Defense Department role seen differently

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- A top U.S. Defense Department official says the homeland defense office has learned valuable lessons and increased its mission since its inception in 2002.

Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and America's security affairs, says the Defense Department central role is in achieving security for the U.S. homeland, but he sees an evolving and increasingly important capability in providing assistance during natural or man-made disasters, the American Forces Press Service reported.

As the first person to hold the assistant secretary for homeland defense position, McHale says he has looked at the traditional role of the military and says part of his office's mission is to encourage the expansion of its support role for civil authorities.

McHale says as part of his office's continued emphasis on homeland defense missions, more than 60 members of his staff are embedded with various agencies at the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to better understand challenges.

"The American people cannot allow the capabilities inherent in civilian agencies to deteriorate. We fall into a trap if we allow our civilian capabilities to atrophy due to excessive reliance on military competencies," McHale said. "We need a partnership, and that partnership should be built on shared professionalism within and between the civilian and military organization of our government.

"Our founders realized that excessive reliance upon the military may achieve an operational success but ultimately will damage the civilian character of our country and our government. We hold as one of our bedrock principles the concept of civilian supremacy, and that concept is very much respected and adhered to in the Department of Defense."