History of the Department of Homeland Security

The United State's Department of Homeland Security plays a vital role in protecting the citizens of the US against terrorist attacks and other areas or issues related to national security. The Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the US federal government that was created correlating the 9/11 attacks that shook the world forever. The department's primary function is to protect the borders of the US and its colonies from and corresponding to terrorist attacks, man-made calamities, and natural disasters. During its fiscal year in 2011, the department was funded with a budgetary allowance of $98.8 billion and spent $66.4 billion by the government to support and facilitate its projects and further development.

While the Department of Defense is tasked at handling military operations overseas, the Department of Homeland Security operates within the civilian scope to safeguard the US within, at, and outside its jurisdictions. Its stated objectives are to prepare for, anticipate, and respond to homely or domestic emergency situations, mainly terrorism. Its primary missions are to impede terrorist attacks within the US borders, lowering the vulnerability of the country to terrorism and reducing the damage from potential threats and natural calamities. The department is given the power to unify past dispersed non-military government departments that are tasked for a variety of operations related to US security.

The Border and Transportation Security department, which is noted as the biggest department of DHS, consists of the Transportation Security Administration, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection. The Science and Technology department involves the Environmental Measurements Laboratory and is tasked with studying and handling scientific, engineering and technological resources to safeguard the homeland. Meanwhile, the Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection department overviews intelligence and data regarding potential danger to homeland security and evaluate the state's accountability in the national infrastructure. Aside from these divisions, the Department of Homeland Security also consists of the Coast Guard, Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration utilities and the Secret Service.

DHS was also developed by the Department of Homeland Security Act of 2002, and is a prominence of the Office of Homeland Security which was founded by the former US President George W. Bush succeeding the events of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In terms of world-recognized seal which was released at the press during June 6, 2003, the seal embodies the Department's mission to block attacks and safeguard every American citizen on land, sea and air territories of the United States. In the seal's core, a graphically designed white American eagle is prominent in a circular blue area. The eagle's stretched wings break within an internal red circle and into a white external ring which depicts the word "US DEPARTMENT OF" in the above half portion and "HOMELAND SECURITY" in the bottom half portion in a circular position.

Since its foundation, the department has had its temporary base in Washington, DC, mainly at Nebraska Avenue Complex, which was utilized as a naval facility in the past. The 38-acre landscape has up to 32 facilities consisting of more than 500,000 square feet of administrative reserved area.