The Department of Defense announced today the appointment of four dual-status commanders in support of relief efforts for Hurricane Irene, marking the first time the dual commander concept has been implemented in support of a natural disaster.
So what are dual-status commanders?
When agreed upon by the Secretary of Defense and the governor of an affected state, dual-status commanders can direct both federal active-duty forces and state National Guard forces in response to domestic incidents. The concept is intended to foster greater cooperation among federal and state assets during a disaster.
Apparently, this is something new (since 2009). Nice idea to have unity of command. The confidence that the active component has gained in the reserve components during a decade of war shows. Once, reserves were all about supporting--in a subordinate role with lower status and compensation like temps--the active forces, and the active forces were skeptical about how good the reserves were.
