Since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 2001, the focus of the intelligence, defense, and law enforcement communities has been on countering terrorism and strengthening American resilience to terrorist attacks, both at home and abroad. In the pursuit of such, these agencies have revamped their counter terrorism training curricula to train their personnel to support their missions that now require a more robust counter terrorism capability. For example, within the Intelligence Community (IC), counter terrorism training curricula underwent revision to train analysts on the use of new automated tools such as the Terrorist Identity Datamart Environment (TIDE), WISE, and M3, to provide all-source strategic and operational intelligence on terror threats. Within the defense community, there was a revision of counter terrorism training not only from a force protection perspective, to protect service members traveling overseas, but also to focus the efforts of military planners and commanders towards preparing their forces for counter terrorism operations. Lastly, law enforcement agencies developed their own counter terrorism training curricula not only to raise awareness to the threat, but also to train their officers on how to collect and share information on terrorist threats and to conduct domestic counter terrorism operations.

The cumulative training efforts of the intelligence, defense, and law enforcement communities from September 11, 2001, to October 17, 2012 have resulted in thwarting fifty-three terrorist plots. Such plots have ranged from attempts to detonate a “dirty bomb” in a U.S. city, explosive in U.S. subways, and a bomb at the Federal Reserve Bank in Manhattan.

Despite the successes, the United States is not yet safe from the threat of terrorism as evidenced by the terrorist bombings at the 2013 Boston Marathon. The counter terrorism training curricula of the intelligence, defense, and law enforcement communities have been instrumental in developing a more robust counter terrorism capability with their existing workforces. However, they still have the need to recruit personnel, not only to expand their current workforce to counter the threat of terrorism, but to replace personnel lost through retirement and other means of attrition.

The need for new personnel trained in counter terrorism within the intelligence, defense, and law enforcement communities has created opportunities for individuals with counter terrorism degrees. A counter terrorism degree makes an individual far more competitive in the hiring process.

There are many ways an individual can obtain a counter terrorism degree, one of which is online. A counter terrorism degree online from an accredited college or university demonstrates that a person has the foundational knowledge to contribute to an agency’s counter terrorism mission. A person in pursuit of a counter terrorism degree online can do so at a place and pace that fits around their work schedule and family and work commitments. In addition, a person may be able to fund their education from an accredited college or university that offers a counter terrorism degree online through a variety of means, such as the Post 9-11 GI Bill or an employer’s tuition assistance program.

Dan Sommer works for Henley-Putnam University, a leading educational institution in the field of Strategic Security. For more info on Henley-Putnam University, counter terrorism training, counter terrorism degree online, call 888-852-8746 or visit us online at http://www.Henley-Putnam.ed

Dan Sommer works for Henley-Putnam University, a leading educational institution in the field of Strategic Security. For more info on Henley-Putnam University, counter terrorism training, counter terrorism degree online, call 888-852-8746 or visit us online at http://www.Henley-Putnam.edu

Author Bio: Dan Sommer works for Henley-Putnam University, a leading educational institution in the field of Strategic Security. For more info on Henley-Putnam University, counter terrorism training, counter terrorism degree online, call 888-852-8746 or visit us online at http://www.Henley-Putnam.ed

Category: Education
Keywords: counter terrorism training,counter terrorism degree online