Advanced search Help
Resource Type or Special Collection is Theses & Research Reports
Format is pdf
Clear all search criteria
Only 2/3! You are seeing results from the Public Collection, not the complete Full Collection. Sign in to search everything (see eligibility).
-
Reading the President's Mind: Interpreting National Intent from Patterns and Landmarks, 1987-1996
From the Thesis Abstract: "This monograph identifies signals of national intent during military planning. In times of crisis, national policy is a moving target, especially for military planners trying to anticipate policy and align operations with it. Fortunately, when it comes to committing America's ground forces, there have been observable patterns and useful landmarks on the 'road-to-war' in Panama (1989), the Gulf War (1991), Haiti (1994), and Bosnia (1995). Patterns and landmarks enable planners to interpret what the President wants the military to do and when by providing termination criteria and timeline guidance. The crisis-response pattern of crisis, political response, military planning response, and catalyst, depicts US prerequisites for war. Landmarks like United Nations resolutions, presidential elections, treaties and national agreements, rise above the noise of the hyper-information environment and clarify real policy. Speeches from NCA [National Command Authority] figures are not reliable landmarks. Politically astute officers, in cooperation with interagency partners and legal counsel, are best suited to identify patterns and landmarks that clarify national intent."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Gillman, Mark D.
2018-05-23
-
African Female Military in United Nations Peacekeeping Missions
From the Thesis Abstract: "United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) reflect the changing nature of the post-Cold War world. PKO involve large-scale deployment of resources to prevent fighting and establish stability between those parties in conflict. Many factors contribute to both successful and less-successful PO [Peace Operations]; one factor recently addressed by the UN is that of female representation. The purpose of this research was to explore the representation of female members in UNPKO and how their representation contributed to mission success. The main question this thesis addressed was 'what is the value added of female military in UNPKO?' To accomplish this end, the study reviewed international policy regarding Women, Peace and Security, and applied key factors from these documents to case studies of Female Engagement Teams in Afghanistan and UN missions in Liberia, the Central African Republic, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. The author used three evaluation criteria, based upon the three components of strategy - ends, ways, and means to assess overall effectiveness of these missions. This study recommends increasing women representation in UNPKO, in general, and African female representation in particular."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Nsengimana, Lausanne
2018-06-15
-
Automating the Wisdom of the Crowd
From the Thesis Abstract: "The current Army Operating Concept, Win in a Complex World, describes future operational environments as complex, uncertain, chaotic, and dangerous. Under these conditions, accurate decision-making becomes a cyclical time-based competition. Commanders who can achieve situational understanding quickly enough to anticipate opportunities and threats gain and maintain a position of relative advantage over the enemy. One way in which intelligence organizations help commanders achieve situational understanding is through the rapid collection, analysis, and delivery of actionable intelligence to the point of need. Analysts often balance two contradictory requirements to avoid intelligence failures: speed and accuracy. Failure to produce actionable intelligence in time may negate its value. Conversely, failure to vet the accuracy of the intelligence may negate its value irrespective of the timeliness. Three factors limit both speed and accuracy: the capacity of human cognition, susceptibility to bias, and the limits of organizational knowledge. Mitigating the effects of these three constraints improves commanders' ability to achieve situational awareness. This paper examines whether a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and crowdsourcing can help the intelligence community achieve situational understanding quicker and with more accuracy. After a close examination of the benefits and pitfalls of artificial intelligence and crowdsourcing, this paper concludes with a 'Hybrid Options' section, which demonstrates that a combination of artificial intelligence and crowdsourcing provides a path to mitigating the effects of the limits of human cognition, susceptibility to bias, and the limits of organizational knowledge. If taken into practice, this hybrid will prove an invaluable resource to operational planners."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Waldock, Jakin J.
