Response units get command vehicles, with a catch.

• Author: Pappalardo, Joe
• Position: SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs - Brief Article

National Guard will receive adequate funds in the short term to respond to domestic weapons of mass destruction attacks, but some long-term resources appear to be lacking, said Col. Camille Nichols, project manager responsible for buying gear for the Guard's Civil Support Teams.

The teams were formed by the Guard to provide a quick reaction force to respond to domestic attacks with biological, chemical, radiological and nuclear weapons. When certification is complete, every state, as well as Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia, will have a civil support team. California, as directed by Congress, will have two.

Among the teams' pressing needs are command-and-control vehicles that can establish field communications with local and federal responders while in a hazardous environment. A network of satellite communications, encrypted phones and handheld radiofrequency gear will link the vehicle to the outside world.

Nichols warned that research, development...