Defense Threat Reduction Agency
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The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (or DTRA) is combat support agency of the United States Department of Defense whose primary function is to analyze potential threats to the United States of America, both homeland and abroad, and provide contingency plans for all such scenarios. Founded in 1998, the agency headquarters is located in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. DTRA employs 2,000 men and women, both military and civilian at more than 14 locations around the world.
DTRA was established in 1998 by consolidating several organizations in the US Department of Defense, including the Defense Special Weapons Agency (successor to the Defense Nuclear Agency) and the On-Site Inspection Agency.
DTRA's vision statement is: "to make the world safer by reducing the threat of weapons of mass destruction." Its mission statement is: "to safeguard America and its interests from weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high explosives) by reducing the threat and providing quality tools and services."
[edit] Evolution after the Cold War
After the end of the Cold War, DTRA and its predecessor agencies have implemeted the DoD aspects of several treaties that assist former Soviet bloc countries in the destruction of Soviet era nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons sites (such as missile silos and plutonium production facilities) in an attempt to avert potential weapons proliferation in the post-Soviet era as part of the Cooperative Threat Reduction program.
The primary mission of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency is to reduce the threat to the United States and the world from weapons of mass destruction (that is, nuclear, biological, radiological, and chemical weapons). DTRA is also responsible for reducing the threat of conventional war, especially in Europe, by participating in various arms control treaties to which the United States is a party, such as the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty and the Open Skies treaty.
[edit] Enterprises and Directorates
DTRA's structure is based on enterprise areas, which include directorates. The three main enterprises are Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction, Operations, and Research & Development. The Business Enterprise also exists to support acquisition excellence and financial management within the organization. The Operations Enterprise includes the Combat Support Directorate, the Cooperative Threat Reduction Directorate, and the On-Site Inspection Directorate. The Research & Development Enterprise houses the Chemical the Biological Technologies Directorate, the Nuclear Technologies Directorate, the Counter WMD Technologies Directorate, and the Systems Engineering Technologies Directorate.
[edit] External links
- DTRALink, the official web site of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- CNTTR, The Center for NBC Threats, Technology Transfer, and Resources of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- ACE Center, The Assessment of Catastrophic Events Center of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency
