If you work or aspire to work in the public safety field, being a team player is a necessity. Whether you’re a police officer, firefighter, EMT, or emergency manager, lives depend on the strength and unity of teams. And, in today’s world of complex threats, it’s not just how well one team works together, it’s how well teams from different agencies work together in a coordinated response.

In August, In Public Safety will feature articles written by American Military University faculty members investigating the ongoing shifts in teamwork and coordination efforts among public safety agencies.

What exactly is terrorism? Those familiar with the study of terrorism know that there is not a universally accepted definition. However, there are many similarities in most accepted definitions. AMU intelligence studies professor Dr. James Hess discusses how the United Nations and United States define terrorism and the key differences between these definitions.

By Dr. Stephen Schwalbe
Faculty Member, Public Administration at American Public University

The latest military confrontation in Europe began recently in Ukraine. In the middle of June, Russia announced that it would respond to any moves by the United States to build up military capabilities in Eastern Europe by fortifying its western border. In other words, this is a new post-Cold War arms race in the making.