Punching Above Their Weight: the Homeland Security Contributions of the Us Pacific Territories

Stanton, Colby E (March 2019). Punching Above Their Weight: the Homeland Security Contributions of the Us Pacific Territories (Thesis). Naval Postgraduate School.

• Has attachment: File:XM93PSMF.pdf

Abstract: While the United States’ Pacific territories were brought into the U.S. fold in recognition of their importance to national security, today many Americans—including many policy makers—seem to be unfamiliar with the U.S. Pacific territories and their strategic value. This thesis addresses the question, “What is the value of the United States’ Pacific territories—Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and American Samoa—to the nation’s homeland security, and what are the strategic implications of that value?” Secondary sources such as congressional testimony, military doctrine and unclassified plans, and governmental reports were analyzed to answer that question, using the framework of the DIME (diplomatic, informational, military, and economic) instruments of national power to assess the overlap of homeland security missions with national security interests. While the territories contribute to the nation’s security, the lack of coordinated and informed management by the federal government to these territories, including homeland security missions that have at times been at odds with U.S. military interests, prevents a full realization of their potential. Recommendations are made for reexamination of legal, process, and funding approaches to the U.S. Pacific territories by the federal government, including homeland security agencies.

Extra details:

MAG: 2946134037
OpenAlex: W2946134037
CorpusID: 181578237