The five most asked questions about the United States Service Command:

I. BUREAUCRACY

Q. Under what authority is the USSC organized?

A. The USSC is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that is a member of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (NVOAD).

Q. How is the USSC organized?

A. The USSC has a national board of directors that is chaired by one of the directors. There is a National Commander who commands division commanders and a national headquarters staff. Inside the division area (a multistate area) there are brigades. Each state is a brigade. The brigade commander is responsible for several battalion commanders. Each battalion is a sub-state area. Inside the battalion there are companies which represent geographic areas such as a multi-county area, single counties, or cities/towns.

Q. When the USSC is active for a mission, who is the authority that makes the decision to accept the mission?

A. Unlike other similar organizations, the USSC allows the decision to accept or reject a mission to rest at the battalion level. Local governmental or volunteer agencies contact the battalion commander who makes a decision concerning the mission and contacts higher command with a decision about the mission. The battalion commander is guided by directives from higher command concerning the guidelines by which missions are accepted or rejected. From this a battalion commander uses good judgement and prescribed guidelines to drive a decision.

Q. Is there red tape involved in reporting regular activities as well as recording actions taken during missions?

A. Each level of command is required to submit one monthly report to the next level of command. This report would be detailed and all inclusive concerning operations for the month; however, this is not a "mountain" of forms or reports to file in reference to the activities of the unit. The important point is that enough honest and direct information is passed through monthly reports to keep all levels of command informed of excellent performance, as well as potential problem areas. Local governmental or other volunteer agencies that the USSC supports may impose separate reporting requirements.

II. LIABILITY

Q. Does the organization have liability coverage for members?

A. It is the responsibility of individual members to provide their own general liability insurance. In some instances personal liability will be covered through the auspices of the governmental or volunteer agency requesting USSC services. Volunteers who act in good faith and avoid gross negligence are covered under the Volunteers Act, a nationwide provision recently passed by the US Congress to protect disaster volunteers.

III. FUNDING

Q. Is there a source of funding for USSC activities?

A. The USSC is a 501(c)3 organization. Under that listing, the USSC can accept donations from citizens, grants, private agencies, charters, etc. Individuals and organizations may contact these groups to donate money. Due to strict accounting practices required of 501(c)3 organizations, all contributions must be channeled through the National Headquarters, USSC. These donations are accounted to the local unit and returned in the form of a USSC check. Equipment (or other mission essential items) may be donated to the local unit and is strictly accounted for.

IV. EQUIPMENT

Q. Does the USSC have a ready source of personal and unit equipment?

A. It is the responsibility of the individual member as well as the local unit to provide equipment for the local mission. As stated above, the USSC can accept donations, but they should fall under guidelines of strict accountability.

V. AFFILIATIONS

Q. Is the USSC a militia?

A. No. The USSC is exclusively a disaster relief organization. The USSC is not, nor has ever considered itself, a political organization supporting any causes or candidates. The USSC is not a "force" and, therefore, has no need for the use of weapons.

Q. Is the USSC affiliated with any "militia" groups?

A. No. The word "militia" is often used to refer to the private militias that are subversive in nature to the United States with many extreme political views. The USSC works with the national, state, and local government and private disaster agencies. This, sometimes, may include the State Guard, or State Militia, within a particular state. These State Militias are legitimate units appointed by the Governor of the state, and fall under the command of the Adjutant General of the state. In these cases, the United States Service Command works along side them and supports them.

Q. Does the USSC support the government of the United States?

A. Yes. The USSC supports the Constitution of the United States and all elected governments. The USSC supports, and is subject to, the laws of the United States, law enforcement at all levels, and the United States Armed Forces.

Q. What affiliations does the USSC have?

A. The USSC is a member, in good standing, of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (NVOAD), which is an organization made up of over thirty voluntary organizations throughout America. This is the only affiliation the USSC has.

Published by the United States Service Command.

Revised 4/28/99.

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