Domestic Security and Maintenance of Liberty: Striking the Balance

• Author: Paul McHale
• Position: Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense
• Pages: 3-17

I

Domestic Security and Maintenance of Liberty:

Striking the Balance

Paul McHale*

Introduction

Wehave seen extraordinary changes in the role of the military within do-

mestic American society since September 11, 2001. The National De-

fense Authorization Act of 2003 created the office that Inow hold. The statutory

mission assigned to the assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense was

—

and is—to supervise all of the homeland defense activities of the Department of

Defense. In short, to supervise the domestic role ofthe US military, to include both

the warfighting defense of the United States and the consequence management ac-

tivities of the Department of Defense when providing support to civilian authori-

ties. That is asobering mission. It reflects the intent of Congress to bring aspecial

geographic focus to the department that reflects the paramount security consider-

ations associated with the immediate defense of the American people. It is amis-

sion that sobers me every morning.

Constitutional Principles

When Iwas asked to take this position Ithought seriously about the role ofthe mil-

itary within domestic society, the historic and statutory constraints upon that role

and the appropriate opportunity within the boundaries ofthose constraints for the

*Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense.