[BostonCard]

We are on the precipice of a mistake even bigger than the Vietnam War, compressed into a matter of months, if you count lives and treasure as the cost. The difference is the U.S. military was being used to no avail in Vietnam, and now it isn’t being used to any avail with this pandemic.

Outsuider Fan, I am restraining myself as much as I can in asking exactly what do you want the US military to do in this pandemic, and why do you think they have the capability to do what you are going to propose?

If only there were a pandemic preparedness manual that would tell us:

Military assistance. The major authorities that DOD may rely on to provide assistance outside the United States, include:
• 10 U.S.C. § 401 (Humanitarian and Civic Assistance (HCA). This section of the Code provides for HCA projects, approved in coordination with the Combatant Commanders and DOS that improve operational readiness skills of participating U.S. forces and are conducted in conjunc­tion with military operations.
• 10 U.S.C. § 402 (Transportation). Subject to certain exceptions, DOD may transport supplies provided by non-governmental, U.S. sources without charge on a space-available basis.
• 10 U.S.C. §404 (Foreign Disaster Assistance). Under certain circumstances and subject to certain congressional notice requirements, the President may direct the Secretary of Defense to provide disaster assistance outside the United States in order to respond to manmade or natural disasters when necessary to prevent the loss of life.
• 10 U.S.C. § 2557 (Excess Nonlethal Supplies: Humanitarian Relief). This provision authorizes excess supplies to be made available to DOS for humanitarian relief. DOS will be responsible for distribution.
• 10 U.S.C. § 2561(Transportation and Other Humanitarian Support). DOD also may provide fully funded transportation (on an other-than space-available basis), if it pays such transportation costs with its operation and maintenance funds earmarked for Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid (OHDCA) purposes.

And, not that I think it should:

Under the Insurrection Act the President may direct the military to enforce quarantines, or conduct secu­rity functions such as guarding stockpiles and pharmaceuticals, when he finds it necessary to enforce Federal law (see 10 U.S.C. §§ 332-334), or other prerequisites for use of the Act described above are met.

There are 67 mentions of "military" in the document, and while many focus on what the military should do to maintain readiness for its core defense function in a pandemic, a lot is how it can help in this situation.

BC

[BostonCard]

We are on the precipice of a mistake even bigger than the Vietnam War, compressed into a matter of months, if you count lives and treasure as the cost. The difference is the U.S. military was being used to no avail in Vietnam, and now it isn’t being used to any avail with this pandemic.

Outsuider Fan, I am restraining myself as much as I can in asking exactly what do you want the US military to do in this pandemic, and why do you think they have the capability to do what you are going to propose?

If only there were a pandemic preparedness manual that would tell us:

Military assistance. The major authorities that DOD may rely on to provide assistance outside the United States, include:
• 10 U.S.C. § 401 (Humanitarian and Civic Assistance (HCA). This section of the Code provides for HCA projects, approved in coordination with the Combatant Commanders and DOS that improve operational readiness skills of participating U.S. forces and are conducted in conjunc­tion with military operations.
• 10 U.S.C. § 402 (Transportation). Subject to certain exceptions, DOD may transport supplies provided by non-governmental, U.S. sources without charge on a space-available basis.
• 10 U.S.C. §404 (Foreign Disaster Assistance). Under certain circumstances and subject to certain congressional notice requirements, the President may direct the Secretary of Defense to provide disaster assistance outside the United States in order to respond to manmade or natural disasters when necessary to prevent the loss of life.
• 10 U.S.C. § 2557 (Excess Nonlethal Supplies: Humanitarian Relief). This provision authorizes excess supplies to be made available to DOS for humanitarian relief. DOS will be responsible for distribution.
• 10 U.S.C. § 2561(Transportation and Other Humanitarian Support). DOD also may provide fully funded transportation (on an other-than space-available basis), if it pays such transportation costs with its operation and maintenance funds earmarked for Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid (OHDCA) purposes.

And, not that I think it should:

Under the Insurrection Act the President may direct the military to enforce quarantines, or conduct secu­rity functions such as guarding stockpiles and pharmaceuticals, when he finds it necessary to enforce Federal law (see 10 U.S.C. §§ 332-334), or other prerequisites for use of the Act described above are met.

There are 67 mentions of "military" in the document, and while many focus on what the military should do to maintain readiness for its core defense function in a pandemic, a lot is how it can help in this situation.

BC