Joint Task Force Olympics
The Department of Defense has been authorized to provide support to the XIX Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 8-24, 2002, and the VII Paralympic Games, March 7-17, 2002, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
U.S. Joint Forces Command has stood up Joint Task Force-Olympics (JTF-O) to provide command and control for routine support.
Approximately 4,500 DoD servicemembers will provide various levels of support to the 2002 winter games, including athletes, ceremonial military bands, honor guards, explosive detection dog teams, communications, transportation and other logistic and security support.
Throughout the games, all assistance provided by the DoD will be in support of local and federal agencies. Additionally, various military bands will provide free public concerts at local community and Olympic-related venues.
About 4,500 military members from the National Guard, reserve and active forces will be in the Salt Lake City area supporting various aspects of the winter games. These aspects include logistics, communications, explosive detection teams, physical security, aviation, temporary facilities and ceremonial support. National Guard units representing 22 different states will be deploying to the area. This does not include DoD athletes who are participating in the Olympic competition.
Title 10, United States Code, Section 2564, authorizes DoD support to civilian sporting competitions such as the Olympics, provided the attorney general certifies that the support is necessary to meet essential security and safety needs of the event. The attorney general has certified DoD's support to the Olympics. Further, the U.S. attorney general and the secretary of the treasury have designated the winter games a national special security event. Civilian and federal law enforcement agencies, which are responsible for security, as well with the Olympic organizing committees, requested DoD support during the games, since the requirements for security, logistics and support exceed their capabilities and/or resources.
Routine support is defined as the use of equipment and personnel required to provide essential security and safety at the events. The currently approved routine support that has been certified by the attorney general of the United States and approved by the secretary of the Army are aviation, communications, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), physical security and temporary facilities.
DoD will provide certain ceremonial support to the Olympics, in accordance with its public affairs and community relations policies.
The attorney general of the United States, acting through the FBI, maintains the responsibility for managing the federal response to acts of terrorism in the united states. The Department of Defense will provide support to the lead federal agency-the FBI-as requested.
The commander of Joint Task Force-Olympics, will receive and evaluate incoming requests for support, screen the requests under established policy and guidelines, and coordinate non-routine support requests through the director of military support to the secretary of the Army. Requests for ceremonial or community relations support is staffed to, and approved by, the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs.
Aviation support is being provided for the transportation of emergency, tactical and support personnel and equipment within the joint operations area. The support will be provided by HH-60 Pavelow, UH-60 Blackhawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters from the reserve and National Guard.
