Coordinating Military Deployments on Roads and Highways:
A Guide for State and Local Agencies

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Chapter 3. Typical Military Deployment Movements on Public Roads

National security strategy and, more recently, the global war on terrorism have increased the requirement for military deployments. Planning for national emergencies may require military forces to convoy to military seaports or aerial ports of embarkation for foreign deployment. Military national security missions may also require forces to convoy within the United States to protect borders, high-value targets, or critical infrastructure. This scenario requires every State to be prepared to facilitate and support the movement of military forces through their State to port locations or to DoD mission assignments.

Planning for military deployments requires an understanding of deployment concepts and processes. State and local agency planners will find this chapter useful for understanding convoy terminology and concepts. Detailed supplemental materials about convoys are provided in Appendix B. This chapter begins with an overview of military deployment concepts. Subsequent sections highlight which agencies are involved at different points of a typical military deployment and provide a set of actions for supporting agencies to consider when developing procedures or plans. Self-assessment questions are enclosed at the end of this chapter for State agency reference. These questions may help agencies better prepare for a national emergency involving military convoys.

National emergency military deployment plans and procedures should document the convoy support process and provide a basis for training and execution. To complete the planning process, plans and procedures must be tested and adjusted annually (even more frequently if the volume and expected demand for military deployment is higher than historical averages) through periodic drills and exercises. Moreover, as State agencies develop and respond to requirements for the National Incident Management System (NIMS), these procedures will likely be integrated with or annexed to local, State, and regional plans and programs. Figure 8 illustrates the key ingredients for well-coordinated and executed military deployments.

Figure 8. Factors Affecting Well Coordinated and Executed Military Deployments

Military Road Deployment Concepts

State and local agencies involved in convoy support should be familiar with the many facts concerning convoys. This section covers some convoy-specific information.

In general, civil highway authorities set limits on vehicle weight, length, width, and height to ensure highway safety and to prevent infrastructure damage. Moreover, DoD policy states that they will not undertake vehicle movements that exceed legal limitations and regulations or that subject highway users to unusual hazards without permission from State, local, and/or toll authorities. Special provisions that apply during a national defense emergency and other critical defense movements follow:

• During emergencies, permit requests may be made by the most expeditious means of communication available.
• Oversize/overweight moves must be coordinated with civil authorities to ensure selected routes are passable.
• Because convoys typically cross State boundaries, these moves require multistate coordination across various agencies.
• If urgency dictates, these moves may be made without prior written permits from civil authorities. However, all requests should later be confirmed in writing.

Convoy Planning Factors

Mission, threat, troops, terrain, and time constraints set specific planning factors and influence how the convoy will be operated and controlled, but the process of planning and organizing convoys remains constant. Other information that may be requested by State support agencies for planning includes:

