The Order of the Sword and Shield is the first and only academic and professional honor society dedicated exclusively to homeland security, intelligence, emergency management, and all protective security disciplines. The mission of the Society shall be to promote critical thinking, high scholarship and professional development; to further enhance the ethical standards of the protective security professions; and to cultivate a high order of personal living. In addition to its academic purpose, the Society is strongly committed to helping communities prepare for safety and emergency conditions and sponsors many types of informational events throughout the year. The Honor Society was established in 2010 on the campuses of St. John's University in New York. It inducted its first members in 2011 and has had an induction class every year since then. The Founding Director, Associate Professor Jeffrey P. Grossmann, serves as the current Executive National Director, and oversees the primary operations of the Society. In an open letter to the industry, Professor Grossmann stated that "together with your support, we will position the Society as the leading resource in academic achievement recognition in the fields of homeland security, intelligence, emergency management, and all protective studies". The Core Values of the Society are excellence, knowledge, ethics, and peace. Our motto is ex scientia pax which means "out of knowledge comes peace". As an association which represents homeland security, intelligence, and protective security academic disciplines, this has special meaning. With an ultimate goal of peace and safety for all, the protective security profession must utilize knowledge as a primary tool for the accomplishment of this objective. The Society recognizes this commitment and the dedication of those individuals achieving academic and professional excellence. OSS or Omicron Sigma Sigma is our Greek name.
