Category: Homeland Security

One of the key requirements of the GNA of 1986 is the requirement for the president to produce the National Security Strategy (NSS). This strategy leads to every cabinet-level organization to conduct strategic reviews and produce strategic plans.
First, review the most current administration’s (https://nssarchive.us).
After reviewing the current president’s national security strategy, review (https://sgp.fas.org/crs/natsec/R44474.pdf)
For this discussion, choose one of the Emerging Threat topics and discuss the proposed short-term and long-term uses of the Instrument of National Power (DIME) by the United States to protect or promote national interests and address the emerging threat. Use your previous readings as supporting documentation to justify your position.
A complete answer will also address which Instrument of National Power (DIME) is being addressed by that section of the NSS.

Francis Ghesquiere presents a global perspective on the need to improve disaster resilience. He highlights the scale of the challenge, from rapid urbanization in areas at risk of earthquakes and floods to the increasing frequency and intensity of storms that seemed like myths just a few years ago. He discusses the need for all sectors to participate in planning and incorporate future trends in population growth, urbanization, and increased risk due to future environmental conditions.
Watch:

To understand the need to improve disaster resilience better, review the following document: (Disaster resilience document attached below).
After watching the video and checking the assignment document, respond to the following questions.
– How is your community planning to hold down the rising cost of disasters? Consider reviewing your community’s potential disaster costs by using (https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/products-tools/hazus)
– In its report, The making of a riskier future, the GFDRR explains, “[Risk] assessments provide the basis for disaster risk management and decision making in multiple sectors by quantifying the effects of disaster in terms of potential casualties and asset losses. Information on future disaster risk is essential.” Does your community have ways to quantify future risks, both with and without disaster risk management interventions?
– How will continued rapid technological innovation change how people in your community live, work, and play? Will people telework more? Will they change their commuting patterns or means of transportation?
– Trends show that the U.S. population will become significantly older (over 65) over the next 15 years, and the U.S. Census Bureau projects that older adults will outnumber children in population size. Does your community see that type of demographic shift? How do your emergency plans (e.g., evacuation, sheltering, and communicating protective actions) need to change to support this demographic shift?
– Are there any future conditions to start planning for now, including changes in flooding or wildfire patterns or new hazards, such as drought? Are there potential infrastructure failures, such as bridges or dams, that should be included in plans?
Your initial response to the discussion questions should be 400 to 500 words.

One of the key requirements of the GNA of 1986 is the requirement for the president to produce the National Security Strategy (NSS). This strategy leads to every cabinet-level organization to conduct strategic reviews and produce strategic plans.
First, review the most current administration’s (https://nssarchive.us).
After reviewing the current president’s national security strategy, review (https://sgp.fas.org/crs/natsec/R44474.pdf)
For this discussion, choose one of the Emerging Threat topics and discuss the proposed short-term and long-term uses of the Instrument of National Power (DIME) by the United States to protect or promote national interests and address the emerging threat. Use your previous readings as supporting documentation to justify your position.
A complete answer will also address which Instrument of National Power (DIME) is being addressed by that section of the NSS.

In this activity, you will attach a draft of your Strategic Plan Report to this discussion forum. You are also required to review and provide feedback to your classmates’ draft.
Your report should include the elements listed in the strategic plan report guide (PDF Below with most of the required information that goes along with this).

As McInnis states in our first reading, “The changes that the Goldwater-Nichols legislation made to the Department of Defense, and in particular, the way that DOD conducts military operations, are in many ways central to how the Department conducts military operations today (2016).” In this activity, you will review and identify the fundamental problems that go to reform and figure out how issues are addressed by the Act.
Refer to readings on The Goldwater-Nichols Reorganization Act and review the following two resources again.
(First resource is reforms and considerations)
Chapter 1: Goldwater-Nichols at 30: Defense Reform and Issues for Congress.
Note: Focus on the first two sections – Introduction and The Strategic Context Leading to the Goldwater-Nichols Act (pages 1-14).
(Second resource is the reorganization act)
Ten fundamental problems under Purpose and Provisions (pg. 103).
Then, reply to the following question:
Identify which provisions on the second source address the fundamental problems, gaps, and deficiencies listed in the first source. What uncovered issue(s) are there, if any?

