Arctic Regional Security Orientation Course (ARSOC)

The purpose of ARSOC is to provide baseline knowledge to personnel without Arctic experience, focusing on historical, environmental, commercial, geopolitical, and strategic issues concerning the Arctic region in order to encourage discussion, intellectual curiosity, and critical thinking.

Introduction

Our world has been altered not only by a pandemic and the dramatic impacts of climate change, but also a dynamic change to the fundamental principle of rules-based order. The Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine has not only devastated the citizens of a sovereign nation, but also jeopardized the security environment of Europe, and the pan-Arctic region. This security confluence dictates the United States, ally and partner military organizations continue preparations to protect and defend our respective national and shared multinational interests. This new security paradigm requires an examination and determination to consider what new approaches are needed to deter, dissuade, and deny our strategic competitors and adversaries from taking actions contrary to our shared interests. This interactive, multidisciplinary course is intended to provide like-minded Arctic security practitioners a common baseline exposure to the many facets of the Arctic, from the geo-physical to geo-strategic.