Posted by Under Secretary for Management Rafael Borras

This month, the Department achieved a milestone that is a pivotal step towards increasing transparency and accountability and accurately accounting for the Department’s resources. I am happy to report that, for the first time since FY 2003, DHS has earned a qualified audit opinion on its FY 2011 balance sheet -- highlighting the significant progress we have made in improving our financial management in the eight years since DHS was founded.

Since the beginning of this Administration, Secretary Napolitano stressed the importance of sound financial management and committed the Department to obtaining an audit opinion. Across the Department, the dedicated men and women of DHS answered the call. This year’s audit is the result of management improvements throughout DHS, which we will continue to build upon as we strengthen and mature management processes and standards across the Department.

Since DHS was established in 2003, Departmental Management and Components have significantly improved the processes and structures in place to help ensure consistent operations for each of our financial accounting centers and financial management offices.

Our success would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of the financial management teams within the DHS Office of the Chief Financial Officer and throughout components across the Department. Improvements made by the U.S. Coast Guard and other components ultimately enabled the Department to obtain a qualified opinion this year.

This opinion is a significant step toward obtaining a clean audit opinion on all of our financial statements. Looking forward, we will continue to work to sustain prior-year progress and to anticipate and mitigate any additional audit risks.

Through these and other efforts across the Department, we will continue to ensure taxpayer dollars are managed with integrity, diligence and accuracy, and that the systems and processes used for all aspects of financial management demonstrate the highest level of accountability and transparency.

Read the Annual Financial Report for Fiscal Year 2011.

Posted by the Stop.Think.Connect. ™ Campaign

As bargain hunters take to the Web this Cyber Monday in search of holiday deals, the Stop.Think.Connect.™ Campaign reminds online shoppers to be wary of the cybersecurity risks of theft, fraud and abuse. While many businesses offer great deals during the holiday season, cyber criminals may try to take advantage of unsuspecting online shoppers.

Follow these simple steps to protect yourself and your personal information online – and remember: If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

• Pay close attention to website URLs. Pay attention to the URLs of websites you visit. Malicious websites sometimes use a variation in common spelling or a different domain (for example, .com instead of .net) to deceive unsuspecting computer users.
• Protect your $$: When banking and shopping, check to be sure the site is security enabled. Look for web addresses with "https://" or "shttp://", which means the site takes extra measures to help secure your information. "Http://" is not secure.
• Use a credit card - There are laws to limit your liability for fraudulent credit card charges, and you may not have the same level of protection when using your debit card.
• Check your statements - Keep a record of your purchases and copies of confirmation pages, and compare them to your bank statements. If there is a discrepancy, report it immediately.
• Check privacy policies - Before providing personal or financial information, check the website's privacy policy.
• As always, keep your operating system, browser, anti-virus and other critical software up to date. Security updates and patches are available for free from major companies.

Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility and each of us has a role to play. For more basic tips to stay safe while shopping online, visit www.dhs.gov/files/cybersecurity.shtm.

Written by Lt. j.g. Al Sowers, Coast Guard’s Office of C4 & Sensors Capabilities
Photos courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard 

A boat crew from Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous approaches a 25-foot yola with 90 Haitian migrants aboard, 20 miles northeast of Ile de La Tortue, Haiti.

The U.S. Coast Guard is the first-line protector of our nation’s 95,000 miles of coastline. In its law enforcement mission, verifying the identity of foreign nationals detained aboard a Coast Guard vessel following an interdiction or boarding at sea is especially important. Helping boarding team members to rapidly identify suspected migrants or smugglers at sea is one key piece of technology – biometrics.

As a relative newcomer to the technology, Nov. 19 marks the five-year anniversary of the first ever biometric taken at sea by the Coast Guard. Led by the Coast Guard’s Operations Directorate and Research and Development Center, the Coast Guard established a pilot project aboard its cutters operating in The Mona Passage, west of Puerto Rico, in November 2006. Increasing demands on law enforcement, homeland security and defense missions highlighted the need for expanded use and more advanced technologies to collect and transfer biometric data.

A Coast Guard boarding officer captures a fingerprint with biometric technology.

Today, the Biometrics at Sea System is being used aboard 20 Coast Guard cutters operating in The Mona Passage and southern Florida. Coast Guard Patrol Forces in Southwest Asia, supporting Operation New Dawn, are also in the process of implementing mobile biometric capabilities.