2018-05-25
-
British Defense Policy and the Logic of Deterrence
From the Thesis Abstract: "In the 2015 'Strategic Defence and Security Review' deterrence assumed a position of central prominence within British defense policy: this reflected NATO's renewed focus on deterrence following Russia's 2014 invasion of the Ukraine. This monograph examines the logic of deterrence's prominence in, and the way in which it contributes to the wider aims of British defense policy. The traditional understanding of deterrence as a dyadic relationship is inadequate, and leads to a limited appreciation of deterrence's utility. Deterrence should be considered in terms of three faces: a dyadic relationship; a form of group communication; and a social construction. These three faces expand the utility of deterrence, and the strategic possibilities a deterrent relationship offers the state. Considered within the context of British defense policy, the United Kingdom's deterrent posture reduces the likelihood of Russia conducting military action against a NATO member state, but its most important contribution is in the maintenance of the United Kingdom's global influence. Deterrence is necessary to maintain the 'Special Relationship' with the United States, and to ensure the United Kingdom has a leading role within international organizations."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Welford, David T. M.
2018-05-24
-
Beyond Minimal Restoration: A Robust Approach to Post Large-Scale Combat Operations
From the Thesis Abstract: "Following a major military conflict, political instability and economic distress can create an environment for insurgencies to thrive, cultivating new and deeper problems and possibly leading to additional conflict. This risk of insurgency makes it critical for the victor to engage in nation-building after the military conflict is over to restore peace and stability and protect its long-term interests in the region. In the past century, the United States has played a powerful role in building nations around the world following substantial conflicts. In recent years, however, the United States has struggled to successfully rebuild nations to ensure the achievement of its longterm goals after it engages in large-scale combat operations, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently, the US military takes a 'minimal restoration' approach to nation-building in these areas, which largely relies on the expertise of the State Department and the US Agency for International Development while minimizing its own role. However, the military holds vastly more resources in comparison to the minimal funding of the State Department. This approach has been largely ineffective, and has enabled ideologically-driven insurgencies to thrive in the region. This monograph evaluates two historical case studies in which the United States successfully nurtured comprehensive nation-building efforts in the Republics of the Philippines and Korea. In these countries, the United States faced a threat that communist-led forces would take over the countries, extending the influence of the Soviet Union. With the goal of building strong democratic countries that could stand as bulwarks against communism, the United States built up both nations' infrastructure, economy, and political system. Today, both nations remain fully democratic and have top 50 economies in the world. These case studies provide insights into how the United States should approach reconstruction following large-scale combat operations."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Wiehagen, Michael D.
2018-05-24
-
Strategic Context of the Arctic and Implications for the US Army
From the Thesis Abstract: "Effects of Arctic warming are projected to accelerate the rate at which Arctic sea ice melts, allowing the Arctic's natural resources and navigable sea lines of communications to be more accessible. The expected changes to the Arctic environment will impact the strategic interests of national stakeholders, as well as the US Arctic strategic policy. The strategic context of the Arctic is created through the fabric of relations between nations who reside along the boundaries of the Arctic Ocean, those near-Arctic nations with national interests, and the international organizations that provide a forum for discussion. Each actor's geostrategic goals, as published through individual Arctic strategies, contain three common themes: sovereignty, resource development, and maritime shipping. The United States, in comparison with other Arctic nations, has been dilatory in developing an Arctic Strategy and allocating resources. The US Army in particular should look to the other Arctic nations for unique sourcing solutions to combat the effects of an unpredictable environment on operational reach, infrastructure, and command and control."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Todd, Matthew W.
2018-05-25
-
Illicit Wildlife Resource Exploitation and Transnational Criminal Organizations: A Problem for Military Planners
From the Thesis Abstract: "This monograph explains the double negative impact of wildlife resource exploitation by transnational criminal organizations and provides an example of an operational approach to address the problem. The first case study explains the evolution of poaching enforcement during the development of natural parks in the United States. The second case study uses the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme to demonstrate how to turn the illicit trade of wildlife resources into a legitimate and profitable industry. The ultimate aim is to secure wildlife resources, deny transnational criminal organizations the opportunity to exploit wildlife resources, and enable legitimate governments to sustain wildlife populations and profit from their own natural environments."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Wilson, Byron W., Jr.
2019-05-24
-
Hearts-And-Minds: A Strategy of Conciliation, Coercion, or Commitment?
