by the newly formed Army Environmental Policy In-
stitute (AEPI). The U.S. Army later codified the ef-
forts of AEPI and the annual Senior Environmental
Leadership Conferences in the development of the
first Army Environmental Master Plan in 1992 (AEPI
2011). In 1993, the DOD established the office of the
Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Environmental
Security, which would serve to develop policy for all
branches of the Armed Forces (AEPI 2011).
In the 1990s, significant international academic
research focused on assessing environmental factors
in the outbreak of cross-border aggression and mass
movement of peoples across borders, which in turn
drew attention to how better environmental planning
and management could reduce international conflict
and increase national security. The U.S. govern-
ment’s 1998 National Security Strategy (NSS) clearly
acknowledged the link between environmental issues
and security.
Environmental Security Concept – Decline and
Durability: Bush and Obama Administrations
During President Bush’s two administrations, the
concept of environmental security seemed to disap-
pear from view. The rise of global terrorist activities,
and especially the September 11, 2001 attacks, turned
the national focus toward security threats to be met
with military might. Indicators of this retrenchment
included: dropping the clear linkage of environment
and security in the NSS; reversing the DOD reorgani-
zation, which created the position of Undersecretary
of Defense for Environmental Security; increasing
DOD influence in crafting foreign policy; announcing
a policy of ‘preemptive war’ (West Point speech, June