What encompasses the Department of Defense policies and resources ensuring the continuity of mission-essential functions?

The Department of Defense (DoD) policies and resources designed to ensure the continuity of mission-essential functions are encapsulated within the Defense Continuity Program. This program is vital for maintaining operational capabilities and ensuring that critical missions can continue during emergencies or disruptions, such as natural disasters or national security crises.

The Defense Continuity Program lays out the framework for establishing, executing, and assessing continuity plans across the DoD. It guides the development of strategies and resources needed to sustain operations during any significant threats to normal functioning. This comprehensive approach emphasizes preparedness, recovery, and resilience, which are essential in maintaining national security.

In contrast, while the Defense Strategy outlines the overall approach and goals for military operations, and the Crisis Management System deals with handling immediate crises, these do not focus specifically on maintaining continuity of operations for essential functions. Similarly, the Operational Readiness Framework might be concerned with preparation and capability assessments, but it does not specifically address the continuity aspects unique to mission-critical activities in times of disruption.