•  
  •  

Home > Open Access Journals > JSS > Vol. 17 > No. 2 (2024)

 

Author Biography

James M. Ward has served in the US Marine Corps for seventeen years, specializing in expeditionary logistics and engineering. He has served overseas supporting combat operations and humanitarian civic assistance activities. His civilian education includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Economics from Columbia University and a Master of International Policy and Practice degree from The George Washington University.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.17.2.2234

Subject Area Keywords

Defense policy, Foreign aid, Global trends and risks, Humanitarian assistance, International security, Military affairs, Strategy, Threat assessment

Abstract

Climate Change will increase the frequency and intensity of disasters necessitating United States Department of Defense (DoD) intervention. The US Congress and DoD have produced reports and demanded action for climate change-related security concerns, but have largely left foreign disaster relief capacity unaddressed. The DoD does not have dedicated force structure for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR), potentially compromising mission readiness and operational effectiveness as well as jeopardizing U.S. foreign interests. Proposed mitigations for the status quo include bolstering international organizations, expanding the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) capacity to respond to disasters, and creating dedicated DoD HA/DR force structure. Adopting one or more of the mitigation strategies bolsters the DoD’s ability to respond to crises, secure national interests, and prevent malign states from subverting the international system.

Disclaimer

The ideas and views presented in this article are the author's alone and do not necessarily represent the U.S. Government or the Department of Defense. The Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review had no objection to this article's publication.

Acknowledgements

I would like thank the many professors and colleagues who have taught and helped me so patiently. I also extend the utmost gratitude to Dr. Williamson Murray, Dr. Peter Awn, and Dr. Paul Williams for their mentorship.

Download

Share

COinS