• Destinations—Are the convoys going to a single location or to multiple locations? There are seaports and aerial ports for overseas deployments, railheads for overseas and domestic deployments, and major interstate junctions for deployments to missions within the United States.
• Mandated arrival times—When must the convoys arrive at their destination? This information is required for "backward" planning to determine when convoys must leave their post and when they will arrive at rest stops and congestion points.
• Rest/refuel stop locations—Rest/refuel stops may become congested as convoys enter and leave the roadways into and from the rest/refuel stops. Rest/refuel locations also must be able to accommodate the volume of traffic without adversely affecting civilian services, if applicable. Some States restrict convoy stop points at public rest areas if convoys are estimated to consume more than 50 percent of rest area resources (space, parking facilities, etc.). State agencies may require additional support at specific locations to support convoy movements depending on the alternatives.
• Number and types of vehicles in the convoys—On average, military convoys move in groups of 15–20 vehicles and may be repeated several times to complete the deployment need. There is typically a gap of 30 minutes between groups. This information could be used in public information releases, as appropriate. The number and types of vehicles also help determine the need to place local law enforcement on notice or on duty for support through congested areas.
• Length, width, and weight of largest or heaviest vehicles in each convoy—This information is used to determine the need for special routing instructions for convoy vehicles and to ensure that vertical and horizontal clearance of potential obstacles and roadway weight limitations on the planned route are met.
• Convoy vehicle driver training certification—The military requires that all drivers must be certified to drive the vehicle they are assigned (military versions of Commercial Drivers License [CDL]).
• Load types (hazardous materials [HAZMAT], ammunition, fuel, general cargo, personnel, etc.)—This information is used to identify possible hazards to the public that may require alerting uniquely skilled emergency responders. Advanced planning may require additional or specialized training for emergency responders to deal with military hazards.
• Possible routes to destination—Primary and alternate routes for use by routine and oversized/ overweight convoys should be identified in advance. Many SDOTs have a State highway network database or resident expertise that will identify:
  • Routes suitable for convoy use, with speed and route selection factors designated for each.
  • Route restrictions for weight, height, width, length, and cargo type.
  • Updated information on preferred route conditions such as work zones, incidents, abnormal delays, lane closures, toll facilities, etc.
  • Convoy rest areas, vehicle capacity, and use restrictions for each rest area.
  • Locations and access routes to and from DoD installations within the State, such as armories, reserve centers, active installations, training areas, etc.
  • Logistic support facilities for fuel, maintenance, subsistence, billeting, etc., necessary to support convoy operations.
  • Air and sea ports and major rail loading facilities.
  • Safe havens.
  • Special restrictions and/or regulations applicable to bridges, tunnels, and highways.
  • Field review or verification of planned and/or approved routes.
• Real-Time Traffic Monitoring and Management—A number of ITS technologies allow transportation operations to provide accurate and timely information about roadway conditions, estimated travel times, congestion conditions, and special events or unscheduled closures. This information may be consolidated at a TMC or Traffic Operations Center (TOC).
• Traffic congestion areas and peak periods—Pre-identifying high-traffic congestion areas and their peak periods will allow planners to effectively schedule or route convoys so they do not create more congestion. Short-range traffic congestion planning and management will identify where problem areas are and when conditions are likely to arise. Archived data may assist in developing traffic congestion profiles on preferred routes.
• Weather conditions—Pre-identifying areas where weather problems will severely impact convoy and traffic operations. These may be areas subject to heavy fog, high winds, severe flooding, heavy snow and ice, etc.
• Quality of road networks (capacity, work zones, detours)—Timely and accurate information on work zones, major incidents/ events, or other network capacity restrictions will confirm the availability of designated routes for the types and volumes of vehicles. Figure 9 illustrates typical work-zone conditions, which may significantly affect military deployment operations.
• Communications—Identifying capabilities, requirements, and protocols for communication among military commanders, defense movement coordinators, law enforcement officials, and convoy commanders on the move will smooth deployments. It is important to stay in contact with the military installation and DMC to identify changing military clearance requirements.

Figure 9. Work-Zone Conditions Affect Military Deployments, Which May Inhibit General Traffic Operations

Many of these considerations can be addressed in overall State and local plans. Each convoy planning process also should address specifics such as types of loads, number and types of vehicles, oversized vehicle dimensions, and weather conditions.

Military convoys need to arrive at a particular location at a specified time. Time and distance factors are used to perform calculations for planning highway movements. Understanding time and distance factors is critical when planning a convoy; knowing the terms used in these calculations is critical to communicating with the military. (See Appendix B for additional information about the calculations.)

Major Phases of a Typical Military Deployment

Military deployments considered in this coordination procedures guide can be categorized into two major types: an orderly process based on a master plan involving time-phased events and highly coordinated activities or a rapid-response process to meet critical in-theater military needs. Most military deployments follow an orderly process in which sufficient time and coordination have occurred to allow State agencies to support—in the normal course of their business processes—these types of military deployments. The subsections below detail this orderly, phased process. Alternatively, rapid-response operations have less coordination time and fewer premovement details, resulting in after-hour and/or special-request coordination with State agencies. As a result of recent global deployments, such as Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), the accelerated deployment of military forces has become more frequent, requiring additional coordination and preparation among military- and State-agency representatives. In either case, military deployments can usually be viewed in three phases, with only the timeline being dramatically different.

The three major phases of a military deployment are warning order, notice to deploy, and convoy movements. A series of coordinated activities are triggered from the moment the military receives a warning order to the time that convoys arrive at their destination. This subsection describes which agencies are involved at which points of the process, what typically happens, and suggests guidance for supporting agencies if called upon to assist the military.

1. Warning Order

A warning order for deployment is the formal mechanism the U.S. government—starting with the President and the Secretary of Defense—uses to alert the military that their assistance is required (or may be required) to defend the nation's interests. The order may be given to the military at any time. Warning orders are often given for situations that require military intervention. On occasion, warning orders are short-fused, meaning that everyone involved may have less time to prepare; this is often the case in the event of an unforeseen national security emergency. Other times, the warning order is part of a planned build-up of U.S. military forces in overseas locations to support extended military campaigns.

What Is Typically Happening at This Time

When the military receives a warning order to prepare for deployment, they perform a number of tasks: the military will begin to recall personnel to their duty stations; medical and personnel matters are updated and equipment is organized and checked for last-minute repairs; the commanding officer of the military installation will determine priorities and movement orders for the units assigned to that installation; and, finally, they will stand by until receiving a notice to deploy or the warning order is cancelled.

State Agency Guidance

Typically, there is little communication between State agencies and the military when the warning order is received. This is mainly because the military does not know precisely when—and if—convoys will be notified to deploy. Convoys may not deploy if world or national events change favorably. In other cases, the military may not reveal this information to outside agencies to keep the enemy unaware that the military is preparing to deploy. Figure 10 illustrates key State agencies' primary and secondary responsibilities during the warning order phase. All State agencies are in a secondary or supportive role during this phase.

Figure 10. Key Agency Roles During the Warning Order Phase

Key Agency Roles During Military Deployment	State DOT	State DPS	Emergency Management	State DMC	Military Installation	Commercial Seaport or Airport
Warning Order	S	S	S	S	P	S

Note: P = Primary Role, S = Support Role

During the warning order phase, there is little that outside agencies can do to assist the military aside from maintaining standard liaisons with the military and keeping their own transportation, public safety, emergency services operation plans and points of contact up to date.

Special Issues/Concerns for State Agencies During the Warning Order Phase

There are no special issues or concerns for State agencies during the warning order phase. A confirmation of contact lists and communication protocols should be made (if this has not been done in the past 3 months) as determined by agency procedure.

2. Notice to Deploy

With a notice to deploy, the military receives a formal deployment notification through the same interagency communication channels as the warning order. The notification will State the types of unit required to deploy, the destination, and a specific time the units must be at this destination. The destination could be the final destination or a port of embarkation (POE), where the unit will be transported to a final destination. When the first destination is a POE, the notice to deploy is referred to as a "port call."

The notice to deploy creates a time sequence for the military known as N-hour (notification hour). Its designation comprises the letter "N" plus the elapsed number of hours since the notice was received. For example, N+4 is 4 hours after notification; if the military were notified to deploy at 7 a.m., then N+4 would be 11 a.m. The military uses this notation to plan and communicate deployment schedules.

What Is Typically Happening at This Time

When the notice to deploy is received, the military installation will establish operations centers based on the function of the military units supporting the deploying units. There may be separate military operation centers for convoy movement, military police, the installation as a whole, and the deploying unit. Others may be established as required and information is relayed among these operation centers. Final decisions are made about which pieces of equipment will move by air and rail and which will be formed into convoys.

The military installation's DOL will communicate with unit transportation officers to determine final unit equipment requirements. The DOL will then make final arrangements to receive additional railcars, schedule commercial highway transportation, and coordinate airlift requirements. The DOL will send requests for convoy movement to the DMC and formulate convoy schedules based on the results. Units will begin to form and be ready to deploy as soon as convoy movement orders are received. Once planned routes are determined to be feasible, the DOL will dispatch personnel to checkpoints along the designated routes, to rest/refuel areas, and to the SPOE or other final destination.