 A biometric profile consists of biographic data, finger prints and a facial portrait. The biometric file is then sent through the Department of Homeland Security biometric database, where it is searched against their stored files. The results of the search are then sent back to the Coast Guard for proper law enforcement action to be taken.

Lt j.g. Ken Franklin, commanding officer of Coast Guard cutter Dolphin, currently uses the Biometrics at Sea System aboard his 87-foot patrol boat.

“Biometrics at Sea has increased our situational awareness aboard the cutter,” said Franklin. “The quicker we can collect and transmit biometrics data, the quicker we know amplifying information regarding migrants and suspected smugglers. We use this information to adjust our security posture and ultimately attain disposition.”

While the system has been used for the past five years, the Coast Guard is looking to improve its capability in the near future. Testing is currently underway for the service to upgrade to the 10-print system, which is fast becoming the international standard for law enforcement. The 10-print system, consisting of all 10 fingers, would be a dramatic improvement from the current two-print system that the Coast Guard uses now. The Coast Guard is also researching the possible implementation of adding facial and iris recognition to the 10-print system.

Robert Mocny, director of U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology, said the biometrics check against the Automated Biometric Identification System allows the Coast Guard to quickly identify migrants for such things as previous deportation orders or criminal warrants.

Today, biometrics at sea are being used aboard 20 Coast Guard cutters operating in the Mona Passage and southern Florida.

“This partnership at sea serves as a valuable deterrent to prevent those from risking their lives by taking a dangerous voyage to the U.S.,” said Mocny. “We know biometrics is the wave of the future as far as identification and US-VISIT will continue to support the Coast Guard as they explore the use of other biometrics at sea such as face and iris.”

Since the Biometric at Sea System was implemented in 2006, the Coast Guard has collected more than 4,000 biometrics, resulting in more than 850 prosecutions. Additionally, illegal migration flow in The Mona Passage is down nearly 75 percent. In 2011 alone, the system has helped facilitate the prosecution of more than 85 individuals for human smuggling, illegal entry or illegal re-entry into the U.S.

With the success of the Biometrics at Sea System, the Coast Guard’s Office of Law Enforcement looks forward to expanding the use of biometrics to other sections of the maritime border which will help the service take another step in DHS’s comprehensive strategy to secure the nation’s borders.

Posted by Director Connie Patrick, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center

Last week, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) hosted 21 women in law enforcement as part of FLETC’s Women in Law Enforcement Leadership Training Program at our headquarters in Glynco, GA. FLETC hosted a week-long leadership training program to help promote and support women’s leadership in law enforcement, discuss current leadership challenges for women in law enforcement, and help facilitate career planning.

The Women in Leadership panelists joined with class members and instructors for a group photo at the Women in Leadership Training Program held at the FLETC headquarters in Glynco, Ga.

During the training program, I had the great privilege to join U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Chief of Staff Julia Pierson and FLETC Assistant Directors Cynthia Atwood and Dominick Braccio for a panel discussion on law enforcement leadership topics. 

USSS Chief of Staff Pierson began her career as a police officer in Orlando, Florida and then served as a USSS Special Agent assigned to the Miami Field Office.  FLETC Assistant Director Atwood was a special agent at the United States Department of Agriculture before coming to FLETC 15 years ago to promote law enforcement training excellence.  FLETC Assistant Director Braccio has 32 years of law enforcement experience and recently received the Outstanding Advocate for Women in Federal Law Enforcement Award for his contributions in areas of recruiting, retaining, and promoting women in law enforcement from the Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE) Foundation.

During the panel discussion, we noted that, while the law enforcement officers in attendance  represented a diverse spectrum of agencies and functions, they shared common experiences as women in law enforcement. Although women make up 47 to 50 percent of the workforce in the United States, they constitute only up to 20 percent of the law enforcement workforce and are underrepresented in the management ranks.

Here at FLETC, we are working hard to advance issues that impact women in law enforcement.  In the coming year, we will hold Women in Law Enforcement Leadership Training Programs at the FLETC domestic centers and internationally at the International Law Enforcement Academies (ILEA) in Thailand, Hungary, Botswana, and El Salvador. 

We at FLETC understand that the law enforcement profession as a whole will continue to improve as women bring their skills and experience to leadership roles in law enforcement organizations across the country and around the world, and we look forward to being a part of their good work.                                          
                                    
Connie Patrick is Director of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), DHS’s law enforcement training organization.  Last year, FLETC trained more than 70,000 law enforcement professionals in skills including fingerprinting, tracking financial transactions, counterterrorism tactics, securing a building and searching a crime scene.

