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Shifting Focus to Train the Future: Should Army Junior Reserve Officer Corps Programs' Purpose Be Modified to Increase Students' Proficiency in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics?
From the Thesis Abstract: "The Army Junior Reserve Candidate Training Corps (AJROTC) is a DoD federally funded program that prepares high school students to contribute to society following high school. In an era where Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) career fields are outpacing qualified applicants, the DoD and the federal government wholly recognizes the importance of recruiting and retaining talented STEM professionals. This thesis investigates the current state of AJROTC programs and addresses whether transitioning to a STEM-based curriculum would fulfill federal STEM initiatives."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Akins, Leslie E.
2018-06-15
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Future of Agribusiness Development Teams: An Applied Professional Case Study
From the Thesis Abstract: "Throughout multiple conflicts, ranging from Vietnam to Afghanistan, the military has attempted to perfect its process of providing stabilizing efforts to thwart insurgencies before or after major combat operations. The Agribusiness Development Teams (ADTs), utilized in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, were a refinement of past experiences. These teams, manned by current military members in the National Guard, coupled civilian experience with military qualifications allowing them to work in austere environments. Individual states assembled their own teams and focused on agricultural education and agricultural infrastructure projects, which played to the states' strengths and the needs of the provinces the states were supporting. ADTs were only used in Afghanistan and are no longer in operation as troop strength was drawn down after the surge in 2012. A precursor to the Afghanistan ADTs were the Mobile Advisory Teams (MATs) in Vietnam. ADTs were able to make improvements on the MATs in order to provide agricultural support to the local populace of an operational environment, bridging the gap between civilian-military cooperation in conducting counterinsurgency operations."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Wilson, Shelby P.
2018-06-15
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Analysis of the Execution of Counter-Drug Strategy in Bolivia Using the Low Intensity Conflict Imperatives
From the thesis abstract: "This study investigates the actions of U.S. military personnel conducting the counter-drug mission in Bolivia in accordance with the Bolivian/U.S. Counter-Drug Strategy. The analysis determines if U.S. personnel, in executing their mission, are complying with the low intensity conflict (LIC) imperatives. These imperatives are (1) political dominance, (2) adaptability, (3) unity of effort, (4) legitimacy, and (5) perseverance. The study used Operations 'Blast Furnace' and 'Snowcap' conducted in 1986 and 1989 respectively as illustrutative [sic] examples to analyze the execution of the counter-drug mission. The LIC imperatives are the doctrinally approved 'truths' acknowledged as essential to the successful planning and execution of LIC operations which are: insurgency-counterinsurgency, peacekeeping operations, combatting [sic] terrorism, and peacetime contingency operations. The counter-drug mission is a subset of peacetime contingency operations; therefore, the analysis provides a validation of the imperatives as an analytical tool. The study concluded that U.S. personnel did not comply with the LIC imperatives. The failure to comply has a direct correlation to the failure to stop the flow of cocaine from Bolivia."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
de la Peña, Sergio
1992-06-05
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Unconventional Counterinsurgency: Leveraging Traditional Social Networks and Irregular Forces in Remote and Ungoverned Areas
From the thesis abstract: "The Sunni tribal uprising against Al Qaeda in Iraq, known as the Anbar Awakening, was the decisive event in the counterinsurgency campaign in Iraq. To capitalize on discontent between the Sunni population and Al Qaeda, U.S. commanders on the ground in Anbar Province applied more creativity and opportunism than deliberate application of U.S. counterinsurgency doctrine, which at that time did not fully grasp the importance of traditional social networks and irregular forces. The U.S. military is now attempting to capture the lessons of the tribal uprising in Iraq and incorporate those lessons into theory, doctrine and practice. More immediately, the U.S. must determine the applicability of those lessons to ongoing counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan and counterterrorism efforts across the region. The paper argues that traditional social networks and irregular security forces represent a critical source of intelligence, political support and security for governments attempting to increase state control and legitimacy during an insurgency. Moreover, U.S. Army Special Forces are uniquely qualified to leverage traditional social networks and irregular security forces due to their unique training regiment, organization and experience in their capstone mission of Unconventional Warfare (UW). Ultimately these two claims provide the background for a central argument: the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) should refocus the counterinsurgency role of Army Special Forces on leveraging traditional social networks and employing irregular security forces to expand host nation control and security in contested, ungoverned or insurgent controlled spaces. This monograph explains that tribes and traditional social networks continue to provide a degree of social order in some of the world's least governed and most volatile areas. Capitalizing on that underlying social order is critical to stabilizing remote areas and undermining insurgencies, especially when the government lacks favorable force ratios for counterinsurgency. The United States historically employed tribes and irregulars successfully in support of comprehensive counterinsurgency operations in the Philippines and Vietnam, and more recently in Iraq and Afghanistan. Army Special Forces have demonstrated a unique ability to organize tribal networks for self-defense and lead irregular forces to secure remote areas and isolate insurgents. The U.S. must capitalize on this core competency that exists within the special operations community to effectively deal with the ungoverned spaces that abound in current areas of conflict and prevent them from becoming safe-havens for insurgents and violent extremists."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Litchfield, John D.
