<P> All federal agencies can request military assistance by using a simple memo format that contains specific information on what capability is needed and also gives cost reimbursement guidance . Military assets conducting support stay under the control of the military chain of command . Assistance is coordinated with the local responders in the disaster area to ensure the military support is being properly utilized as per the approved request . If there is a need to change the original mission of forces conducting the assistance, the request process starts all over again . Determining when the military is done conducting the requested support is done collaboratively between DOD officials, local government and federal agencies . </P> <P> All support provided by the military is required to be reimbursed by the agency that requested it . The military's budget does not include providing DSCA support so it must be paid back in order to maintain the ability to conduct its primary mission . </P> <P> On the civilian side, the Federal Emergency Management Agency or better known as FEMA, is the main federal responder when a disaster overwhelms a state (s). When a state exhausts all of its resources or is lacking a unique capability during a disaster, it will turn to the federal government for assistance . The agency that usually responds and will coordinate the overall federal effort will be FEMA . FEMA has a cornucopia of options available to help a state in need, one of those options is to turn to the military . FEMA has the ability to direct most other federal resource under its statutory authority, but it cannot direct the military, it must request the assistance . Military support is a last resort; all other local, state and federal resources must be exhausted prior to the military providing support or a unique requirement that cannot be found within the civilian or federal system . </P> <P> Requesting the military to respond to a disaster, manmade or natural, is done through a formal process established between FEMA and Department of Defense . While this process is pretty straight forward, it has many integrated steps that require involvement from numerous sources, both military and civilian . </P>

Regular army forces maintain law and order in support of civil authorities when directed by which