you prepared an infographic that displays key events/trends that caused a definition/mission change in DHS. Learning from past events/trends is so important to understand historical threat levels. It also provides good information for possible future events and threats. However, some threats are low probability and high-risk events like COVID-19. It’s hard (not impossible) to figure them out earlier and take the required precautions.
In this activity, you will act as a decisionmaker for DHS and will revisit historical threats/events and respond to the following questions by examining course resources and completing your own research from credible sources.
– Examine the current budget report for the DHS (https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-budget) and think about current mission areas and their sub-responsibilities. Then, prioritize mission areas for budgeting (i.e, 1. Secure Cyberspace and Critical Infrastructure, 2. Champion the DHS Workforce and Strengthen the Department, 3, 4, 5, 6). Justify your reasoning for each mission. (For example, why securing cyberspace and CISA should take the least/most in the budget? For example, you may justify your argument based on recent scientific research in …, threat level, future risk/threat trends according to … report, etc.)
– Do you think current mission areas are good for DHS? If so, your supervisor does not agree with you and wants you to prepare a report to move at least one of the mission areas (for example, Secure Cyberspace and Critical Infrastructure) and its organizations (i.e., CISA) to another executive department. Which mission area/s should be removed, moved to, or changed? Why? What is the best executive department for the mission and related sub-organizations? Why? Justify your arguments.
– We were not ready for counter-terrorism before 9/11, and we were not resilient against disaster until Hurricane Katrina. We had tough lessons from the past. Now, it’s your turn. Examine the new possible future threats and risks and prepare department a priori change rather than a posteriori. Select at least two broad threat/risk areas to include in DHS missions and do your work before being so late. What are the two risks/threats you found very important for the future? Explain your reasoning for selecting these threats/risks by supporting your argument with credible reports/sources. Write your recommendations (at least two) to DHS for these changes.
I attached an infographic that I used earlier in this class and might help you with the above questions.

Francis Ghesquiere presents a global perspective on the need to improve disaster resilience. He highlights the scale of the challenge, from rapid urbanization in areas at risk of earthquakes and floods to the increasing frequency and intensity of storms that seemed like myths just a few years ago. He discusses the need for all sectors to participate in planning and incorporate future trends in population growth, urbanization, and increased risk due to future environmental conditions.
Watch:

To understand the need to improve disaster resilience better, review the following document: (Disaster resilience document attached below).
After watching the video and checking the assignment document, respond to the following questions.
– How is your community planning to hold down the rising cost of disasters? Consider reviewing your community’s potential disaster costs by using (https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/products-tools/hazus)
– In its report, The making of a riskier future, the GFDRR explains, “[Risk] assessments provide the basis for disaster risk management and decision making in multiple sectors by quantifying the effects of disaster in terms of potential casualties and asset losses. Information on future disaster risk is essential.” Does your community have ways to quantify future risks, both with and without disaster risk management interventions?
– How will continued rapid technological innovation change how people in your community live, work, and play? Will people telework more? Will they change their commuting patterns or means of transportation?
– Trends show that the U.S. population will become significantly older (over 65) over the next 15 years, and the U.S. Census Bureau projects that older adults will outnumber children in population size. Does your community see that type of demographic shift? How do your emergency plans (e.g., evacuation, sheltering, and communicating protective actions) need to change to support this demographic shift?
– Are there any future conditions to start planning for now, including changes in flooding or wildfire patterns or new hazards, such as drought? Are there potential infrastructure failures, such as bridges or dams, that should be included in plans?
Your initial response to the discussion questions should be 400 to 500 words.

This press briefing was conducted by the U.S. State Department to release the 2018 “Country Reports on Terrorism”. This briefing is rich with information on the 3 key trends in terrorism for 2018 such as; 1. the destruction of the ISIS caliphate, 2. Iran being designated as the top state sponsor of terrorism and 3. a worldwide rise in race and ethnic related terrorism. The report also highlights terrorists’ continued focus on soft targets and public spaces. Watch this video and post your opinion on what you believe to be the most important or significant piece of information in the 2018 report.

watch this youtube video and answer the question above.

This press briefing was conducted by the U.S. State Department to release the 2018 “Country Reports on Terrorism”. This briefing is rich with information on the 3 key trends in terrorism for 2018 such as; 1. the destruction of the ISIS caliphate, 2. Iran being designated as the top state sponsor of terrorism and 3. a worldwide rise in race and ethnic related terrorism. The report also highlights terrorists’ continued focus on soft targets and public spaces. Watch this video and post your opinion on what you believe to be the most important or significant piece of information in the 2018 report.

watch this youtube video and answer the question above.

You will conduct an analysis of government actions and legal and political responses during one historical period of threat to the United States (listed below). The analysis will center on the precedents from the threat period (law, policy, or case law) and their application to modern homeland security. A focus on the lessons learned from the period to include issues related to civil liberties is expected.
The paper should provide a short descriiption of the threat, the government responses, impacts to civil liberties from the response, and the lessons for modern homeland security. For threat periods with multiple policy responses and Supreme Court cases it is permissible to focus on one or two issues in depth (i.e., World War II threat period has multiple policies and cases for potential examination)
Undeclared War with France
Civil War
Red Scare I
World War II
Red Scare II