State Agency Guidance

The military will initiate any coordination required from State agencies when the notice to deploy is received. The SDOT has a primary role in processing special movement permit requests for both military and commercial highway transport. Permits for military vehicles are submitted to the SDOT through the State DMC and permits for commercial transporters are initiated with the SDOT by the haulers. Therefore, the SDOT will have little (if any) direct interface with the military installation. SDOTs will work with the DMC to ensure the proposed routes are available and able to accommodate the type and volume of military equipment for the duration of the deployment. The SDOT will issue any special permits to the DMC, as appropriate.

The installation PMO will contact State and local law enforcement agencies for escort assistance through congested areas and for traffic signal device control to minimize delay, as needed. Depending on the nature of the deployment, the public affairs officer at the deploying installation may coordinate with State agency counterparts. A State agency's primary and secondary responsibilities during the notice-to-deploy phase are highlighted in Figure 11.

Figure 11. Key Agency Roles When the Notice to Deploy Is Received

Key Agency Roles During Military Deployment	State DOT	State DPS	Emergency Management	State DMC	Military Installation	Commercial Seaport or Airport
Warning Order	S	S	S	S	P	S
Notice to Deploy	P	S	S	P	P	S

Note: P = Primary Role, S = Support Role

Special Issues and Concerns for State Agencies During the Notice-to-Deploy Phase

Most permit requests to SDOT involve oversize/overweight equipment; the SDOT may need to coordinate promptly with bridge and traffic engineers to determine appropriate routes for these types of vehicles. If the SDOT has a blanket permit for the military—based on planning and premovement coordination—and information is updated frequently (daily, for example), then all parties may save time approving a primary route for the oversize/overweight vehicles. However, because a large number of vehicles may move through the State from other States and incidents could occur on blanket permitted routes, SDOT may need to quickly assess bridges and clearance data throughout any district that may have moving convoys. This assessment will allow efficient production of reroute permits. Figure 12 illustrates the procedures used by the Texas Department of Transportation to confirm the availability of high priority military deployment routes. SDOTs should conduct similar reviews of critical infrastructure and traffic operations. These reviews will require coordinated inquiries from headquarters/ centralized units with accurate and timely response from district and regional offices.

Figure 12. State DOTs Use Carefully Delineated Procedures to Ensure That the Highway Network Is Able to Support the Convoy Deployment Route

Sample Steps Taken by TXDOT to Confirm Availability of Appropriate Routes (Abbreviated for Illustration Purposes)
Each district will determine highway capacity and tonnage capacity for the available highway and priority routes or corridors within its jurisdiction. Furnish this information to the state traffic regulation center.
TXDOT personnel will perform periodic traffic counts on priority routes to determine whether the traffic volume is approaching the capacity of the route. Traffic management centers may be able to use archived data and real-time counters to provide this information. If counts show the need for corrective action, corrective actions should be brought to the attention of the state and district traffic regulations center.

3. Convoy Movements

Once the military convoy begins to move, it is subject to the same jurisdictional authorities as the general public. The main deployment goal is to move in the safest and most efficient manner to the destination; however, situations out of the convoy's control may occur: traffic incidents, severe weather conditions, and vehicles that break down. The military has procedures to follow when these situations occur (see Appendix B); however, the military may require assistance from different State and local agencies, too.

What Is Typically Happening at This Time

In the deployment phase, convoys move in orderly groups from the military installation onto public roads. The convoys generally will depart with 30 minutes between departures, but they may follow different routes depending on the size of the deployment, the vehicle types, the destination, and the convoy movement order received from the DMC. The agencies at the destination make final preparations to receive convoys and, if the destination is a SPOE, ships arrive or stand by to receive the equipment. Port managers clear sufficient port-side space or staging areas to support the military operations.

State Agency Guidance

The State DMC has a primary role of monitoring all convoy movements through the State and coordinating new information with the installation, the DOL, the destination, the SDOT, and the convoy commanders. If a multistate movement is required, the DMC at the originating State coordinates with the other State DMCs. The DMC does not directly interact with the SDPS or law enforcement, but circumstances that change the planned route should be communicated among all agencies involved. The commercial port also may modify port operations that could affect highway traffic with the SDPS or local law enforcement agencies. Figure 13 illustrates the key agency roles during deployments.