From the summary: "The efficacy of the hearts-and-minds concept as initially propounded by British Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templer in 1952 to address a communist guerrilla insurgency during the Malayan Emergency has subsequently assumed a storied--even jaded--reputation within Western military establishments not to mention the American psyche. Whether unfairly maligned, inappropriately modified, or simply misunderstood, hearts-and-minds remains at the forefront of today's counterinsurgency (COIN) doctrine largely resulting from General David Petraeus's successful application of its Field Manual 3-24 documented precepts during the 2007 Iraq surge. The inherent dichotomy of population-centric COIN as exemplified through the hearts-and-minds maxim suggests strategies both of conciliation and of coercion resulting in significant scholarly debate as to intended emphasis. This monograph presents an investigation of the concept's colonial antecedents, inception at the onset of the Cold War, subsequent U.S. interpretation during Vietnam, and modern application to post-9/11 conflict in order to elucidate its true nature--one which can only properly be understood as commitment. By understanding this evolution over time, an enhanced appreciation of its applicability to future conflict as well as its place within the irregular warfare canon may be more properly apprehended."
Army War College (U.S.); Army War College (U.S.). Peacekeeping & Stability Operations Institute
Nell, Karl E.
2012-09
-
Emergence of Readiness: The Efforts That Generate and Consume Ready Forces
From the Thesis Abstract: "Expert debates on readiness usually pit individuals that view readiness efforts as the tactical efforts of manning, equipping, and training military units against those that believe readiness includes strategic elements such as end strength. This monograph seeks to describe readiness as both a system and an emergent property that creates a force that can meet the demands of assigned missions. In addition to the manning, equipping, and training - referred to as tactical readiness lines of effort - this monograph introduces strategic readiness lines of effort that contribute to the readiness system and the emergent property of a ready force. The strategic readiness lines of effort combine with the traditional tactical readiness lines of efforts to generate forces capable of meeting assigned missions. This places readiness generation largely at the strategic and tactical levels of war. As a result, readiness consumers reside at the operational level where campaigns and major operations are conducted in pursuit of national security interests."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Neri, Philip B.
2019-05-24
-
Simultaneous Transformation and Rapid Growth of the US Army in World War II
From the Thesis Abstract: "No one knew it at the time, but the Victory Plan of 1941 became the operational concept used by the United States and her Allies to wage World War II. MAJ [Major] Albert C. Wedemeyer, a US Army Major who had arrived at the War Plans Division at the War Department just a few months prior, led the study. Written in the months prior to the events at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the plan was incredibly accurate at predicting an operational concept to a strategy that was as yet unstated and far from clear. The methodology MAJ Wedemeyer used to develop the plan allowed for the rapid growth and simultaneous transformation of the US Army. Could the US Army use this methodology again today in a similar manner? The research for this paper found that the US Army could only numerically support defensive operations in the Baltics and could not support offensive operations. The less than 1:2 ratio of armored brigades potentially available was the most striking finding."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Ferrell, Richard M.
2018-05-24
-
Soviet Application of Operational Art in the Khalkhin Gol Campaign, May-August 1939
From the Thesis Abstract: "This monograph analyzes the Khalkhin Gol Campaign, also referred to as the Battle of Nomonhan, from the Soviet perspective to look at the elements of operational art in a historical campaign. The Khalkhin Gol Campaign resulted from the poorly defined border between Outer Mongolia and Manchukuo. The Khalkhin Gol Campaign began when Mongolian cavalry occupied disputed territory between the Khalkhin Gol River and the town of Nomonhan. This undeclared border war between the USSR [Union of Soviet Socialist Republics] and Japan lasted from May to August, 1939 and resulted in more than fifty thousand casualties combined. This analysis provides current military planners with a historical vignette to enhance their appreciation for the application of the elements of operational art for future high intensity conflicts."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Manner, Michael C.
