The domestic security command : the evolution of U.S. Northern Command

Abstract

The United States lacks the capability to effectively achieve whole nation situational awareness and accomplish intergovernmental, interagency and multidisciplinary planning and response in the homeland. United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the Homeland Security (DHS) were established in the post-911 environment to address this issue but should now be reevaluated to ascertain whether they truly provide the appropriate framework to facilitate the nation's needs within our Federalist framework. This thesis discovers that USNORTHCOM can provide the military component and form the basis of this unique capstone organization but should evolve significantly to become a coalition of those organizations that, together, truly facilitate a whole nation approach to defense and security. USNORTHCOM should evolve away from a traditional military-centric Combatant Command towards an integrated Homeland Defense and Security Command (DSC) that effectively melds Defense (DoD) elements, selected Homeland Security components and National Guard organizations while also providing for connectivity to states and their governors. The resultant DoD-DHS-NGB coalition organization would be better able to secure, defend and support the U.S. homeland.