CSTs at a glance

National Guard, Nov 2002

President Bill Clinton unveiled the Civil Support Team, or CST, concept during a May 1998 commencement speech at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Comprised of 22 full-time National Guardsmen, the CSTs would be the military's first line of defense against the emerging chemical or biological terrorism threat.

The teams would be able to deploy quickly upon request in the event of a possible attack to provide local authorities with specialized expertise and equipment. They would also assist incident commanders with assessing the need for other military assets.

The original plan was to field 10 teams-one per

Federal Emergency

Management Agency region. The NGAUS immediately supported the concept, but felt the terrorism threat required added teams. The association passed a resolution in September 1998 calling for the fielding of at least one CST in each state and territory.

Congress agreed, and has since funded the creation of 22 more teams for a total of 32. Twenty-seven teams are now operational. Many have been busy since Sept. 11.

And more CSTs may be on the way. Congress intends to send a fiscal 2003 defense authorization bill to the president directing the Pentagon to establish one team in every state and territory. Meanwhile, a recent Council on Foreign Relations report (page 16) suggests increasing the number of CSTs to 66.