Is COE operational, that is, does it respond to events with personnel and/or material support?
COE is generally not operational in the traditional sense; i.e., we are not a first-responder organization. Mainly, COE assists the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of State (DoS), U.S. Combatant Commands (COCOMs), foreign governments and international organizations to understand the regional framework for disaster preparedness, including clearly defined roles and responsibilities of all involved, and a coordinated whole-of-government approach to disaster management, mitigation, response, recovery and transition, societal development, and humanitarian assistance and resiliency. In the past, COE staff members have supported USPACOM, US Agency for International Development (USAID), or the United Nations (UN) with coordination during responses to major disasters, on a case-by-case basis.
