Operational planning and execution for elimination must ensure the safety of U.S. and partner/allied armed forces through 1) security operations to prevent the looting or capture of WMD and related materials; and 2) rendering harmless or destroying of weapons, materials, agents, and delivery systems that pose an immediate or direct threat to U.S. Armed Forces and the civilian population.
Once these activities have been accomplished, elimination operations may be transferred, if directed, to other U. S. Government agencies, international agencies, or 23 host nations to continue destruction of WMD programs and to redirect and monitor dual-use industry and expertise capable of regenerating WMD capability".
That is, the four steps of WMD elimination discussed below may be performed simultaneously at various geographically separate sites.
JTF-E activities will require logistics and security to be drawn from resources possibly allocated to ongoing operations.
Most non-DOD agencies require a secure environment to support WMD elimination missions.