Terrorist attacks across the world are increasing with no predictions of letting up. After the terrorist attack on September 11 2001, the United States committed itself to ensure that such an attack as 9/11 would never surprise the country again. Dedicated to this promise, the United States Congress immediately passed legislation and created the Department of Homeland Security. The main objective of the Department of Homeland Security is to secure the nation from many threats and hazards; and…
National Guard The National Guard is the branch of the military that operates as a “home guard.” Like servicemen and women in other branches of the armed forces, members of the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard undergo military training to protect the nation in case of attack and to aid americans during time of crisis, including national disasters like earthquakes and floods. Unlike other branches of the military the guard is mostly stationed on home soil (though they can be…
Missile Defense of Our Nation’s Capital Throughout our nation’s history, and even before, America’s militia has answered the call to guard and defend America’s citizens and way of life. Following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, President George W. Bush authorized the activation of the Reserves of each military branch as well as the Army and Air National Guard. Initially, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld designated more than 35,000 reserve component men and women the task of…
The 2015 National Military Strategy The NMS provides an overview of the strategic challenges the United States is currently encountering and outlines how the United States armed forces will be employed to support the NSS. Today’s strategic environment is characterized by its complexity and quickly changing situations due to globalization, the spread of technology, and demographic shifts. In this complex strategic environment, the United States military cannot focus on one challenge and must…
Introduction Today is a day like no other that we live in. There are constant threats to our country, our way of life and to our allies. When faced with the threats today, most people automatically think of Al Qaeda and or ISIS/ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria/Islamic State of Iraq and Levant). This is who we are fighting on the bigger scale today. There are other threats as well and they are Lone Wolf Terrorist acting in the name of Islam here in our country, concerned attacks that could…
importance of the National Guard to the nation’s homeland defense and security is well established. Since its inception over 330 years ago, the National Guard has protected states and communities. As weather patterns began to intensify and terrorist threats increased, the National Guard’s role has expanded to assist in the response and recover to both natural and man-made disasters. It is well established that the mere presence of the National Guard after a traumatic event on United States…
The Strategy Hierarchy and Homeland Security The concept of homeland security can be described as a collective interaction and marshalling of resources involving a various agencies at the federal, state, and local levels to protect U.S. borders and the mainland from threats posed by state actors, non-state actors, and other malicious entities. Additional threats homeland security must contend with include those that are biological origin such as highly pathogenic viruses as well as natural…
battle of Gettysburg at a service to dedicate the opening of the national cemetery (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). Lincoln’s Address was spoken to the citizens and soldiers of the union in the wake of the second invasion of the North by Robert E. Lee (The Battle of Gettysburg Facts & Summary). “The Gettysburg Address” was meant to reinvigorate the Union populace’s desire to bring the Confederacy back into the United States. “The Gettysburg address” also capitalizes on the emotions that…
event is defined by the Oxford dictionary as an event or period marking a turning point in a course of action or state of affairs. One such watershed event that affected me professionally as well as personally was being selected to serve as an officer in the Air National Guard. After eleven years of serving as an enlisted member of both Active Duty Air Force and the Georgia Air National Guard (GANG), I applied and was selected for a commission as an officer in the GANG. At the time of my…
In 2015, the United States Government suffered the biggest cyber-attack against a federal agency to date. The Office of Personnel Management reported that up to 21.5 million instances of personal data was stolen by hackers. Many more attacks have occurred recently, and cyber-attacks have become a common occurrence with billions of attacks carried out on various federal agencies each year. Pew Research Center recently conducted a study, and found that the people of the United States believe that…