Posted by Secretary Napolitano

Today I joined local law enforcement and elected officials from communities along the Southwest border at the White House for a roundtable discussion on the ongoing collaboration among federal, state and local partners to keep our border communities safe and secure while facilitating legal travel and trade.

Protecting communities along our borders is vital to our homeland security and critical to our economic prosperity. Since 2009, DHS and partners across the federal government have deployed unprecedented levels of personnel, technology, and resources to the Southwest border.  The Border Patrol is better staffed today than at any time in its 87-year history with more than 18,500 agents along the Southwest border, more than double the boots on the ground a decade ago. 

The men and women of DHS work closely with our state and local partners each and every day to ensure the safety and security of our borders.  As a result, the Southwest border is safer, illegal immigration attempts are at historic lows, and we are seizing more cash, drugs, and contraband.

During the meeting, I also conveyed the Obama Administration’s support for these border communities and for communities all across America to helping police officers and first responders who are charged with the responsibility of ensuring a safe, secure and resilient homeland through the American Jobs Act. Even in a difficult economic climate where we are faced with budget cuts across the board, we cannot afford to undermine law enforcement and first responder capabilities and jeopardize public safety. That is why the American Jobs Act provides $5 billion to state and local communities to create or save thousands of police and first responder jobs.

As we discussed in our meeting today, the Southwest border is open for business.  While we continue our work securing our borders, we must also facilitate legitimate trade and travel.  Our efforts to encourage economic development support jobs in communities along the border and all across America.

Posted by Blogger Bob Burns


If you’re getting ready to travel for the holidays and need to brush up on airport security, you’re in the right place! Here is a cornucopia of travel info, tips and linkage that will help you get to where you’re going safely. You’ll be as good as gravy, and in my book, gravy is about as good as it gets. Next to turducken…


New Security Improvements for Holiday Travel

• TSA Pre✓™ Expedited Screening Pilot: This pilot program prescreens individuals traveling on Delta Air Lines at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County airports and on American Airlines at Miami International and Dallas/Fort Worth International airports - who volunteer information about themselves prior to flying in order to potentially expedite the screening experience. TSA plans to expand this program to Las Vegas McCarran International, Minneapolis St. Paul International and Los Angeles International airports in the coming months.   During this pilot, certain frequent fliers from Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, as well as certain members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Trusted Traveler programs, including Global Entry, SENTRI, and NEXUS who are also flying on Delta or American are eligible. Currently, this is only open to American citizens.

• Kids 12 & Under Can Keep Their Shoes On: As part of our move towards a risk-based security approach, we rolled out revised screening procedures for passengers 12 and under. While most will be able to keep their shoes on, there may be instances when shoes may have to come off. Click here to learn more about the revisions.

• New Privacy Protection Software on All Millimeter Wave Machines: TSA has upgraded all millimeter wave body scanner units nationwide with new software to further enhance privacy protections by eliminating the image of an actual passenger and replacing it with a generic outline of a person. You step into the Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) machine and the new software will auto-detect potential threats and show their location. The image is on a monitor that is attached to the AIT unit in public view so that passengers can see what the officer sees. Because this eliminates privacy concerns, we no longer have to place an officer in a separate room to view the images.

• Known Crew Member: TSA has a new program  for crew members to expedite screening for airline pilots through positive identification verification, which is currently being tested at Seattle-Tacoma International, Minneapolis-St. Paul International, Chicago O’Hare International, Miami International and Washington Dulles International airports.

• Expanded Behavior Detection Pilot: At Boston Logan International and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County airports, Behavior Detection Officers have casual conversations with travelers to determine if the traveler should be referred for additional screening at the checkpoint.

Tips, Linkage, and More!

• Family Lanes: Frequent flyers hate it when they’re in line behind a family, and guess what… families hate it when the frequent flyer is behind them tapping their foot and sighing. That’s why we created Family Lanes. They’re designed to let families take their time and ask questions without feeling rushed by the experienced frequent flyers who can zip through a checkpoint in no time. Also anybody carrying medically necessary liquids, aerosols and gels in excess of 3.4 oz may be directed to a Family Lane. Unfortunately, gravy is not medically necessary.

• Travel Advice for Domesticated Turkeys: While you can fly on a plane, you can’t really fly.

