CAW is a federal government organization that was established in 1999 in recognition of the need to support US military forces and local/state/federal organizations in identifying, countering, and controlling the effects of Asymmetric Warfare (AW) in support of the Global War on Terrorism. CAW is committed to providing the best exercises, training, technology and education in an integrated environment in an effort to enable participants to achieve their goals and objectives.

In 2008, CAW joined the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) as a satellite division, located at Point Mugu, CA and is aligned under the National Security Institute. CAW has the flexibility to operate across the 4 institutes and 4 schools that make up NPS. It also allows CAW to capitalize on the expertise of many distinguished alumni, faculty and students.

CAW builds exercises that include participants from local, state, federal, Department of Defense (DoD), military and private sector entities.

CAW offers a multi-faceted team that has experience from state and local emergency management, military exercise planning and execution with an emphasis on domestic and international port security and force protection.