable
effort, yet it also provides numerous benefits and “force multipliers” for DOD and its CS partners.
Expanded information sharing and the interaction with agency liaison personnel prior to and during CS
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