• Double Check Your Bag For Guns And Knives: It sounds silly, but so far this year, our officers have found more than 1,000 guns in passenger’s bags. A good percentage of those were loaded. The most common excuse is that the passenger didn’t know it was in the bag.

• Gifts: Wrapped gifts may need to be unwrapped. If there’s something in the gift that needs to be inspected, we have to open it. Our officers try their best not to mangle the gift wrap, but it’s not a guarantee and it also slows down the line for everybody else when we have to do this.

• The MyTSA App: Our MyTSA App (available as an iPhone or mobile web app) amongst other great features has a “Can I Bring My…” tool. You can type in the name of the item you’re curious about and it tells you if the item is permitted or not. Wondering if you can take your cranberry sauce on a plane?  Check the app to find out. A wait time feature is also available on our MyTSA application. It relies on crowd sourcing which means the more people who use it, the better. Spread the word, just like butter over a dinner roll.

• Pat-downs & Body Scanners: A very small percentage of passengers receive pat-downs. To reduce the need for a pat-down, the most important thing you can do is take everything out of your pockets before screening. You can put these items in your carry-on bag. Don't wear clothes with a high metal content, and put heavy jewelry on after you go through security. You will also receive a pat-down if you choose to opt out of our Advanced Imaging Technology. (Body Scanners) Check out this post to read some myths and facts about the pat-down.

• The 4-1-1 on 3-1-1 (Liquids, Gels & Aerosols): Let me start by saying this, it is my dream that gravy will one day come in a container similar to a whipped cream spray can. Now that I’ve gotten that off of my chest,  if you’re checking a bag, make it easy on yourself and just put your liquids in your checked luggage. That way, you don’t have to worry about 3-1-1. I know that suggestion doesn’t work for everybody. Some liquids are essential and some of you do not like to check your luggage. If you’d rather take liquids in your carry-on, please continue reading… 3-1-1 is the name for our liquid policy. You can read here for more details, but here is the gist of 3-1-1… Each passenger is allowed to take one clear quart-sized sealable bag and fill it with as many liquids in 3.4 oz or less sized containers that will fit, while still being able to seal the bag. Basically, don’t stuff it to the point where it won’t close. Make sure you take the bag out of your carry-on prior to sending it through the X-ray, or our officers may have to search your bag.

• Turkey Facts: Turkeys take offense to the phrase “laugh your head off.”

• Deodorant: Stick deodorant is not limited to 3.4 oz or less, but gel or spray deodorant is.

• Makeup: Any liquid makeup cosmetics such as eyeliner, nail polish, liquid foundation, etc. should be placed in the baggie. That goes for perfume as well. Powder makeup is fine. Powdered mashed potatoes are a crime against humanity, but fine to travel with.

• Deep Turkey Thoughts: When deceased turkeys are offended, do they roll over in their gravy?

• Shaving Razors: You can get more info from our blog post on this subject where the pictures will answer all of your questions.

• Foods: Pies are permitted, but they are subject to additional screening if our officers see any anomalies. (Additional screening of pies does not include our officers tasting the pie, no matter what they tell you…) Cakes, bread, donuts, turkeys, etc. are all permitted. If it’s a live turkey, you might want to have a word with the airline. Here is a list of items that should be placed in your checked bags or shipped: cranberry sauce, creamy dips and spreads (cheeses, peanut butter, etc.), gift baskets with food items (salsa, jams and salad dressings), gravy (mmm gravy), jams, jellies, maple syrup, oils and vinegars, sauces, soups, wine, liquor and beer.

• Turkey Humor: Unlike people who join the Navy, most turkeys are destined to join the gravy.

• Snow Globes: We are not in cahoots with the Heat Miser, but snow globes are not permitted in your carry-on luggage. They are sealed containers full of liquid that would have to be opened and destroyed to test. We’re not in the business of busting snow globes, so we suggest you place them in your checked baggage or mail them ahead of time.

• Forgotten or Lost IDs: If you have lost or forgotten your ID, you will still be permitted to fly as long as you help us verify you are who you say you are by answering a few questions.

• What If The Name On Your ID Doesn’t Match Your Boarding Pass?: Also, folks have had questions about the Secure Flight program and whether the name on your ticket has to match the name on your ID. The Secure Flight watch-list matching process occurs before a passenger even gets to the airport, so if you get a boarding pass, the Secure Flight watch-list matching process is done. In other words, you are clear once you get that pass.

