Homeland Security in the United States, Term Paper Example

Introduction

Security happens to be the number one priority in the United States thus several efforts have been enacted aimed at providing homeland security. Homeland security has been facilitated through the various intelligence departments within its security system using U.S intelligence infrastructure. Many historical issues touching on security has pointed towards several loopholes within the U.S national security which warranted the need to prioritize the security structure that were already in put in place. The ugly face of insecurity prompted security reforms that established National Security Act (NSA) in 1947. Homeland security still needed a further overhaul after the awakening of terrorism and terrorist attacks (OHS, 2002). The terrorist and terrorism attacks are orchestrated to create fear among the population through regular violence, assassinations and also used to derail policies that are perceived to be undermining the perpetrators of terrorism (Simon, 1994).

Despite threats of terror seeming to go overboard, the U.S homeland security has enacted formidable security structures which have been tested and coordinated with precision. The National Security Act of 1947 ensured that the security structures put in place are well coordinated. In a nutshell therefore, creating security structures is a process and not an event owing to the changing patterns of insecurity.

A threat scenario (natural or manmade) that could impact homeland security and the impacts the threat will have if homeland security is damaged or destroyed. The 9/11 attack was a telling metaphor of how threat on the infrastructure can course great effects on the homeland security setting. 9/11 was a yard stick to measure the implications of an attack  thus prompting the government and the local agencies to take extra measures for protecting the citizens against terrorist attacks of this or lesser magnitude (Andreas, 2003). Perpetrators of the attacks used airports and aircrafts as their weapons of unleashing their intended terror. If it had downed on the security agents that aircrafts could be viable weapons for a terror attack, then all airports could be accorded the security details in places today. Despite the unexpected strategy used by the terrorists, Washington State and local agencies responded to the imminent threat overshadowing the success achieved by the terrorists. Consequently, the Washington State and local agencies charged with homeland security efforts were awakened on how to improve on coping with similar terrorist attacks.

10 local, state, and federal agencies that will assist with emergency response and/or recovery operations linked to your critical infrastructure.

Military Intelligence Organizations

The Military Intelligence Organizations (MIO) was formed with a sole mission of helping in formulating the U.S security policy by consolidating intelligence for strategic purposes. The departments at the MIO were responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating intelligence information for tactical purposes. MIO departments provide logistical information aimed at fighting the next battle (NSA, 2000).

Army Intelligence

The Army Intelligence (AI) was initiated as a subsidiary department of the MIO with a purpose of disseminating logistical intelligence to the army hierarchy and at the headquarters. The director of (AI) also serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, and reports to the Army Chief of Staff. The (AI) has mandate to collect information that is essentially useful to the Army forces by giving precise details on the location, size, and makeup of perceived enemy and the nature of the battlefield environment (NSA, 2000)

The Office of Naval Intelligence

The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) was created to provide intelligence within the marine fraternity.  (ONI) offers Naval Intelligence about ships and other assets of the U.S. Navy. The cardinal mission bestowed to the Office of Naval Intelligence is the preservation of the freedom of the seas, defending the flow of commerce within the U.S. jurisdiction, and aiding in the entry of people and products across the U.S. borders. In a word, the ONI is simply concerned with the submarine detections (NSA, 2000).

Air Force Intelligence

The Air Force Intelligence (AFI) is another department of the MIO that helps in gathering airborne intelligence using state of the art technology which includes U2 reconnaissance aircraft and several cases through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles such as the Global Hawk and the Predator. The primal mission of the AFI is to help identify and select hit targets of the U.S. Air Force. Every Air Force wing has an intelligence component connected to the surveillance units. The head of the AFI is the Deputy Chief of Staff, intelligence, and reports to the Air Force Chief of Staff (NSA, 2000).

National Incident Management System

On March 1, 2004, the National Incident Management System (NIMS) was created on March 1, 2004, with a mission to provide a consistent incident management approach. The consistent incident management intends to provide timely incident reports for federal, state, local, and tribal governments. The Homeland Security Presidential Directive subjected all federal departments to adopt the NIMS and to use it in domestic incident management and emergency prevention. In a word National Incident Management System was aimed at articulating, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation program.

