Applying Sound Joint Doctrine to Ensure Maritime Homeland Security

摘要

Ensuring the security of critical national infrastructure from a maritime threat is a daunting challenge that can not fall on the shoulders of one agency or department. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, in cooperation with other pertinent departments, should establish a Joint Interagency Task Force and empower it to control all aspects of Maritime Homeland Security. Adhering to critical joint principles of war and military operations other than war combined with sound operational function execution is the most effective way to obtain the Maritime Domain Awareness necessary to achieve strategic and operational objectives. A Joint Interagency Maritime Component Commander can perform similar functions in the maritime as NORAD does in the aerospace environment. Utilizing forces employed for similar security missions (Drug, migrant interdiction etc) from multiple agencies, combining intelligence efforts and seeking international security cooperation provides the best chance for success. After analyzing the time, space and force factors affecting the mission this paper recommends solutions to best employ the current resources available. Coordination, power sharing and command and control remain the largest hurdles to overcome but the cost, as shown on September 11, is too high to pay for failure.