• ID &Boarding Pass Checking & Secure Flight: As you approach a TSA checkpoint, you will see an officer checking IDs and boarding passes. Please have your acceptable ID and boarding pass out and ready to present to our officer. The several seconds it takes to get your ID and boarding pass out might not seem like much time, but it really adds up when you’ve got people in line behind you.

• Turkey Trivia: Contrary to popular belief, turkeys prefer to travel on the “Gravy Train,” rather than the “Gravy Boat.”

Follow on Twitter @tsablogteam for travel tips, blog post announcements, and other useful information. Print out this handy dandy checklist (PDF) so you don’t forget anything and don’t forget to check out TSA.gov for a wealth of information on traveling through TSA checkpoints.

Posted by: LT Stephanie Young

Last week, six Maritime Safety and Security Teams including Galveston, Honolulu, King’s Bay, Los Angeles, Miami and Seattle deployed in support of the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation – the first U.S.-hosted national special security event outside the continental U.S. In part one of a two-part story, Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Anderson explains what happens in the days leading up to deployment. Check back with Coast Guard Compass later this week as we take you on the APEC deployment!

Maritime Safety and Security Team Galveston members prepare their law enforcement equipment for deployment to provide security for the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leadership Conference. U.S. Coast Guard photos by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Anderson.

Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Teams deploy across the United States to support everything from military outloads to responses like Hurricane Irene and Deepwater Horizon.

Maritime Safety and Security Team Galveston holds quarters before deploying law enforcement personnel to provide security for the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leadership Conference.

Among the array of missions the teams perform, they also provide waterside security for national special security events like the United Nations General Assembly, presidential inaugurations and just recently, the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation. APEC, a 21-member association of economies from the Asia-Pacific region, brought an estimated 20,000 attendees to Honolulu, including member economies’ heads of state.

Multiple teams from across the country were called to deploy and provide security for the event, but this was no issue for the teams as they are used to coming together seamlessly to perform the mission.

“When we received our deployment order, it tasked us to support Sector Honolulu along with five other MSSTs during APEC,” said Lt. Michael Gris, MSST Galveston’s executive officer. “Working with other MSST teams is easy because of our standard qualifications and equipment. We resource share which allows an MSST Galveston boat crew to operate an MSST Seattle response boat supported by an MSST King’s Bay engineering crew. A team compromised of multiple MSSTs is able to deploy together and conduct operations seamlessly.”

The Coast Guard’s deployable specialized forces maintain a national go-team and an on-deck rotation. The rotation includes: Alpha, current operations; Bravo, ready for operations; Charlie, unit maintenance; and Tango, training.

Keeping with this rotation, Maritime Law Enforcement Force Protection Teams and boat crews deploy from units to support operations, while others cycle through training to maintain their tactical proficiency.

“Physical fitness is a large part of our readiness,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Coleman Moore, a coxswain at MSST Galveston. “Wearing our tactical gear for hours underway on watch takes conditioning. You also have to condition your mind to be alert and ready to respond to a threat with no notice.”

The Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Tango model is the key to providing properly trained forces to operational commanders for unexpected emergencies or scheduled events, like APEC.

“Our normal personal qualification cycle carried us right into APEC,” Moore said. “The planned nature of an NSSE [national special security events] allows the flexibility to tailor our capability leading into the deployment. Prior to APEC, we increased our law enforcement focus.”

Maritime Safety and Security Team Galveston joined five other MSSTs in providing waterside safety and security while on deployment.

MSSTs can also adjust a scheduled Charlie or Tango period in order to respond to operational requirements throughout the nation. The ability to trade off different operational and training times within the schedule demonstrates the inherent flexibility, while maintaining greater overall readiness and skill proficiency.

Posted by Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute

On Veterans Day, we recognize the service and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans, including many of our colleagues at the Department of Homeland Security. Every day, these men and women bring their skills, talents and experience to our many mission areas in order to keep our nation safe.

Because veterans play such an important role in our Department’s mission, Secretary Napolitano set a goal to employ 50,000 veterans at DHS by the end of 2012. We are proud that today, thanks to the commitment of individuals across the Department, we have reached that goal, more than a year ahead of schedule. Veterans now comprise 25 percent of our civilian workforce, in addition to the 49,000 active duty and reserve members of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Who are some of these individuals? Jim Bryant, a Human Resources Specialist at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), is a former service member who is now helping us expand our outreach to the veteran community. Bryant, who served for 21 years in the U.S. Marines, shares information with veterans about finding jobs at FLETC – where 40 percent of employees have a military background.

