“Strategic Shocks” and military plans for domestic operations

A scholar with the Army Strategic Studies Institute recently published a paper Known Unknowns: Unconventional “Strategic Shocks” in Defense Strategy Development that discusses possible scenarios in which the military would be used domestically.  Here’s an excerpt:

As a community, the defense establishment swears to protect and defend the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. DoD’s role in combating “domestic enemies” has never been thoughtfully examined. Thus, there is perhaps no greater source of strategic shock for DoD than operationalizing that component of the oath of service in a widespread domestic emergency that entails rapid dissolution of public order in all or significant parts of the United States…

Widespread civil violence inside the United States would force the defense establishment to reorient priorities in extremis to defend basic domestic order and human security.