OR to the Defense of the Homeland

J.P. Ballenger, Raytheon Company, jp_ballenger@raytheon.com

 

I have been very interested recently in the subject of homeland defense.  This is not a new subject, but it is certainly a subject of greatly renewed interest.  When we consider weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and irrational enemies, homeland defense becomes a very complex subject indeed.  Complex subjects pose complex problems with no readily apparent answers, and a plethora of such problems should serve to dramatically increase the demand for operations research.  I believe that homeland defense will prove to be a significant portion of what I have referred to earlier as the third wave of operations research.

 

The reality of the events of September 11, 2001, now etched in the minds of all citizens, emphasizes that the subject of homeland defense is a national priority; a priority that is required by our Constitution, whose preamble mandates that we "provide for the common defense."  When we consider that our enemies will attack civilian targets as well as military targets with asymmetric threats and potentially with WMD, the problem of providing for the common defense becomes exceedingly complex given the vastness of our nation.  Technology will provide us many useful tools and weapons to assist in homeland defense, however, the process itself, that is the process of employing our tools, weapons and efforts in an effective manner, will derive from steadfast application of careful analytic and scientific thought.  From its beginning in World War II, operations research has proven itself as a methodology for solving complex problems, and there is no reason to doubt its applicability to homeland defense.

 

If we spend just a little thought on what it means to defend our homeland, the enormity of the problem seems to be overwhelming.  The tremendous infrastructure of our nation which includes, to mention only a few, dams, nuclear power plants, conventional power plants, water treatment facilities, food processing facilities, hospitals, airports, seaports, military installations, government institutions and our financial institutions, exposes numerous Achilles heels to a ruthless enemy.  Moreover, we are a gregarious nation, and we congregate in large numbers at social, religious, political, entertainment and sports events.  Such masses of humanity provide lucrative targets to an enemy bent on the wholesale destruction of human life.  We have also been a nation with an "open door" policy toward immigration, and we have welcomed peoples from around the world in search of a better life and freedom.  Indeed, we are a nation formed by immigrants.  How do we continue legal immigration, yet prevent infiltration by our enemies?  Again, with just a small amount of thinking, we can quickly realize the enormity and complexity of homeland defense.  Just as a journey of a thousand miles is composed of individual steps, so I believe that the solution to homeland defense will be incremental and must remain an ongoing process.

 

Multidiscipline operation research teams can solve complex problems.  I hope that we employ them now to help with homeland defense.  There is a real need for innovative and creative solutions---and quickly.  All of us who occupy the homeland have a dog in this hunt.  The solution or non-solution will affect us all.