DoD Word of the Day for August 5

civil disturbance—Group acts of violence and disorder prejudicial to public law and order. See also domestic emergencies. —page 87

domestic emergencies—Emergencies affecting the public welfare and occurring within the 50 states, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, US possessions and territories, or any political subdivision thereof, as a result of enemy attack, insurrection, civil disturbance, earthquake, fire, flood, or other public disasters or equivalent emergencies that endanger life and property or disrupt the usual process of government. The term domestic emergency includes any or all of the emergency conditions defined below: a. civil defense emergency—A domestic emergency disaster situation resulting from devastation created by an enemy attack and requiring emergency operations during and following that attack. It may be proclaimed by appropriate authority in anticipation of an attack. b. civil disturbances—Riots, acts of violence, insurrections, unlawful obstructions or assemblages, or other disorders prejudicial to public law and order. The term civil disturbance includes all domestic conditions requiring or likely to require the use of Federal Armed Forces pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 15 of Title 10, United States Code. c. major disaster—Any flood, fire, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, or other catastrophe which, in the determination of the President, is or threatens to be of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant disaster assistance by the Federal Government under Public Law 606, 91st Congress (42 United States Code 58) to supplement the efforts and available resources of State and local governments in alleviating the damage, hardship, or suffering caused thereby. d. natural disaster—All domestic emergencies except those created as a result of enemy attack or civil disturbance. See also civil defense emergency; civil disturbance; major disaster; natural disaster. —page 166

Joint Publication 1-02, Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms

(A tip of the cap to Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists for posting the recently revised Department of Defense official dictionary. Check out the invaluable FAS Project on Government Secrecy.)