Figure 13. Key Agency Roles During Deployment

Key Agency Roles During Military Deployment	State DOT	State DPS	Emergency Management	State DMC	Military Installation	Commercial Seaport or Airport
Warning Order	S	S	S	S	P	S
Notice to Deploy	P	S	S	P	P	S
Deployment	S	S	S	P	P	P

Note: P = Primary Role, S = Support Role

After planning and coordination during the notice-to-deploy phase, the SDOT Emergency Response Coordinator may determine that special traffic management is needed. During convoy movement, district personnel should be prepared to position manpower or equipment to assist with traffic control where needed. Guidelines for temporary traffic control and operations can be found in FHWA's Freeway Management Handbook and the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD-2003). Depending on convoy volumes and general traffic conditions, traffic engineers may retime traffic signals or request DPS assistance in manually controlling traffic signals to maximize convoy flow in critical areas. Special signage or changes to dynamic message signs, as shown in Figure 14, may be needed. Coordination plans with State or local law enforcement should also be implemented. If public information announcements are appropriate, these broadcasts should be issued.

Figure 14. Special Traffic Control Devices May Be Needed During Convoy Movements

Special Issues and Concerns for State Agencies During the Deployment Phase

While convoys are moving, State agencies need to alert their 24x7 points of contact (TOCs, for example) that military deployments are underway. If services are needed from the SDOT or State and local law enforcement agencies, access to current contact lists for agency personnel will be essential to reach key individuals in a timely manner. For example, if a convoy is traveling on a Sunday morning and must change its route, SDOT must have access to information on roadway and bridge conditions for any proposed reroutes to confirm their availability and suitability for the convoy. SDOT may require access to special maps, files, computer-aided design systems, and databases, which may require special access authority and training for the planner or engineer on call. This is one example of several possible contingencies that must be examined and tested during the development and update of coordination procedures or plans.

State Agency Checklists for Typical Military Deployments

The following checklists are designed to assist State agency personnel. The checklists are a reference and an indicator of which agencies may have lead responsibilities during convoy movements. Figure 15 addresses preparation for convoy movement. Figure 16 addresses communications, coordination, technology, and public safety. Figure 17 addresses reroutes, incidents, equipment, and security.

Figure 15. State Agency Checklist Part One—Preparation for Convoy Movement

State Agency Military Convoy Deployment Checklist: Agency Preparation for Convoy Movement	State DOT	State DPS	Emer- gency Manage- ment	State DMC
General Questions
On what dates will the convoy(s) depart the military installation?	•	•	•	◊
What is the origin and destination of the convoy(s)? Final destinations, interim locations, or highway junctions?	•	•	•	◊
Will the convoys be moving: At night only? Daylight only? Around the clock? During rush hour in or near major metropolitan areas? Through other states?	◊	•	•	◊
What is the general threat condition level?	•	◊	◊	•
Are the convoys carrying hazardous material or ammunition?	◊	◊	•	◊
What is the weather forecast during the deployment period (clear, floods, heavy rains, fog)?	•	•	•	•
Do I need to increase staff levels to assist these deployment operations?	◊	◊	◊	•
What is the impact of the increased workload of commercial transport units, SDOT permit offices, and DMC/DOL personnel when transporting military equipment?	◊	•	•	◊
Will the deployment require support from the State emergency operations center?	•	•	◊	•
Have plans and coordination procedures been updated and recently tested?	•	•	•	◊
Route and Roadway Conditions Questions
Intrastate Convoy Travel Routes
Which routes are being requested by the DMC?	◊	•	•	•
Which districts will the convoys pass through?	◊	◊	•	•
Have those district representatives been notified?	◊	◊	•	•
Are the bridge and roadway conditions current in each district?	◊	•	•	•
Has the bridge and roadway conditions information been shared/disseminated to those who need to know?	◊	•	•	•
Interstate Convoy Travel Routes
Will the convoys be traveling to other States?	•	•	•	◊
Are there convoys originating from other States that are planning to travel here or through here?	•	•	•	◊
General Route and Roadway Factors
Are there major construction sites or work zones on any of the routes?	◊	•	•	•
Are the bridge and road conditions on the selected routes acceptable based on the requests?	◊	•	•	•
Will DPS or local law enforcement be involved in escorting the convoy through towns or on the highways?	•	◊	•	•
Which rest and refuel locations are requested? Can the convoy volume and timing be accommodated at these locations?	◊	◊	•	◊
Convoy Size and Volume Questions
How many convoy formations will be involved and over what deployment duration?	◊	◊	•	◊
How many vehicles in each of the formations?	◊	◊	•	◊
What is the estimated march volume (average number of vehicles per day)?	◊	◊	•	◊
What will be the separation time (gap) between convoys?	•	◊	•	◊
Are there oversize/overweight vehicles in the convoy?	◊	•	•	◊
What is the widest clearance required?	◊	•	•	◊
What is the tallest clearance required?	◊	•	•	◊
How much does the heaviest vehicle weigh?	◊	•	•	◊
Are permits required for these routes and types of vehicles (oversize/overweight or special cargo)?	◊	•	•	◊

