Acknowledgments

Many individuals and organizations supported, encouraged, and assisted in the research that led to this paper. I am grateful to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) for the opportunity to attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF), where this research was conducted. I particularly appreciate the support and encouragement of Floyd Horn, ARS Administrator, and Caird Rexroad, ARS Associate Deputy Administrator for Animal Production, Product Value, and Safety. I am also grateful to Lew Smith for assuming my duties on the ARS National Program Staff while I was on assignment at ICAF.

I benefited from the expertise of a number of authorities in the public and private sectors. In particular, Norm Steele of ARS freely shared his extensive knowledge of agricultural biotechnology and bioterrorism issues, suggested valuable contacts, and reviewed drafts of the report manuscript thoroughly. I appreciate the perspective, suggestions, and time of Michael Goldblatt of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Randall Murch of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. I am also obliged to Terry Wilson of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture for his encouragement, time, information, and draft manuscript on agricultural bioterrorism.

I am indebted to many individuals at ICAF for their support and assistance. The ICAF program successfully combines strong scholarship, professional and personal development, and fun--a combination often aspired to but seldom achieved. I appreciate the leadership of the ICAF Commandant, Major General Richard Engel, USAF, during my tenure in the program. My research advisor, Joseph Goldberg, was always accessible and helpful, providing sound advice for the original research proposal, scrupulously reviewing and offering valuable suggestions on report drafts, facilitating interactions with experts, and generously sharing his wealth of knowledge. I am also grateful to my principal faculty advisor, Richard Shivar, for his support, encouragement, and insights into the Federal emergency management structure. Seth Carus of the Center for Counterproliferation Research at the National Defense University, a recognized authority on terrorism, and Gregory Foster of ICAF served on my research committee. Their expertise and suggestions were invaluable. Colonel James Toth, USMC (Ret.), was an unofficial mentor throughout my ICAF program. I appreciate his encouragement and support.

I also wish to acknowledge the contributions of Stephen Flanagan, Director of the Institute for National Strategic Studies at National Defense University (NDU). Dr. Flanagan's unflagging support from the outset of this project was instrumental in bringing it to fruition. Thanks are also due to the staff of NDU Press--General Editor William Bode, and editors George Maerz, Lisa Yambrick, and Jeffrey Smotherman--who turned the manuscript into a polished publication under the supervision of Robert Silano, Director of Publications.

Finally, and most importantly, I am deeply grateful to my wife, Susan, and our sons, James and John, for their support and patience. They suffered through innumerable readings of draft sections and somehow managed to convey both genuine interest and helpful suggestions.