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 and Development. 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.

Deputy Director

COL Keegan is the Deputy Director of the Homeland Defense and Security Issues Group at the U.S. Army War College's Center for Strategic Leadership and Development. COL Keegan is responsible for developing curriculum and instructing courses in Homeland Security, Defense Support of Civil Authorities, Defense Policy and Strategy, Logistics, and Strategic Leadership.

Having served for over 29 years, COL Keegan has commanded at every level through brigade command. Additionally, he has served in numerous staff positions to include the Deputy G4 of 3rd US Army and ARCENT, Kuwait and as the Deputy Commander of Training and G3 at USA CASCOM.

COL Keegan's professional military education includes the Officer Basic and Advance Courses, Command and General Staff School, and the Army War College.

COL Keegan earned a BS in Aerospace Engineering from CAL Poly Pomona, an MBA from Babson College Massachusetts, and an MS in Strategic Studies from the Army War College.

Director of Reserve Component Operations and Plans

COL Cusick is the Director of Reserve Component Operations and Plans for the Homeland Defense and Security Issues Group at the U.S. Army War College's Center for Strategic Leadership and Development.

COL Cusick is a career Reserve Officer having in numerous assignments to include the, Deputy Provencal Reconstruction Team Commander, Paktika Province, Afghanistan, Operations Office, Asymmetric Warfare Office, Pentagon, Human Terrain Systems/Human Terrain Team Leader, Regional Command East, Afghanistan, J5 Plans Officer, Joint Forces Special Operations Component Command Iraq, Future Plans Officer, Joint Force Headquarters, Connecticut ARNG, Director of Reserve Component Operations and Plans, U.S. Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership and Development.

COL Cusick's professional military education includes the Officer Basic and Advance Courses, Command and General Staff College, College of Naval Command and Staff, National Security Course and the Army War College.

COL Cusick holds a Masters Degrees in Criminal Justice, National Security Strategy, Military Strategic Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security.

Visiting Professor

Dr. Allen S. Miller is currently a Visiting Professor for Homeland Security/Homeland Defense at the U.S. Army War College's Homeland Defense and Security Issues Group. Immediately prior to his current position, Dr. Miller served as the Principal Director for Strategy, Planning and Long Term Assessments in the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Policy. In this capacity, he was responsible for directing strategy development and evaluation, as well as long term strategic environment and risk characterizations to support National and Department security strategies and plans. Most recently, Dr. Miller has directed the preparation for the 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review at DHS and led an interagency team for the White House, National Security Staff, to conduct a U.S. Government Risk Characterization for the National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security.

Previously in DHS, Dr. Miller served as the Deputy Assistant Director for the DHS, Office of Risk Management and Analysis. He has also been employed by the U.S. Coast Guard, where he led the development of the Coast Guard's Strategy to Combat Maritime Terrorism, as well as the development of the Coast Guard's Standardized Operational Planning Process.

Prior to joining DHS, he served in positions with the U.S. Army War College, the U.S. Army Operational Test and Evaluation Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Defense Mapping Agency Aerospace Center. Dr. Miller has a Bachelor of Science degree, a Master of Public Administration degree, is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College, the Harvard University Senior Executives Fellows program, and holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Education.

Visiting Professor

Dr. John Eric Powell is currently a visiting professor for Homeland Security/Homeland Defense at the U.S. Army War College's Homeland Defense and Security Issues Group. Immediately prior to his current position, Dr. Powell served at the East Tennessee Public Safety Center at Walters State Community College as a program director for emergency medical services and fire science. He is also a state peace officer standards and training instructor. He teaches at the regional law enforcement training academy and provides continuing education to state and local law enforcement officers. He has served in all phases of public safety for 29 years.

Dr. Powell's research, writing, and subject matter interests focus upon local/state public safety and Department of Defense response to unconventional threat and disaster situations, intelligence, tactical medicine, and combating violent extremism for state and local law enforcement. He holds Bachelor of Science degrees from Western Carolina University and Colorado State University, and a Master of Science degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. He is currently in final thesis revision for the Master of Arts in Security Studies at the United States Naval Postgraduate School and is working towards a Master of Public Health in Global Disaster Management and Humanitarian Relief at the University of South Florida. His Doctor of Philosophy degree is from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in Curriculum, Evaluation, and Educational Psychology.