Homeland Defense and Security Issues Group

Director

Professor Bert Tussing is the Director of the Homeland Defense and Security Issues Group at the U.S. Army War College's Center for Strategic Leadership. He joined the Center in October 1999 following nearly 25 years in the United States Marine Corps.

He has served on three Defense Science Boards, the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Beyond Goldwater-Nichols Study, and on the Senior Advisory Group for DoD's "Strategy for Homeland Defense and Civil Support." He is a senior fellow on George Washington University's Homeland Security Policy Institute and Long Island University's Homeland Security Management Institute; a member of the Board of Experts for the University of California-Irvines' Center for Unconventional Security Affairs; a member of the Pennsylvania State University's Homeland Defense and Security Council; and on the Homeland Security Board of Advisors for Kansas State University and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

In 2009, he served on Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Advisory Council, assisting in the development of the Department's first Quadrennial Homeland Security Review, and has recently been asked to serve as an advisor to the second iteration of that review.

He is a Distinguished Graduate of both the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and the Naval War College, and holds Masters Degrees in National Security Strategy and Military Strategic Studies.

Visiting Professor

Dr. George Schwartz is a visiting professor with the U.S. Army War College's Homeland Defense and Security Issues Group. Dr. Schwartz is visiting from Immaculata University where he is an Associate Professor and director of the undergraduate program in Emergency Management. Throughout his professional career, he has developed and instructed education and training courses in emergency management and leadership and has written and presented on such subjects as crisis leadership, cybersecurity, and homeland defense.

Prior to joining the faculty at Immaculata, Dr. Schwartz served 33 years in the Regular Army, the Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard, retiring at the rank of Brigadier General. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, earned a Master of Security Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College, and holds a doctorate in education. He is also an alumnus of FEMA's National Emergency Management Executive Academy.

Visiting Professor

Dr. da Cruz currently works as a Research Professor at the Center for Strategic Leadership, Homeland Defense and Security Studies and Senior Environmental Research Fellow, Strategic Land Power Futures Group at the U.S. Army War College. A Professor of International Relations and Comparative Politics at Georgia Southern University, Professor of Cybersecurity & Cybersecurity Management and Policy at the University of Maryland Global Campus Department of Computer Science and Engineering, a Research Associate of the Brazil Research Unit at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) in Washington, D.C., a Professor at the Prague University of Economics and Business, Department of International and Diplomatic Studies, and Former Research Professor at the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute, Carlisle, PA.

His Educational background consists of a Ph.D. Miami University, Oxford, Ohio (Political Science. Majors: International Relations and Comparative Politics; Minor: International Communications), M.A. in Public Health (MPH Public Health/Epidemiology) Georgia Southern University, also an M.A. Professional Communication & Leadership Armstrong State University, a M.S. Criminal Justice Armstrong Atlantic State University (Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Cyber Affairs & Security and Information Assurance), Certificate of Cyber Security (Cyber Affairs & Information Assurance) Cyber Security Research Institute at Armstrong Atlantic State University, an M.A. Political Science/Political Philosophy Miami University, Oxford, Ohio and a B. A. Philosophy & Political Science Wright State University.

Other Activities:
Dr. da Cruz is the former President of the Savannah Council on World Affairs and is on the Board of Directors of the World Affairs Council of America, Washington, D.C. He is also a CISCO Certified CyberOps Officer ID: WAX47K-PATH-322, Certified INFOSEC Cybersecurity Administrator, Certified HIPAA Compliance Officer Certificate ID: WAX47K-PATH-1723, a certified US Department of Homeland Security Military Resources in Emergency Management, Computer Security Incident Handler, and a Certified Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Cyber Intelligence, INFOSEC Cybersecurity Administration, Certificate ID: WAX47K-PATH-40, U.S. Army Certified DSCA, and currently holds a seat on the City of Savannah Ethics Board, the City Savannah Hospital Authority, and the City Savannah Airport Commission of the City of Savannah, GA.

Operations NCOIC

MSG Ronald Bittner is the Operations NCO with the Army War College's Homeland Defense and Security Issues Group. Throughout his military career, he has served as a 19K tanker, 11B Infantrymen, 19D Cavalryman, 29E Electronics Warfare NCO. He also served 11 years as the FEMA Region III Homeland Response Force, PA J39 Operations and Plans NCOIC. Primary planner on Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Regional Response Plans and Inter/Intra Regional Plans. During this time, he also served as an JFHQ-PA Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. He served on the primary Domestic Operations J3 Liaison Team.

MSG Bittner has supported five Presidential Inaugurations, multiple hurricanes and many other natural disaster responses, G20 summit, United Nations General Assembly, Papel Visit to Philadelphia, Democratic National Convention, and Boy Scout and National Jamborees. He has served on multiple deployments over the past 34 years and recently supported CAT3721 in assisting the Malawian Military and Government in understanding and applying DSCA, also understanding the implications and nuances of establishing a Malawian National Guard.