2018-03-28
-
Measuring the Effectiveness of the Afghan Surge
From the Thesis Abstract: "On December 1, 2009, President Barack Obama declared that the United States would deploy additional combat power to Afghanistan to reverse the momentum gained by the Taliban and associated insurgent networks. Despite nearly eight years of war at that point, deliberate campaign assessment had only begun in 2008. Assessments exist to help commanders better understand the nature of the current campaign and how it changes over time. With an immature assessment process at the beginning of the surge, ISAF [International Security Assistance Force] was forced to rapidly adapt and improve. Several changes to the assessment process during the surge included the creation of the ISAF Joint Command Information Dominance Center and Afghan Assessment Group. These organizations slowly increased transparency, credibility, and relevance at the strategic level. Despite improvements at the strategic level, however, advances were not as significant at the tactical level. Ultimately the improved centralized assessment process used by ISAF at the close of the surge was more effective at helping the COMISAF [ISAF Commander] better understand the operating environment. Though the system still depended on quantitative data and failed to push assessments down to tactical units, it provided GEN [General] Allen a more robust picture than GEN McChrystal received two years prior."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Wallgren, Christopher J.
2018-06-15
-
Improving Protection Against Viral Aerosols Through Development of Novel Decontamination Methods and Characterization of Viral Aerosol
From the Thesis Abstract: "Although respirators and filers are designed to prevent the spread of pathogenic aerosols, a stockpile shortage is anticipated during the next flu pandemic. Contact transfer and reaerosolization are also concerns. An option to address these potential problems is to decontaminate used respirators/filters for reuse. In this research a droplet/aerosol loading chamber was built and used in decontamination testing to proved a fair comparison of the performance of different decontamination techniques, including antimicrobial chemical agents, microwave irradiation and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, which were incorporated into filtration systems and tested. The inactivation efficacy of dialdehyde cellulose and starch filters s biocidal filters was investigated. In sufficiently humid conditions both media showed higher removal efficiency and better disinfection capability at lower pressure drop than conventional media."
Air Force Research Laboratory (Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida). Materials and Manufacturing Directorate
Woo, Myung-Huei
2012-04-16
-
Cuba After Castro: What Military Forces Will be Necessary to Execute U.S. Policy?
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis analyzes the current situation and scenarios for future events in Cuba. It looks at current U.S. diplomatic and economic policies and their effects on future developments within Cuba. The thesis investigates possible U.S. objectives in Cuba, after the current regime departs, and derives possible U.S Armed Forces missions to support U.S. objectives. Finally, it proposes potential U.S. forces' composition and organization to execute U.S. policy. The thesis concludes that there are two possible scenarios for U.S. Armed Forces involvement in Cuba. One is an 'intrusive humanitarian relief and nation assistance operation,' and the other a permissive involvement based on an arrangement or agreement with a Cuban Transitional Unity Government or faction involvement in a Cuban civil war. To truly be successful in Cuba any intervention must be combined, interagency, and joint. In both scenarios a combination of Special Operations Forces and Conventional Forces under a Joint Task Force including civil agencies for interagency and intergovernmental coordination should be deployed."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Rose, Michael S.
1995-06-02
-
Nature of Future Intelligence Organizations
From the thesis abstract: "This monograph identifies the essential characteristics and capabilities of intelligence organization structures for an army force that is global, rapidly deployable and capable of executing fall spectrum military operations in joint and combined environments. It identifies these characteristics and capabilities by tracing the evolution of military intelligence organization structures over the past decade. It examines lessons learned from deployments to Somalia, Bosnia and Haiti as well as observations from Division Advanced Warfighting Experiments (DAWE) to determine causes of recurring problems related to intelligence organizational design. This monograph proposes a traditional, matrix and virtual models as potential intelligence organization structures. It analyzes each model's strengths and wea[kn]esses, identifies essential characteristics, and assesses applicability of each relative to future environmental influences specific to offense, defense, stability and support operations. These environmental influences are stability, complexity and diversity. They are important considerations because they often necessitate changes in organizational design."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Pacher, Leo R.
2000-05-15
-
Arming Commanders to Combat PTSD: A Time For Change - Attacking the Stressors Vice the Symptoms
From the thesis abstract: "Just as war is not a new phenomenon, neither are the issues associated with the mental and emotional scars combat brings to those who fight a nation's wars. Historically, the United States has assumed a reactive vice proactive posture as it relates to coping with the fiscal, and humanistic challenges that manifest within a nation at war, and those who experience the trauma of combat. The Army has proven slow to respond to the need to train and educate its leaders and instead has devoted vast capital on the assessment and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attacking the symptoms as they arise, vice attacking the stressors which cause the affliction. The invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and the deployment of forces throughout the world to combat terror, however, have created conditions whereby PTSD is again in the lime-light. This monograph examines PTSD from a historical perspective reviewing the manner in which the Army viewed, assessed, and treated those afflicted with PTSD as well its methods for training and educating those honored with the opportunity to lead these warriors in battle. This monograph highlights existing shortfalls in assessment, training, doctrine, and education as it relates to those commanding at the battalion-level."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Haycock, Robert D.
