National Security
Clausewitz defines a center of gravity as 'the hub of all power and movement, on which everything depends...' What are the U.S. centers of Gravity for Homeland Defense and Homeland Security?According to Colonel John Osgood, the Army Field Manual 100-5 quotes Clausewitz's definition of center of gravity as "the hub of all power and movement upon which everything depends" in a war(Osgood, 1998). Clausewitz's discussion of the issue suggests that at the operational level the center of gravity is "always found where the mass is concentrated most densely" (Osgood, 1998). Clausewitz believed that at the operational level a commander must understand the dynamics of space, mass, and time. Space was the theater of operations, mass was the army and time was the campaign (Osgood, 1998).But the concept of the Department of Homeland Defense and Homeland Security would seen to thwart Clausewitz's concept of the center of gravity, as its theater
Even in the words of the president, quoted on the department's homepage, the center of gravity is diffuse. "This vital department is actively engaged in the war on terror. But the specific relationship between the two agencies, other than coordination of efforts is not delineated. Also, the closer to home any war is fought; the greater the overlap is likely between the missions of the two agencies. In other words, it is important to defeat them overseas so we never have to face them here. Certain military aspects of the Department of Homeland Security might conceivably overlap with some of the areas of command of the Department of Defense, like the Coast Guard's policing of the nation's borders, or the use of the National Guard to address a threat to the homeland. However, the Department of Defense is not stated as receiving a privileged position in the sharing of such information. Part of our strategy, of course, is to stay on the offense against terrorists who would do us harm. The Department of Homeland Security has the responsibility of assessing: "vulnerabilities and coordinating with other federal, state, local, and private entities to ensure the most effective response" ("DHS: Information Sharing and Analysis," Department of Homeland Security, 2007). What is the role of the Department of Defense in Homeland Security? In the aftermath of 9/11, one of the criticisms of the American intelligence and military community was that there was inadequate sharing of information about renegade groups between different branches of government. This includes but is not limited to the Department of Defense. The time of the campaign never ends, as even if the leaders of terrorist organizations that spawned the demand for the department were apprehended, terrorism as a threat to United States citizens within the borders of the U. While an overseas battle is seen as ideal, the home front is also part of the war.
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Acceptance Essays
