MILNET: Brief- Department of Homeland Security

MILNET Brief
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security

"On March 1, 2003, approximately 180,000 personnel from 22 different organizations around the government became part of the Department of Homeland Security – completing the largest government reorganization since the beginning of the Cold War. As a result, our efforts to defend the homeland are more effective, efficient, and organized..."

- White House statement on the Department of Homeland Security online.

The following description is from the White House briefing on the Department of Homeland Security. The DHS homepage is also quite instructive on its structure and latest news. Also you may wish to peek at the actual law setting up the DoHS, the National Homeland Security and Combatting Terrorism Act of 2002. The Department was created as part of U.S. President George W. Bush's plan, The National Security Strategy for the United States. The specifics for the Department are laid out in the National Strategy for Homeland Security (July 2002).

Mission:

"The mission of the Department of Homeland Security would be to:

Prevent terrorist attacks within the United States;

Reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism; and

Minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do occur.

The Department of Homeland Security would mobilize and focus the resources of the federal government, state and local governments, the private sector, and the American people to accomplish its mission.

Organization:

The creation of the Department of Homeland Security would empower a single Cabinet official whose primary mission is to protect the American homeland from terrorism. The Department of Homeland Security would have a clear, efficient organizational structure with four divisions.

Border and Transportation Security

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Countermeasures

Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection

Even after creation of the new Department, homeland security will still involve the efforts of other Cabinet departments. The Department of Justice and the FBI, for example, will remain the lead law enforcement agencies for preventing terrorist attacks. The Department of Defense will continue to play a crucial support role in the case of a catastrophic terrorist incident. The Department of Transportation will continue to be responsible for highway and rail safety, and air traffic control. The CIA will continue to gather and analyze overseas intelligence. Homeland security will continue to require interagency coordination, and the President will still need a close adviser on homeland security related issues. Accordingly, the President intends a strong continuing role for the White House Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Council."

According to the White House goals set out for the Department:

The Department of Homeland Security would make Americans safer because our nation would have:

One department whose primary mission is to protect the American homeland;

One department to secure our borders, transportation sector, ports, and critical infrastructure;

One department to synthesize and analyze homeland security intelligence from multiple sources;

One department to coordinate communications with state and local governments, private industry, and the American people about threats and preparedness;

One department to coordinate our efforts to protect the American people against bioterrorism and other weapons of mass destruction;

One department to help train and equip for first responders;

One department to manage federal emergency response activities; and

More security officers in the field working to stop terrorists and fewer resources in Washington managing duplicative and redundant activities that drain critical homeland security resources.

The actual department participates in the Terrorist Threat Integration Center stood up on May 3, 2003, authorized by Presidential Directive.

"IA is responsible for translating the analysis done at the TTIC into actionable data for State, territorial, tribal, local, and private sector officials responsible for homeland security. "

The department operates the Homeland Security Operations Center and has created the Information Analysis and Information Protection Directorate which was described by Lt. General (ret'd) Patrick M. Hughes, the Assistant Secretary responsible, during the August 3, 2003 Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Hearings:

"Through the Homeland Security Act of 2002, IAIP is charged with integrating relevant information, intelligence analyses, and vulnerability assessments (whether such information, analyses, or assessments are provided or produced by the Department or others) to identify protective priorities and support protective measures by the Department, by other executive agencies, by State and local government personnel, agencies, and authorities, by the private sector, and by other entities.

[Our task is ] to provide the connectivity, the integration, the communication, the coordination, the collaboration, and the professional intelligence work necessary to accomplish the missions of, and the products and capability necessary for the customers and the leadership of DHS. Simply put, we perform the intelligence and threat analysis of Department of Homeland Security.

IAIP is moving forward in carrying out our statutory responsibilities which include:

Providing the full range of intelligence support to senior DHS leadership and component organizations and to state and local and private sector respondents
Mapping terrorist threats to the homeland against assessed vulnerabilities to drive our efforts to protect against terrorist attacks
Conducting independent analysis and assessments of terrorist threats through competitive analysis, tailored analysis, and an analytical red cell
Assessing the vulnerabilities of key resources and critical infrastructure of the United States
Merging the relevant analyses and vulnerability assessments to identify priorities for protective and support measures by the Department, other government agencies, and the private sector
Partnering with the intelligence community, TTIC, law enforcement agencies, state and local partners, and the private sector, as well as DHS components to manage the collection and processing of information within DHS involving threats to the Homeland into usable, comprehensive, and actionable information
Disseminating time sensitive warnings, alerts and advisories to federal, state, local governments and private sector infrastructure owners and operators

It is the mandate to independently analyze, coordinate, and disseminate information affecting the homeland that makes IA unique among its Intelligence Community partners.

IA is the heart of the intelligence effort at DHS. It is responsible for accessing and analyzing the entire array of intelligence relating to threats against the homeland, and making that information useful to those first responders, state and local governments, and private sector. As such, IA provides the full-range of intelligence support to the Secretary, DHS leadership, the Undersecretary for IAIP, and DHS components. Additionally, IA ensures that best intelligence information informs the administration of the Homeland Security Advisory System."

The following is from the DHS web site, describing the organization of the department:

The Border and Transportation Security directorate will bring the major border security and transportation operations under one roof, including:

The Emergency Preparedness and Response directorate will oversee domestic disaster preparedness training and coordinate government disaster response. It will bring together:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Strategic National Stockpile and the National Disaster Medical System (HHS)
Nuclear Incident Response Team - NEST (Energy)
Domestic Emergency Support Teams - DEST (Justice)
National Domestic Preparedness Office (FBI)

The Science and Technology directorate will seek to utilize all scientific and technological advantages when securing the homeland. The following assets will be part of this effort:

CBRN Countermeasures Programs (Energy)
Environmental Measurements Laboratory (Energy)
National BW Defense Analysis Center (Defense)
Plum Island Animal Disease Center (Agriculture)

The Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection directorate will analyze intelligence and information from other agencies (including the CIA, FBI, DIA and NSA) involving threats to homeland security and evaluate vulnerabilities in the nation's infrastructure. It will bring together:

The Secret Service and the Coast Guard will also be located in the Department of Homeland Security, remaining intact and reporting directly to the Secretary. In addition, the INS adjudications and benefits programs will report directly to the Deputy Secretary as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Click to see the Org Chart