Systems Analysis, Centers of Gravity and Homeland Security

Abstract

Since the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has aggressively instituted a broad set of security procedures to protect the American people. These security measures provide multiple layers of protection using the capabilities of the federal, state and local governments. Nonetheless, the war fighting posture of the United States, the techniques utilized for achieving success in campaign planning, can be adapted to provide some measure of increased benefit in defense of the homeland. By identifying the U.S. strategic centers of gravity (COGs) and incorporating a comprehensive systems assessment, a useful framework can be added to the existing DHS toolkit. This paper discusses the traditional COG concept, incorporates a systems understanding of COGs and then examines the existing methodology utilized by the DHS for risk assessment. John Warden's Five Ring Model can be effectively used as a viable framework to assist in a more comprehensive risk assessment methodology by DHS. Finally, a hypothetical scenario is discussed to illustrate the usefulness of systems thinking to homeland security.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 25, 2011
Accession Number
ADA553442

Entities

People

  • David Rodriguez

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Counter WMD
  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Power
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Governments
  • Homeland Security
  • Local Governments
  • National Security
  • Risk
  • Risk Analysis
  • Security
  • Systems Analysis
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • Vulnerability
  • War Colleges
  • Weapons Of Mass Destruction

Readers

  • Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
  • Strategic Security Studies
  • Systems Analysis and Design