Notes: • = Information Exchange, ◊ = Primary Agency Responsibility to Address

Figure 16. State Agency Checklist Part Two—Communications, Coordination, Technology, and Public Safety

State Agency Military Convoy Deployment Checklist: Communications, Coordination, Technology, and Public Safety	State DOT	State DPS	Emer- gency Manage- ment	State DMC
Communications and Interagency Coordination
Is there a formal, up-to-date communication plan for interagency communications?	◊	◊	◊	◊
Which other agencies are involved or need to be involved?	•	•	◊	◊
Who are the military and civilian points of contact?	•	◊	•	◊
How do I communicate with my points of contact? Is interoperability of equipment a concern?	◊	◊	◊	◊
How should they contact your agency?	◊	◊	◊	◊
How do I contact the military installation main operations center? Are there others I should contact instead?	◊	◊	◊	◊
Who is my point of contact there?	◊	◊	◊	◊
How can I contact a convoy on the move? How can I communicate with the convoy commander?	•	◊	•	◊
What is the best means for the convoy commander to contact a Traffic Management System?	◊	•	•	◊
Do the vehicles have a system for tracking and communications with the military installation?	•	◊	•	◊
Does the general threat condition affect my communications plan (need for secure lines, ability to teleconference, etc.)?	•	•	•	◊
Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and Technology Aids for Convoy Deployment
Is there an Intelligent Transportation System that can assist with oversize/overweight processing (Commercial Vehicle Information System elements such as electronic filing and screening, etc.)?	◊	•	•	•
Is there an Intelligent Transportation System to help monitor the convoy movement (Closed-Circuit Television, Weigh-In-Motion Systems, roadway sensors, etc.)?	◊	•	•	•
Is there an Intelligent Transportation System to assist with traffic operations (Dynamic Message Sign, integrated incident management response, weather information systems, etc.)?	◊	•	•	•
Is there an Intelligent Transportation System for specialized traffic operations (electronic toll tags, grade-crossing warning devices, etc.)?	◊	•	•	•
Is there an Intelligent Transportation System for current roadway conditions (511 coverage, Highway Advisory Radio, specialized websites, etc.)?	◊	•	•	•
Do any convoy vehicles have a vehicle location device for tracking that can be utilized by civilian agencies?	•	•	•	◊
Will the convoys move through metropolitan areas with Traffic Management Centers?	◊	◊	•	•
Have the Traffic Management Centers been notified of the expected times, volumes, and any special conditions?	◊	◊	•	•
Has archived data been used to baseline conditions for convoy operations in critical areas?	◊	•	•	◊
Have traffic management practices been considered, such as Variable Message Sign, service patrols, Highway Advisory Radio, etc.?	◊	•	•	•
Is Intelligent Road/Rail Information server being used for deployment planning?	◊	•	•	◊
Public Safety and Civilian Road Use
Should there be an announcement to the public about the convoy movement?	◊	◊	◊	◊
Should traffic speeds be reduced at any point on the route to ensure safe roadway operations?	◊	◊	•	•
Should any traffic warning/information devices be activated at any point of the convoy route?	◊	◊	•	•
Has the military installation released any specific information to the public about the convoys?	•	•	•	◊
Who is the contact at the military installation to clear the release of public information?	•	•	•	◊