National Response Framework

In 2004, the National Response Plan (NRP) was created in 2004, with a mission to an attempt to bring into line the coordination of the federal structures, capabilities, and resources. The main intention is create a unified, all discipline, and all hazards approach to domestic incident management. The NRP was modeled from the NIMS.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

The agency’s was primarily constituted to coordinate disasters occurring in the United States and have a magnitude that is beyond the resources of local and state authorities.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

(USCIS) is charged with performing many administrative functions which were formerly under the former United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). USCIS priorities are to promote national security, to address immigration issues and to improve customer services. USCIS is headed by a director, who is directly answerable to the Secretary of Homeland Security

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a hatched from the United States Armed Forces and it is among the seven uniformed services. The Coast Guard integrates several roles like marine and military. It is patronized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in times of peace but can serve in the U.S. Department of the Navy at a time of war.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) comprises of the largest federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security created to regulate and facilitate international trade, collect import duties, and enforce U.S. regulations like trade, customs, and immigration. Though (CBP) most important task is to curtail terrorism within the U.S boarders, CBP is also charge roles of apprehending illegal immigrants, cubing the flow of illegal drugs and monitoring Contraband infiltration.

U.S. Secret Service (USSS)

The U.S. Secret Service has two distinct missions, one it checks on financial Crimes, investigating counterfeit of U.S. currency , U.S. treasury securities, and fraud. Two, it is charged with the responsibility of ensuring the safety of current and former national leaders and their families.

Steps requisite in mitigating the risk of the threat/disaster from happening

There is much that can be done to mitigate the risk of the threat or a disaster from happening. The essence of the agencies responsible for homeland security involves prevention, protection as well as response to such threats as well as disasters. The superlative objective of the agencies engrosses prevention of such kinds of attacks.  The agencies of homeland security are obligated to take substantial concern on possible targets and consequently take appropriate actions in shielding them from vulnerability of attack. This initiative can best be achieved by means of augmenting protection to the most promising extents. In some cases, preventive measures fail to work, thus forcing the relevant authorities to consider implementation of effective response activities. This is a necessary measure to minimize potential adverse effects that may arise as a result of threats and hazards in realization of the benefits of managing the situation after the occurrence of a disaster (Office of Homeland Security, 2002). The ultimate objective of homeland security is to obstruct potential threats and disasters as well as limiting the effects associated with such threats and disasters through denying avenues of entry.

Previous disasters that can be studied to better prepare for the scenario

Previous disasters have been witnessed and any lesson learnt from such cases must be considered as an eye opener to better prepare for the scenario. An example at hand is the Hurricane Katrina that occurred in 2005 at a time that the federal as well as the state agencies responsible for homeland security were unprepared to address the effects associated with such a devastating hazard (Christopher & Robert, 2007). Inexcusable mismanagement, poor decision and ignorance of crucial facts were common during the Hurricane Katrina crisis. These serves as a warning that, something must be done to enhance preparedness in addressing such crisis and preventing a recurrence of such a horrendous circumstance. It is therefore the responsibility of homeland security to engage in an unremitting cycle that involve planning, training, organization, exercising, appraisal, equipping as well as taking corrective responsibilities that facilitate for effectual coordination at the time of responding to a crisis.

Works cited

Christopher, C. & Robert, B., Disaster: Hurricane Katrina and the Failure of Homeland Security. Holt, Henry & Company, Inc., 2007.

National Security Agency. National Cryptology Museum Unveils Exhibit Honoring NSA’S 50 Years of Service to America[Press release], 200).  Retrieved on July 31, 2013 from http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/press_room/2002/museum_50th_exhibit.shtml

Office of Homeland Security. “National Strategy for Homeland Security.” Retrieved on July 31, 2013 from: http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/book/nat_strat_hls.pdf, 200).

Simon, J. D. The Terrorist Trap: America’s Experience with Terrorism, Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1994.