Steven Bucci, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Defense Support for Civil Authorities, tours the 4th Civil Support Team's building on Dobbins Air Reserve Base. Bucci was given a tour of the communications rooms, vehicles and the gear the CST carries on missions. (Georgia National Guard photo by Seth Stuck)

Guard, state, federal groups meet to discuss emergency plans

DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, MARIETTA, Ga. – Members of the National Guard Bureau, Georgia’s sister states and local government officials are meeting this week to discuss how the Guard and the states can better react to natural or man made disasters.

 The NGB Capabilities Conference is a week long session that brings together area state and federal agencies as well as the National Guard to discuss ways to better respond to emergencies.

 “When you get a group together likes this there are so many connections,” said Major Gen. Larry Ross, commander Defense Support of Civil Authorities for Georgia (DCSA). “We can share ideas and thoughts to help each other and the higher agencies.”

 The discussion really began in 2006 when Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, now Georgia’s  Adjutant General, was appointed director of Homeland Security by Gov. Sonny Perdue. Nesbitt began to interface with local authorities as well as the Guard. As the commander of the Army Guard at the time, Nesbitt was aware of what the Guard was capable of, but was unsure of the other agencies. Hence Nesbitt was appointed Adjutant General, said Ross. There was a need to have a formal agency to serve as the go between for the Guard and the Federal and State emergency agencies.

 “There is still a gap in understanding what the Guard can bring to emergency management,” said Ross. “These meetings help to close that gap and bring in more work for the DSCA so the Guard can improve.”

 Steven Bucci, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Defense Support for Civil Authorities, told the conferees that “the federal government alone cannot solve the issues at the state level,” said Bucci. “We need 100 percent from the state and local responders in order to make things work. You are the key.

 “If you don’t really dig in and look at what is going on at the state level the federal level cannot fix it,” he said. “If this war ended today, your responsibility would not decline but increase regardless of what happens politically.

 “Many people are in the mindset that things will go back they way they were and they aren’t. We are realizing that we can’t give the Guard leftovers from the war. You are being funded for these missions,” he said.

 The DSCA and the homeland defense missions are more important than the war, said Bucci. “The American Public wants this, granted their expectations are not realistic, they just want people to help them when they are in need.”

 Bucci concluded by giving the Soldiers, Airmen and civilians in the room a piece of advice, “The guard is the conduit for the federal authorities to the local authorities and we need more local people on board.”

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