Homeland Defense & Security Issues

Mission

To serve as the U.S. Army War college's primary outreach entity for facilitation, instruction, and research in cooperation with and support of the major stakeholders in homeland defense, homeland security, and civil support. In so doing, HDSI will provide the War College's curriculum and exercises with lessons and insights from the most current and emerging policies, strategies, and other initiatives in the domestic security environment.

Vision

To be the premier conduit for emerging information on homeland defense, homeland security, and civil support to the United States Army War College community. To be recognized as one of the nation's preeminent sources for understanding and developing strategic issues involved in civil-military interaction in the domestic environment.

Homeland Defense & Security Issues Group Directory

Electives

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Request a Guest Speaker

The Homeland Defense & Security Issues Group has several subject matter experts (SMEs) that are available to speak on various topics related to homeland defense, homeland security, defense support of civilian authorities, and terrorism. Submit a formal request

Power Projection Proceedings from the 2022 Strategic Landpower Symposium
Edited by Dr Gregory Cantwell, Dr William Barry, and Major Justin Magula; Publication from the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership; This volume serves as the culmination of many months of preparation and detailed research for the 2022 Strategic Landpower Symposium at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. During the symposium, participants examined the challenges of intelligence, sustainment, leadership, homeland defense and homeland security, information operations, irregular warfare, security force assistance, special operation forces, partnership programs, strategic guidance, and future trials. This book collects this important research and hopefully inspires new ideas for scholars to continue researching and thinking about future challenges to create novel concepts to share later.
- Published On: 3/19/2024
Defense Management: Primer for Senior Leaders
Defense Management: Primer for Senior Leaders Dr Thomas P. Galvin Publication by the US Army War College, Department of Command, Leadership, and Management, School of Strategic Landpower, US Army War College Press, Strategic Studies Institute "Defense management resides at the nexus of national security policy, strategy, campaigning, and strategic leadership. It is how our government translates national security policies and strategies into trained and ready forces for combatant commanders—units of personnel and equipment that mobilize, deploy, conduct and sustain operations, redeploy, and demobilize. However, it is far more complicated than managing forces on hand. It involves the development of new ones to address emerging threats, posturing the forces around the globe for ease of employment, and ensuring adequate command, control, and support in garrison and during operations..."
- Published On: 5/16/2018
Investigating the Benefits and Drawbacks of Realigning the National Guard Under the Department of Homeland Security
Investigating the Benefits and Drawbacks of Realigning the National Guard Under the Department of Homeland Security Dr Ryan Burke, Dr Sue McNeil Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) designates homeland defense (HD) as one of the three core pillars of the nation’s current and future defense strategy. Defending the homeland from external threats and aggression requires a robust military capability. In this sense, both the federal Armed Forces (active and reserve components), as well as state National Guard forces play important roles in the defense of the nation. Further, HD often overlaps with civil support (CS) and homeland security to form a triad of domestic military operational domains. Where the roles, responsibilities, and limitations of the active and reserve components of the Armed Forces are relatively clear in this triad, the National Guard is a unique military entity capable of serving in either a state-controlled or federally controlled status during domestic operations."
- Published On: 8/1/2016
Do Fewer Resources Mean Less Influence? A Comparative Historical Case Study of Military Influence in a Time of Austerity
Do Fewer Resources Mean Less Influence? A Comparative Historical Case Study of Military Influence in a Time of Austerity Dr Mary Manjikian Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "In the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review, military planners speak at great length about the importance of rebalancing our armed forces. As a result of the Budget Control Act of 2011, our U.S. Armed Forces have absorbed significant budget cuts, which are projected to continue into 2016. Not surprisingly, a major theme of the Quadrennial Defense Review is the necessity of making tough choices in a period of fiscal austerity."
- Published On: 1/1/2015
Terminal Blackout: Critical Electric Infrastructure Vulnerabilities and Civil-Military Resiliency
Terminal Blackout: Critical Electric Infrastructure Vulnerabilities and Civil-Military Resiliency Ms Cindy E Ayers, Kenneth D Chrosniak Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "Threats to the electric grid (cyber, solar, non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse [NNEMP] and high-altitude nuclear electromagnetic pulse [HEMP]), as well as the potential consequences of significant damage to grid components by terrorists and other natural disasters, have increased incrementally since 2001; but details releasable to the public at the unclassified level were rare prior to 2008..."
- Published On: 11/11/2013
In Support of the Common Defense Journal, Volume 2
In Support of the Common Defense Journal, Volume 2 Professor Bert B. Tussing, Dr. Brian Nussbaum, Colonel Thomas Keegan, Colonel Karl Bopp, Ritchie Dion Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "One of the enduring missions of the Department of Defense, and the United States Army, has been to defend the United States homeland from foreign aggression and those threats that might endanger its sovereignty, its infrastructure, or its citizens. From the American Revolution to “Superstorm Sandy,” the United States Army has played a key role is safeguarding not just American interests around the world, but the American people at home..."
- Published On: 6/6/2013
In Support of the Common Defense Journal - Volume 1
In Support of the Common Defense Journal - Volume 1 Bert B. Tussing, Kurt Crytzer, Steve Carney Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "An unspoken standard of the Armed Forces has always been, “When the nation is least ready, we must be most ready.” While that rings clear as far as warfare is concerned, it is not nearly so when it comes to the realm of domestic security. In spite of strategies that continue to espouse homeland security and homeland defense as “job one,” woefully few in the Department of Defense have studied the issues, the intricacies, and the nuances that necessarily surround the use of the military in the domestic environment. "
- Published On: 4/4/2012
Mexico and the Triple Threat
Mexico and the Triple Threat Sharon L Cardash, Frank J Cilluffo, Prof Bert B Tussing Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership, The George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute (HSPI) "Trying to decipher the news coming out of Mexico these days is enough to give an observer whiplash. The signals are conflicting to say the least. On the one hand, there are horrific accounts of the most brutal violence, including beheadings and disembowelments. On the other hand, there are encouraging reports that the country is making economic and other headway, so much so that levels of illegal immigration to the United States are declining. In point of fact, both depictions are true. But consolidating the latter gains, so they take further root and help improve the lot of an ever-wider circle of Mexico’s people, will require stability. And that is an element in short supply today, thanks to the hybrid of crime, terrorist tactics, and insurgency, particularly in the five Mexican states where violence is the most highly concentrated."
- Published On: 10/25/2011
Toward a Risk Management Defense Strategy
Toward a Risk Management Defense Strategy Mister Nathan P Freier PKSOI Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "Current fiscal and operational realities no doubt constrain the defense decision space. It is realistic to view the coming era as one of general defense and national security evolution, complemented by some targeted revolution within the Department of Defense (DoD). Toward that end, the current Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR 10) must rationalize competing visions about the certainty of future unconventional threats and lingering uncertainty about evolving traditional challenges. Doing so requires adoption of a new risk management defense strategy."
- Published On: 8/1/2009

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