Or Michael Lozano, a 20-year military veteran, whose career included a combat deployment with the U.S. Marines as a Sergeant during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, and a recent deployment with the Air Force Reserve. Michael and his wife, Valery, currently serve as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agents in the Phoenix Field Office in Phoenix, Ariz.

Veterans like these bring their talents to every corner of our Department, continuing their service to our country as Transportation Security Officers, U.S. Border Patrol and ICE agents, Federal Protective Service officers, and headquarters staff.

In addition to hiring veterans, we are proud to announce that, for the second year in a row, DHS spent more than $1 billion in purchases and contracts with veteran owned small businesses, which provide critical goods and services to our Department.  

As a former member of the U.S. Army, I am proud to join with my fellow veterans in the important and remarkable work of DHS. We will continue our efforts to hire veterans, to contract with veteran owned businesses, and to engage the veteran community, as we work together to build a more secure and resilient Nation.

Posted by Secretary Napolitano

Today, President Obama signed an Executive Order entitled “Promoting Efficient Spending” as part of the administration-wide “Campaign to Cut Waste”.  I am proud that one of our DHS colleagues, Celeste Steele, from the Management Directorate, was able to join the President as he highlighted the Administration’s efforts to more effectively and efficiently use taxpayer dollars, including through the DHS Efficiency Review, which Vice President Biden recently highlighted as a model effort for other agencies. 

Celeste, a DHS employee since 2004, with more than 30 years of federal experience, is committed to cutting costs and finding efficiencies in her day-to-day work.  “I try to find better ways of doing things every day.   I am always looking for innovative value added solutions that will save taxpayer money.  Efficiency and cutting costs is what drives me,” says Celeste. 

In response to the ThinkEfficiency Campaign, in which DHS employees provide suggestions on ways the Department can avoid costs, streamline processes, and improve customer service, Celeste proposed that rather than using multiple smaller contracts, DHS leverage the purchasing power of the entire Department for commonly used items such as intelligence services, fleet management, and aviation parts, which will save the Department tens of millions of dollars.  Building on this idea, as part of the DHS-wide Efficiency Review, we now look to leverage the Department’s buying power on many other commonly-used items, such as office equipment and uniforms which will save the department more than $370 million over the next five years.

Through the Efficiency Review, other Department-wide efforts, and component initiatives, DHS has identified more than $1 billion in cost avoidances and implemented 36 efficiency initiatives across the agency. Behind each of these initiatives are the employees like Celeste from across DHS who propose efficiency ideas, implement them, and fundamentally change the way the federal government operates.

Get more information about the Department’s Efficiency Review

Posted by: Warren Stern, Director of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office

Last month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) completed final analysis on Helium-3 alternatives for neutron detection in radiation portal monitors, which are used to detect illicit radiological and nuclear materials.

Currently, Helium-3 is a necessary component of radiation portal monitors for neutron detection.  However, in recent years, our country has faced a Helium-3 shortage. 

Helium-3 is found in nature and can be harvested from the decay of elements commonly found in nuclear weapons and heavy water reactors.  However, with the drawdown of our nuclear weapon stockpile and the increased usage of He-3 in other applications, such as medical imaging and diagnostics, low temperature (cryogenics) research, and oil/gas exploration, annual Helium-3 demand now outpaces production.

For years, DNDO has been exploring options for an efficient, cost-effective strategy to address the Helium-3 shortage. DNDO’s Neutron Detector Replacement Program is working to decrease the use of Helium-3 in radiation monitors, and is engaging with the private sector to find a commercial alternative to Helium-3.

In August 2011, DNDO concluded an independent government test at our Radiological and Nuclear Countermeasures Test and Evaluation Complex in Nevada to evaluate the performance of several alternative neutron detection modules for radiation portal monitors that do not consume Helium-3. These promising alternative neutron detection technologies will eventually help eliminate the need for new Helium-3 allocations for radiation portal monitors, and alleviate the overall shortage for many government programs.

DNDO is also fundinglong-term research and development in partnership with the private sector and academia, and has approximately 15 different technologies in the pipeline that could replace Helium-3.

By decreasing the demand and managing the supply, the Obama administration has successfully increased the government’s Helium-3 gas reserve from 25,000 liters in 2009 to approximately 60,000 liters today.

In September, DHS recognized DNDO Test Scientist John Blackadar, as part of the Faces of Homeland Security initiative, for his work on radiological and nuclear detection systems and efforts to address the nation’s Helium-3 shortage.