text: Chapter 6
  OPTIMAL PERSONNEL RECOVERY CAPABILITY PHASE
  6-15. The second phase is the longest phase during the deployment. Having experienced—and survived—
  the initial phase, the personnel recovery structure is mature, fully staffed, and has possibly addressed
  isolation incidents. A response to the report of an isolated Soldier or other designated person often assumes
  the characteristics of training. During this phase, the commander and staff write OPLANs and OPORDs,
  execute them as required, draft and refine SOPs, and train response forces in personnel recovery.
  RESIDUAL PERSONNEL RECOVERY CAPABILITY PHASE
  6-16. During this phase, commanders draw down forces in tandem to successful emergency remediation.
  The systems and procedures refined and exercised during the optimal personnel recovery capability phase
  are still in place, but the attrition of the force by redeployment has removed some of the expertise that
  characterized the previous phase. The personnel recovery system is in place, but it lacks the full capabilities
  the forces once had.
  FINAL MINIMUM PERSONNEL RECOVERY CAPABILITY PHASE
  6-17. In this phase, the conditions are similar to those at the beginning of the response. The transition to
  state or local control—or another military force—may add a measure of confusion to personnel recovery
  activities. Transitions are always a time of both maximum attentiveness and the greatest confusion. The
  transition may be from civil authorities to a response force, from one response force to another or—most
  probably—a combination of the two. All three of these transitions call for increased awareness of the
  potential for an isolation incident.
  6-18. The length of each phase depends on the nature of the emergency. Factors such as the magnitude of
  the disaster, the duration of the incident, the degree of perceived risk, the training and readiness of the
  response forces, and the level of cooperation between civil authorities and the Army force concerning
  personnel recovery determine its length. Regardless of the scope of a task and the discrete phases portrayed
  in figure 5-1, Army commanders and staffs consider the entire duration in terms of personnel recovery
  vulnerability and control measures to mitigate potential isolation events.
  COMMANDER AND STAFF FOCUS IN DEFENSE SUPPORT OF
  CIVIL AUTHORITIES
  6-19. Military units supporting civil authorities follow military doctrine, including that for personnel
  recovery. However, they adapt their procedures and liaison arrangements to interface with their civilian
  counterparts. This is especially important in the case of an isolation incident. In DSCA, commanders and
  staffs coordinate the plans and orders of the joint task force with the federal, state, and local authorities
  before execution. When forces cannot attain unity of command, they strive for unity of effort.
  6-20. DSCA typically requires small-unit operations that call for immediate decisions by junior leaders
  who often lack the time or capability to confer with senior leaders. Leaders strive to make ISG clear,
  concise, and current. Tactical leaders may have the clearest picture of an operational environment, but they
  may not always have the capability to communicate with higher headquarters due to physical or procedural
  impediments. Regardless of the scope or size of the operation, coordination and role delineation are a
  critical factor in successful personnel recovery operations. With smaller units operating in a decentralized
  and dispersed deployment, this coordination becomes critical. The response to the isolation incident and the
  recovery of the isolated person may occur solely based on the organic assets of the local responder. In
  effect, the civilian leadership, their staff, and their operational entities at that level become the personnel
  recovery focal groups and become a part of the personnel recovery structure for any recovery effort. Both
  civil authorities and Army leaders prepare their organizations to respond to an isolation incident by fully
  assessing isolation risk for each mission. They reduce that risk through task organization, equipment,
  education, and training.
  6-21. In DSCA, commanders coordinate personnel recovery activities with the supported civilian agency
  and joint and Army headquarters. Commanders address critical issues, such as communications and
  procedural interoperability, mission priorities, recovery assets, roles and responsibilities, and information