Rack SD – Defense Support to Civil Authorities

Aisle S – Special Enterprises

Library:  Main Page — Professional Development (A) — Defense Enterprise (E) — Force Structure (F) — Modernization (M) — Personnel (P) — Readiness (R) — Special Enterprises (S) — Resource Management (X) — References (Z)

Special Enterprises (S):  Cyber (SC) — Defense Support to Civil Authorities (SD) — Special Operations (SF) — Intelligence (SI) — Law & Military Justice (SL) — Military Medicine (SM) — Nuclear Forces (SN) — Security Force Assistance (SP) — Reserve Components (SR) — Space (SS) — Chaplaincy (SY)


Disclaimer: The inclusion of resources here is for informational, historical, and research purposes only and is provided as a service for US Army War College faculty, students, and graduates to support their educational and professional requirements. These may include outdated or superseded materials. The inclusion of these materials does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Army War College, the U.S. Army, or Department of Defense.


​​​​​​​This rack is focused on DSCA-related laws, instructions, and doctrine that define the enterprise, the resources that come with it, and the responsibilities of commanders. This shelf differs from EI – Interagency Operations that focuses more on policies and structures at Cabinet level oriented on warfighting.

Shelf SD.00 — General

This shelf contains general resources on theory and practice in defense support to civil authorities. This shelf is a stub — please contribute!

Faculty Publications:
  • None.
Laws, Policies, Memos, and Regulations (sorted by regulation number):
Strategies and Reports:
Commentaries (inclusion does not represent endorsement):
  • None.

Shelf SD.CV — Civil Strife

This shelf is focused on enterprise actions related to response to any form of civil strife, such as supplementing law enforcement for terrorist attacks, riots and demonstrations, or mass civil disobedience such as in times of natural or man-made crisis (e.g., power grid outages). Will include case studies. This shelf is a stub — please contribute!

Faculty Publications:
  • Case Study on the Los Angeles City Riots of 1992:
Laws, Policies, Memos, and Regulations (sorted by regulation number):
  • None.
Strategies and Reports:
  • None.
Commentaries (inclusion does not represent endorsement):
  • None.

Shelf SD.DR — Disaster Relief

This shelf is focused on enterprise actions related to response to needs for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, man-made or natural. May include case studies. This is a stub — please help!

Faculty Publications:
  • None.
Laws, Policies, Memos, and Regulations (sorted by regulation number):
  • None.
Strategies and Reports:
  • None.
Commentaries (inclusion does not represent endorsement):

Shelf SD.HD — Homeland Defense

This shelf is a stub for further expansion, probably to break up these two ideas. Homeland defense concerns DoD actions to counter enemy incursions into the homeland, whereas homeland security is within the purview of this rack and covers activities where DoD is a partner in providing civil support to the populace. Also contains a number of Department of Homeland Security resources and case studies.

Faculty Publications:
  • None.
Laws, Policies, Memos, and Regulations (sorted by regulation number):
Strategies and Reports:
Commentaries (inclusion does not represent endorsement):
  • None.

Title image credit: Petty Officer 1st Class Martine Cuaron via DVIDS, public domain.

Special Enterprises (S):  Cyber (SC) — Defense Support to Civil Authorities (SD) — Special Operations (SF) — Intelligence (SI) — Law & Military Justice (SL) — Military Medicine (SM) — Nuclear Forces (SN) — Security Force Assistance (SP) — Reserve Components (SR) — Space (SS) — Chaplaincy (SY)

Library:  Main Page — Professional Development (A) — Defense Enterprise (E) — Force Structure (F) — Modernization (M) — Personnel (P) — Readiness (R) — Special Enterprises (S) — Resource Management (X) — References (Z)