2009-05-12
-
Iranian Tentacles into Iraq: The Basis and Extent of Iranian Influence into Southern Iraq
From the thesis abstract: "Iran is presently conducting an aggressive strategic influence campaign into southern Iraq. The Iraqi Shia community is the primary target of Iranian efforts. Tehran's bases its motivations on national self-interest and religious-political ideals. Members of both Shia communities hold varied cultural values, based on their historical development. Tehran uses methods along the spectrum of psychological persuasion to influence and subvert the Iraqi Shia community. Specifically, they target individual communities. The formidable Iranian government apparatus allows the targeting of the Iraqi population through efforts designed to achieve compliance and conformity. The Iraqi Shia society is fragmented, but nationalism also provides a powerful influence for this group. Independent national principles foster Iraqi and Iranian nationalist sentiments and the division between the two states are likely to grow with the Iraqi government becoming more capable and effective of controlling its own state affairs."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Thompson, Christiane
2009-12-03?
-
Fighting the Culture War
From the thesis abstract: "Special operations soldiers who waged the early fight in Afghanistan proved that their sensitivity to and understanding of the cultural differences of the indigenous population as well as the enemy combatants led to overwhelming success on the battlefield. Conventional forces, lacking in training and experience of cultural nuances, claimed victory on the conventional battlefield in Iraq but later spent several years unsuccessfully fighting an insurgency for which they were ill-prepared and little understood. Later emphasis on cultural understanding and empowerment of the local population led to significant gains in defeating the Iraqi insurgents. The U.S. military must train its soldiers to embrace cultural understanding and use it to guide the strategy of current conflicts and those of the future."
US Army Sergeants Major Academy
Lindsay, Gary R.
2009-03-10
-
Winning the Soft War: The Employment of Tactical PSYOP Teams in Combat Operations
From the thesis abstract: "The employment of tactical PSYOP [psychological operations] teams (TPT) directly affects the outcome of operations. In the past 10 years, the U.S. Army failed to fully employ TPTs in operations a significant percentage of the time. The operational cost of not employing low-density military specialties is significant. The quality of the command relationship was the determining factor in how effectively commanders employed TPTs. Education and training played a secondary role in the effective employment of TPTs; but the value of relevant training and education is undeniable. This paper examines the employment of TPTs in operations over the last ten years. It applies information from subject matter experts analyzing the impact of doctrine, training and education, and command relationships on the employment of TPTs. The paper concludes with key concepts that promote proper employment of TPTs and recommendations for future research."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Segerstrom, Lorne R.
2012-06-08
-
No More Vietnams: CORDS as a Model for Counterinsurgency Campaign Design
From the thesis abstract: "This monograph examines the Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (CORDS) program in Vietnam as a potential model for the design of modern campaigns targeted against revolutionary guerrilla insurgencies. The Vietnam War ended in failure; yet it represents America's most recent major effort against a guerrilla insurgency. Because U.S. vital strategic interests are likely to be threatened by insurgent movements in the future, an analysis of our record in countering the Vietcong insurgency demands attention. Although the U.S. failed to develop a viable counterstrategy to the Maoist revolutionary guerrilla strategy of North Vietnam ('dau tranh'), CORDS was a step in the right direction, albeit too late. CORDS effectively tied together the myriad of existing political, informational, economic, and military pacification programs into a synergistic whole. Based on a high degree of bureaucratic and organizational flexibility, CORDS enjoyed a respectable degree of success in countering the Vietcong insurgency. In this regard, CORDS provides us with a good model for the design of counterinsurgency campaigns. It also demonstrates that counter insurgency efforts are more than just a military undertaking. Therefore, this paper recommends that the United States develop a national counterinsurgency policy on the CORDS model. DOD would be the lead agent in its development, with DOS being a primary contributor[.]"
