Identification of barriers to the use of Department of Defense medical assets in support of federal, state, and local authorities to mitigate the consequences of domestic bioterrorism

The threat of the use of a biological agent as a weapon presents the American public with a potential for catastrophic consequences with massive loss of life and economic disaster. Reducing the effect of a biological warfare attack requires resources beyond those found within local or state governments. The integration of appropriate federal assets in a timely fashion will significantly reduce casualties and economic loss.;Military medical assets support the federal response. Managing the consequences of a domestic biological warfare attack is a new role for the military, requiring different support packages than those configured to support the war fight.;This paper examines existing policy for accessing and integrating military assets into the federal response to support state and local disaster capability. Processes are contrasted with differing requirements intrinsic to a biological warfare scenario. Insights into barriers are presented. A model for utilization of military support that balances requirements with capability is proposed.