Notes: • = Information Exchange, ◊ = Primary Agency Responsibility to Address

Figure 17. State Agency Checklist Part Three—Reroutes, Incidents, Equipment, and Security

State Agency Military Convoy Deployment Checklist: Reroutes, Incidents, Equipment, and Security	State DOT	State DPS	Emer- gency Manage- ment	State DMC
Convoy Reroute Situation
What incident or event is causing the need to re-route (accident, hazmat spill, weather, etc.)?	◊	◊	•	◊
Will the planned route reopen in a reasonable time period to support the deployment mission?	•	◊	•	◊
Will convoys currently in progress elsewhere need to be re-routed as well?	◊	◊	•	◊
Are any of the vehicles involved in this re-route oversized/overweight?	◊	•	•	◊
Which districts or offices need to be contacted to determine oversize/overweight clearance requirements for the re-route?	◊	•	•	•
Is a public announcement required? Will public cooperation be required?	•	◊	◊	◊
Incident Management
Is the incident located on a local, county, city, or State road?	◊	◊	•	•
Are the appropriate authorities on the scene?	◊	◊	•	•
Does the region or district have adequate response and recovery resources to gain control of the situation?	◊	◊	◊	•
Do responders require any additional supplies/personnel/equipment?	◊	◊	◊	◊
Is civilian traffic being significantly impeded by this situation?	◊	◊	•	•
Is positive traffic control of the incident required?	◊	◊	•	•
Is a recovery/repair operation needed to return transportation to a normal operational status?	◊	•	•	•
Are the appropriate post-incident reports being prepared and filed?	◊	◊	•	◊
Convoy Equipment Problems
What type of equipment problem has occurred?	•	◊	•	◊
How many disabled convoy vehicles are there?	•	◊	•	◊
Are the disabled vehicles in a safe location; not impeding general traffic conditions?	◊	◊	•	•
Can the disabled vehicles be moved to a safe location without damage to bridge or road infrastructure?	◊	◊	•	•
Is there a requirement for any special equipment to assist (large tow trucks, cranes, etc.)?	◊	•	◊	•
Is civilian traffic safety in jeopardy due to this situation?	◊	◊	•	•
How long until the current situation is resolved?	•	◊	•	◊
Security of the Convoy
What is the current Homeland Security Advisory System Level?	◊	◊	◊	•
What is the military's threat condition?	•	◊	•	◊
Has a specific threat to the convoys been identified? What is it?	•	◊	◊	◊
Are there any other emergency events on the planned routes such as evacuations or restricted zones?	◊	◊	•	•
Has the State Emergency Management Service been activated?	•	•	◊	•
Are any of the local Emergency Management Services open?	•	•	◊	•
If so, which ones?	•	•	◊	•
If not, could their opening help resolve the situation?	•	•	◊	•
Does the military have security forces available to protect the convoys?	•	◊	•	◊
Will there be armed military personnel participating in the convoy operations?	•	◊	•	◊
Are State or local police involved in escorting these convoys? What is the role of State and local law enforcement?	•	◊	•	◊

Notes: • = Information Exchange, ◊ = Primary Agency Responsibility to Address

Additional Special Circumstances and Considerations for State Agencies

Not all States contain the final embarkation or debarkation destination of a military deployment activity. Some States support military deployments as units move from origin States to other destination States. This national defense connectivity need was one of the cornerstones of the interstate highway system.

Interstate military deployment coordination is handled among DMCs in the States through which a military deployment traverses. The convoy must obtain permits and other requirements for transporting military units on public roadways according to State rules and regulations. Individual State agency policies and practices determine the extent to which these approved permits and/or routes are shared within and across State agencies. In some states, the DMC notifies predesignated POCs (TOCs, law enforcement officials, emergency management agencies) on the planned routes and estimated time of military movement within the State. These notifications—while not required by regulations—are provided as a courtesy and to increase agency awareness of military activities within their jurisdictions. In turn, State agencies are able to monitor movements and better prepare to respond to unforeseen events such as major incidents, weather-related delays, and similar circumstances. The real-time visibility of roadway network conditions also enhances contingency planning and response operations.