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Wells, Gordon M.
1991-04-28
-
Enforcement of Human Rights of Suspected Terrorists
From the thesis abstract: "This paper will discuss the Army's challenge in the enforcement of human rights of suspected terrorist. It will discuss the challenges the Soldiers face daily in the War against Terrorism with the media coverage of their every action."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Epps, Richard E.
2006?
-
Analyzing International Economic Influence on Iran
From the thesis abstract: "The interconnectedness of global trade influences international relations. The complexities of this interconnectedness may be better understood through quantitative analysis of the balance of trade within the global economic system. This monograph serves as a proof-of-concept testing analytic tools for better understanding the efficacy and consequences of economic influence in terms of sanctions and other similar macroeconomic regimes. The underlying concept developed is a calculation of economic threat rings describing the propensity and utility of countries to participate in such regimes. Iran is used as a case study as it has a long standing record of sanctions being imposed upon it by the United States and others since its 1979 revolution. Iran continues to be of contemporary interest in American foreign policy owing to concerns with respect to its known sponsorship of terrorism and suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Renfro, Robert S., II
2009-11-30
-
Technology, Concepts, and Tactics and the Islamic Way of War
From the thesis abstract: "The United States has attempted for several decades to assist in the modernization of armies in the Middle East. These armies are rich in tradition and heritage of medieval and pre-modern Islamic armies. Islamic armies possess an ability to assimilate technology, concepts, and tactics from external sources, but refuse to assimilate the associated culture of that technology. Instead, they choose to use foreign ideas and technology in an Islamic manner. They create massive land armies of untrained soldiers unable to assimilate modern technology, concepts, and tactics. Their inability to develop new technology and effectively utilize imported technology, concepts, and tactics inevitably adversely affects their performance. This challenge will continue to plague the United States unless there is a significant effort to understand the underlying culture of those armies. In order for modern Islamic nations to bring their armies out of the Ottoman decay, they must professionalize. Well-educated, well-trained, professional armies are superior to larger less well-trained and educated armies. Perfect examples of this are the wars between Israel and Egypt in the 1960s and early 1970s. Understanding the complexity of developing a well educated, well trained Islamic will assist US military personnel advise Islamic armies in the pursuit of modernization."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Shaw, Scott A.
2009-06-12
-
Light Fighter Communication - On Today's Chemical Battlefield
From the thesis abstract: "The thesis problem is, 'How well does communication within the 'Light Fighter' force function on today's chemical battlefield.' Chapter 2 reviews the history of chemical warfare and the evolution of the Chemical Warfare Service (CWS). First, this study presents the significance of the thesis problem. Second, the Soviet offensive use of chemicals is reviewed. Third, documented uses of chemicals in today's Third World Countries is presented. Fourth, a baseline communication model is established as a basis for comparison. Fifth, a fictional scenario is presented to illustrate light forces conducting combat operations in a tropical climate. The lessons learned are mentioned on the basis of studies conducted by governmental agencies and as illustrated in the scenario."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Hale, Thomas J.
1988-06-03
-
New Guard: A Service-Equivalent Force
"This thesis proposes that the National Guard is a service-equivalent force and requires expanded authorities to develop capabilities for its dual-role mission. The paper provides an in depth analysis of the historical role of the militia and the subsequently the National Guard. It examines the debates and issues that underpin the current defense force structure and makes specific recommendations for the future development and role of the National Guard."
Joint Special Operations University (U.S.)
Scalf, James E.
2012-06-07
-
Operational Design Applied: Reframing Counterdrug Support to Law Enforcement in Texas
From the thesis abstract: "The lessons learned from a decade of continuous conflict have direct application to the counterdrug mission conducted by the Texas National Guard standing 32 USC [United States Code] 112 task force. By applying the principles of Attack the Network, the Texas Counterdrug Task Force can make a significant contribution to an emerging comprehensive approach to confront Mexican TCOs [Transnational Crime Organizations]--the center of gravity of a larger threat to hemispheric stability. Following the methodology of Operational Design, this study develops a contextual understanding of the operational environment, frames the ill-structured problem confronting the organization, and establishes an operational approach that maximizes the application of Texas National Guard critical capabilities in support of law enforcement to accomplish national and state-level strategic objectives."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Brackin, Steven T.
