Full Breakdown
Pentagon Launches Homeland Defense Board to Bolster U.S. Homeland Security
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Creation of the Homeland Defense Board
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new Pentagon advisory committee, the Homeland Defense Board (HDB), to supply integrated military advice on homeland-security missions. The board will be composed of 20 members, with Hegseth serving as chair and the Department of War’s assistant secretary for Homeland Defense and Americas Security Affairs as vice chair. One civilian and one field-grade or mid-grade officer from each military branch will also sit on the board, along with additional experts appointed by the Secretary of War or Deputy Secretary of War.
Background & Context
In March 2025, Hegseth ordered a “zero-based review” of roughly 40 existing Pentagon advisory panels. The review, completed in May, recommended eliminating 14 committees that were judged misaligned with the administration’s priorities, including the 75-year-old Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. The review’s goal was to streamline advisory input and ensure alignment with the Secretary’s policy agenda.
Rationale and Threat Landscape
The establishing documents state that over the past ten years threats from peer, near-peer, rogue-state adversaries and non-state actors have become “more intense and complex.” They note that adversaries are actively projecting economic, cyber and military power into the Western Hemisphere, creating a need for “critical, independent assessments” of the Department of War’s hemispheric defensive posture and domestic security preparedness.
Board Composition and Mandate
- Members: 20 eminent authorities in homeland defense, military strategy, defense support of civil authorities, interagency integration, critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, strategic competition, and Western Hemisphere policy.
- Structure: One civilian and one field-grade or mid-grade officer from each military department, plus other members designated by the Secretary of War or Deputy Secretary of War.
- Purpose: Provide consensus-based, independent peer review to inform strategic decision-making at the highest levels, filling a gap the Department of War says is not covered by any other federal advisory body.
Official Statements & Responses
A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on the board’s creation, stating the department “has nothing to provide” at this time.
Data & Statistics
- Approximately 40 federal advisory committees currently serve the Pentagon, according to the General Services Administration.
- The 2025 zero-based review led to the termination of 14 advisory groups, including the long-standing Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services.
Why It Matters
The HDB is intended to bridge the gap between the Department of War and domestic homeland-security agencies. Its assessments could shape resource allocation, counter-foreign-influence operations, and protection of critical infrastructure such as transport networks and the defense industrial base. The board’s launch coincides with expanded National Guard deployments to U.S. cities, ongoing troop presence at the southern border, and increased drug-interdiction missions—developments that have blurred the traditional lines between the Department of War and the Department of Homeland Security.
