Which element of decisive action addresses support to civil authorities in domestic operations?

• A. Retrograde
• B. Tempo
• C. Attack
• D. Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA)

Answer: (D)

Defense Support to Civil Authorities is the part of decisive action that specifically addresses helping civilian agencies in domestic operations. It covers how the military supports civil authorities during emergencies, disasters, or civil disturbances within the homeland—things like disaster response, evacuation, medical aid, logistics, and security, coordinated under civilian leadership and appropriate legal authorities. This is exactly what the question is asking for: a military capability focused on assisting civilian authorities in domestic contexts.

The other terms describe general military actions rather than a domestic civil-support role. Retrograde means withdrawing or repositioning forces, tempo is about the pace of operations, and attack is an offensive action. Those concepts describe how battles are fought, not how the military support civil authorities at home.