Energy Security And The United States - 1553 Words

Introduction Introduction Energy is more than a utility that keeps the lights on in our homes or the gas in our cars; it’s a foundational resource that plays a key role in a nation’s ability to provided economic opportunity and basic services and security to its people. As such, it is imperative to a nation’s overall security that it develops/acquires access to energy, ensures energy needs are properly met and supplies are readily available, and disruptions minimized. Policy directs that the U.S. has a role in developing energy security throughout the world. For the U.S., we’ve long recognized the importance of energy security and have gone to great lengths to ensure its protection by developing depth and breadth in energy capabilities,†¦show more content†¦For the purpose of this paper, we’ll focus on the energy security of the USSOUTHCOM Area of Responsibility (AOR), specifically on the countries of Latin America, which include Central and South America. The reason for our focus is due in part to their geographic proximity and relatively good political and economic relationships. We’ve often taken for granted Latin America’s proximity to the U.S. and haven’t viewed it as a direct threat to our national security, at least in the sense that we don’t see them as a military threat. Yet, now with globalization (ease of transportation, information; global markets opening) and reduced U.S. influence; U.S. can no longer take for granted the isolation of two oceans. Other countries (China, Russia, Iran, and India) are developing relationships and using economic power (to include nuclear capabilities) influence Latin America and possibly creating instability in the region. Currently, USSOUTHCOM has yet to specifically address energy security as a Line of Effort. In USSOUTHCOM’s posture statement, the Commander specifically addresses security from a traditional military perspective with its priorities as being Countering Transnational Organized Crime, Counterterrorism, Building Partner Capacity, Contingency Response, and Detainee Operations. With this paper, we’ll propose a change to USSOUTHCOM Theater Campaign Plan that addresses energy security within its