2012-06-18
-
West Africa Since the Cold War: Implications for U.S. Strategy
From the thesis abstract: "As U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan begins to wind down, political and military leaders are already beginning to make uncomfortable choices about the military's future force structure, missions, and procurement programs. These decisions are being shaped by the ongoing economic down-turn, domestic issues, public opinion, transnational threats, and increasing competition with China. The recently issued 'Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense' indicates that the United States will only deploy large military forces for long-duration combat operations when vital America interests are clearly at stake. It also indicates policy-maker reluctance to intercede in the small wars that have been prevalent throughout much of the world over the last decade. This paper will examine the small wars in West Africa in the period since the end of the Cold War. Its purpose is to ascertain tendencies and characteristics of these conflicts and identify implications for future U.S. regional strategy in light of recent defense strategic guidance. Additionally, it is intended to provide policy practitioners a better understanding of the challenges they will face when attempting to frame the strategic environment and problems in a region like Africa."
Army War College (U.S.)
Millerm, Mark A.
2012-03-22
-
Impacts and Risks of Migration and Refugee Flows in Africa
From the thesis abstract: "Conflict and human rights abuse associated with poor governance have become the key factors that contribute to mass migration in Africa; and it is no coincidence that conflict-ridden countries are often those with severe economic difficulties. Similarly, domestic strife and civil war frequently produce large population dislocations and refugee flows across national boundaries. Population displacements, refugees and migration are not only common phenomena, but are also on the increase in sub-Saharan Africa. Although explanations for the causes include political oppression, economic adversities and environmental degradation, conflicts and wars account for the bulk of sub-Saharan Africa's refugees and migration in recent years. These explanations are themselves dependent on the problem of the African states and their failure to address the region's environmental crisis. This paper will identify the impacts and risks of mass migration and refugee flows in Africa, climate change on economics and security. The paper will conclude with recommendations on how to mitigate these problems."
Army War College (U.S.)
Mbite, Joseph Patrick
2012-03-12
-
Whole of Government Approach in West Africa
From the thesis abstract: "Pursuing a whole of government approach in West Africa within the Department of State (DOS), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Department of Defense (DoD) is essential in ensuring US interests and objectives in the region are achieved. This paper addresses the whole of government approach as it relates to integration and coordination of development assistance initiatives, security concerns, and humanitarian relief efforts in West Africa. Additionally, attaining national security objectives requires the efficient and effective use of the diplomatic, informational, economic, and military instruments of national power supported by and coordinated with those of allies and West African regional organizations. In order for the US to achieve a balanced whole of government approach, it must not only collaborate and coordinate internally but it must do the same with its partners. The US must get this right because without a whole of government approach in West Africa its efforts, interests and more importantly influence in the region will decline."
Army War College (U.S.)
Sadler, Nestor A.
2012-03-27
-
Ethiopian - Eritrean Conflict: Security Implications for the Horn of Africa
From the thesis abstract: "The Horn of Africa is a region in which neighboring countries have been uncomfortable with each other. Since 1960, most of the countries in the region question the validity of each other's boundaries established by the former colonial powers. Eritrean and Ethiopian boundaries are also part of this problem. Since its independence Eritrea has used military force against Yemen, Djibouti, and Ethiopia following unresolved border claims. However, the use of borders as a pretext for economic and political problems is common in Eritrea. One example of this is the war conducted from 1998 to 2000 between Ethiopia and Eritrea that affects the security of the entire region. It was one of the most dangerous wars in the Horn of Africa with high spillover effect to neighboring countries. Based on the principle of 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' Eritrea has supported dissenting and armed opposition groups in the region as indirect continuity of the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to look at how the conflict of Ethiopian- Eritrean has worsened the security situation of the Horn of Africa and created fertile environments for terrorist groups in the region."
Army War College (U.S.)
Gidey, Temesgen A.
2012-03-22
