Course Overview
Irregular Warfare 110 (IW-110) discusses current hybrid threats and the application of recognized IW activities like Countering Threat Networks, Counter Threat Finance, and Counterterrorism, to better defend and secure our homeland. Additionally, IW-110 explains how IW concepts like Total / Comprehensive Defense, and Countering Hybrid Threats can offer effective practices to establish a whole-of-society defense posture to increase resiliency against U.S. adversary activities in the gray zone.
The course performance objectives are: 1) Describe the current Homeland Security and Homeland Defense environment, 2) Identify irregular threats to the U.S. homeland from state and non-state actors, and 3) Examine the application of IW approaches/activities domestically to counter diverse threats to the homeland. IW-110 was developed by the Irregular Warfare Center (IWC) in response to the March 2025 DOD Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance (INDSG) for the DOD to shift the #1 priority to homeland defense and done in coordination with USNORTHCOM.
Learning Objectives:
- Examine the application of IW approaches/activities domestically to counter diverse threats to the homeland.
- Describe the current Homeland Security and Homeland Defense environment.
- Identify irregular threats to the U.S. homeland from state and non-state actors.
Irregular Warfare Center (IWC)
The stated mission of the Irregular Warfare Center (IWC) from Title X § 345 is: “to serve as a central mechanism for developing the irregular warfare knowledge of the Department of Defense and advancing the understanding of irregular warfare concepts and doctrine, in collaboration with key partners and allies.”
Information about the IWC, to include additional training opportunities can be found on the IWC website at: https://irregularwarfarecenter.org
Irregular Warfare 110
IW 110: IW Activities (abbreviated)
About the Instructor
Dr. Jeffrey V. Gardner
Dr. Gardner is the Chief of Curriculum and Senior Faculty at the Irregular Warfare Center (IWC). He is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel who served at all levels from tactical to strategic. He has deployments to the Balkans, Afghanistan and in a Joint Special Operations Task Force in Iraq. He served at the U.S. European Command and on the staff of U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. After retiring he worked at NATO Allied Command Transformation as a counter terrorism planner and instructor. He also served as a Colonel of Militia commanding a state defense force brigade for incident response, command and control and crisis management.
Dr Gardner has also worked as faculty at the NATO Special Operations University for 10 years teaching intelligence and advanced courses such as Countering Hybrid Threats and Comprehensive Defense for Allied Special Operations Command (SOFCOM). Dr Gardner has over 18 years of instructional experience including in the U.S. National Defense University Joint and Combined Warfighting School as an Assistant Professor, Curriculum Lead and won faculty of the year in 2011. He holds three master’s degrees, a PhD in Homeland Security, is an Army Strategist, a U.S. Joint Planner, and an Air War College graduate. Dr Gardner also instructs civilian college courses on Homeland Security/Defense.