Armed Services Committee Hearings Enhance Counterterrorism Efforts

Pamela Berkowsky, former chief of staff to U.S. Virgin Islands governor John de Jongh, Jr., also served as assistant chief of staff to U.S. Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen, one of many senior positions she held during her Pentagon tenure of more than a dozen years. While serving as assistant to the secretary of defense for civil support, Pamela Berkowsky provided testimony, leveraging her crisis management and response expertise, before the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services.

As a published expert on biological weapons and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) response, Pam Berkowsky addressed the topic of federal preparation for WMD attacks during her March, 2000 testimony. Management of the aftermath of a WMD attack includes steps such as implementing emergency measures to protect lives and provide relief, as well as carrying out protocols for restoring necessary public services.

While the federal government and particularly the Department of Defense have undertaken substantial measures to combat terrorism over the last decade, the nation's leaders continue to face the uncertainties of an unstable and often violent world. Congressional hearings continue to contribute to improved public communication and understanding of both national and international security threats.