On today’s podcast we have an interview with CDR Jonathan Shumate and MAJ Vo-Laria Brooks from the US Army JAG Corps’ Center for Law and Military Operations (also known as “CLAMO”), a Directorate of the The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center in Charlottesville, VA. CDR Shumate serves as the Coast Guard Advanced Operational Law Studies Fellow. MAJ Brooks serves as the Director of Domestic Operations and National Guard Bureau (NGB) Liaison where she is responsible for teaching Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) at TJAGLCS, as well as providing support for the DSCA mission for the 54 States and Territories of the National Guard.

MAJ Wellemeyer, CDR Shumate, and MAJ Brooks discuss CLAMO’s role and function, the DSCA process, and some of the legal issues the Army faces in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Below is a timeline of some of the subject-areas discussed during the episode:

00:00 Episode Introduction

01:23 CLAMO’s Role and Function

03:21 What is DSCA?

04:30 DSCA Process (Tiered Approach)

11:01 Risk to commanders of not following DSCA process

13:38 Dual-Status Commander

17:15 Dual-Status Commanders on order during COVID-19 pandemic

17:57 The concept of a “Mega” Dual-Status Commander

19:26 Current utilization of the National Guard

22:56 Comparing the response to the COVID-19 pandemic to that of previous humanitarian crises

24:37 End of Episode

If you’re interested in learning more about some of the topics covered during this episode, we recommend the following additional reading and resources:

“The Military and the Pandemic: An Explainer of the National Guard’s Role in the COVID-19 Response” by Dennis Bittle
DSCA: Interagency Partner Guide for Disasters and Emergencies, July 2015
Public Documents Published by the Center for Law and Military Operations
CLAMO Resources (CAC Only)

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For more information about the US Army JAG Corps, you can go here. If you’re interested in joining the Army JAG Corps, you can get more information by contacting the Judge Advocate Recruiting Office (JARO) or by visiting their webpage.

*Music by Joseph McDade

**The views expressed on the podcast are the views of the participants and do not necessarily represent those of The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, the Army, the Department of Defense, or any other agency of the US Government.