And at Home: Homeland Defense Strategy at the Southwest Border
Abstract
The United States must revise its homeland defense strategy for the Southwest border. The nation's security strategy and defense doctrine now recognize a broader range of threats that go beyond national security. However, the strategy and doctrine are confusing. They contain inconsistent threat identification and a corresponding inconsistency of roles and responsibilities against those threats. Both strategy and doctrine are insufficient with respect to the land domain. Worst of all, the nation's homeland defense strategy is not being fully implemented. Analysis of the situation along the Southwest border shows that the homeland is not being defended. The author's first recommendation is for the Department of Defense (DoD) to rewrite its "Strategy for Homeland Defense and Civil Support." The first step in this process is to separate it into two strategies. Homeland defense is the protection of U.S. sovereignty, territory, domestic population, and critical defense infrastructure against external threats and aggression. Civil support is support for domestic emergencies and for designated law enforcement and other activities. Separating the two missions will contribute greatly to the clarification of roles and responsibilities. This clarification will result in a more effective and efficient concentration of organizations, resources, and efforts, not just for DoD, but also for multiple government agencies. The author's second recommendation is for the DoD, at the order of the President, to execute its homeland defense mission in the land domain between the ports of entry at the Southwest border. The DoD must assign land component forces to USNORTHCOM that are directed to turn away threats to the homeland between the ports of entry. This will allow other agencies to better accomplish their missions at the ports of entry and in the interior.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 12, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA502020
Entities
People
- Ryan P. O'connor
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College