2010-05-13
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Training Intelligence Analysts to Meet the Challenges of the Contemporary Operating Environment
From the thesis's abstract: "This thesis examines the methods that the United States Army Intelligence Center (USAIC) uses to train the Army's intelligence analysts. Rapidly changing world conditions require that the Army train its intelligence analysts to correctly identify the right tactical problem when critically analyzing the varied threats and environments that its forces will encounter while conducting a wide range of operations. This study reviews the doctrinal basis for conducting analysis and then compares how the USAIC translates that doctrine into training for its analysts. Using observations from the Army's Combat Training Centers, the Battle Command Training Program and from Operation Iraqi Freedom, the study seeks to determine the adequacy of analyst performance across the Army's formations as a means of measuring the effectiveness of the USAIC training. Tracing substandard analyst performance back to the USAIC training reveals several conclusions. While the overall program of instruction seems adequate, the USAIC does not dedicate sufficient training focused solely on analysis. The USAIC has not updated its training to incorporate critical aspects of the emerging Contemporary Operational Environment, despite acknowledging the rapidly changing world conditions. Finally, USAIC training plans do not indicate any type of formal critical reasoning and creative thinking training."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Land, Eric A.
2004
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Full Spectrum Operations: Is This the Science of Victory?
From the thesis abstract: "The U. S. Army's current operating concept of Full Spectrum Operations is nothing more than a return to an earlier concept, Flexible Response. The Army adopted Flexible Response in the early 1960s to mitigate the threat posed by Soviet nuclear, conventional, and unconventional capabilities in Western Europe. The Army made a calculated decision to adopt that concept based upon its understanding of the nature of the threat posed to national strategic aims by the Soviet military in Western Europe, the likely geographic location conflict would occur. No such calculus exists today. Instead, the Army has adopted an operating concept in Full Spectrum Operations that is outdated and out of its original context. This is in error and poses a security risk to the United States. This error exists partly because of the method through which the Army develops operating concepts. Today, the U. S. Army conducts capabilities-based operating concept development, instead of the threat-based method it used in the past. The Army justified this change in method in the belief that the fluid nature of the post-Cold War world would preclude traditional, threat-based assessments. Change would be a constant, and any operating concept would have to keep pace with change. However, as demonstrated in combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan, not even the capabilities-based concept of Full Spectrum Operations was up to the task. It failed to adapt quickly enough to mitigate threats in the security environment."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Fahrenbach, Christopher T.
2011-05-06?
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Homeland Security Regional Unity of Effort
From the thesis abstract: "A significant multi-state/regional unity of effort capability gap exists between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the fifty states' independent emergency operations systems. Homeland Security Presidential Directives 5 and 8 directed the creation of the National Response Plan (NRP) and the supporting National Incident Management System (NIMS) which focus response to terrorist attack, natural disaster, or other major emergency. They mandated the creation, coordination, and rehearsal of plans at the national, state, and local levels and associated collective training events. Each level of government is required to maintain base capabilities to provide oversight of the creation, coordination, and review of their plans and to control execution during rehearsals or response to an actual event. The DHS is tasked with collecting and cross-leveling lessons learned and best practices. These steps meet the most basic threat scenarios and requirements, but they fall short by limiting immediate federal response to support of individual states. There is no standing capability to immediately synchronize federal and state support should a catastrophic event simultaneously influence multiple states. This paper studies the requirements for and utility of maintaining a regionally-based HLS/HLD collaboration and coordination capability."
Army War College (U.S.)
Keaveny, Valery C., Jr.
2011-03-18
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Countering 21st Century Piracy in the Horn of Africa
From the thesis abstract: "The recent resurgence of high seas piracy reflects a variety of socio-economic factors in the regions of highest occurrence. While the underlying causes of piracy require long-term global investment in governance and infrastructure, the maritime nations of the world share a common responsibility to provide security in the maritime domain as outlined in the 1982 United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The unique challenges of countering 21st century pirates can be overcome through enhanced cooperation between security forces and the maritime shipping community and the application of 21st century information sharing technology. This paper proposes a multinational strategy at the theater/operational level designed to reduce and eliminate the incidence of successful pirate attacks in the Horn of Africa."
Army War College (U.S.)
Apgar, Bruce A., Jr.
2010-02-18
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Electromagnetic Pulse - A Catastrophic Threat to the Homeland
From the thesis abstract: "The detonation of a single nuclear weapon at a high altitude above the United States, or a major solar geomagnetic storm, would create electromagnetic pulses which have the potential to catastrophically impact the survivability of the United States. The electrical power grid is fragile, and is extremely vulnerable to an electromagnetic pulse. Its failure would result in the loss of almost all logistical functions necessary to support our modern society. This paper will examine the causes, threats, probable effects, and what measures can be taken to mitigate the potential impact to the Homeland."
Army War College (U.S.)
Oreskovic, Robert
2011-03-24
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Eye Spy: The Utility of Strategic Satellite Reconnaissance
From the thesis abstract: "This monograph discusses the utility of strategic satellite reconnaissance in terms of its capability to satisfy our intelligence requirements in Europe. Although the context is present day Europe, it is not tied to ongoing Conventional Forces Europe discussions. This paper will argue that although the satellite has great capability to provide intelligence, it has faults. The monograph examines the historical development of the reconnaissance satellite. The primary historical emphasis begins immediately after World War II and extends to the present day. It traces our aerial intelligence collection efforts targeted against the Soviets. Current satellite capabilities are then addressed. The purpose is to develop a common understanding so that the discussion of future trends is more meaningful. Next, reconnaissance satellites are analyzed in terms of vulnerabilities and limitations. This analysis provides a determination of the utility of strategic satellite reconnaissance in a European setting today and answers the research question. The future direction of satellite technology will then be reviewed. This discussion will provide insight into what strategic intelligence collection capabilities will be available on future battlefields. The monograph concludes that reconnaissance satellites can satisfy many but not all of our intelligence needs. Its use must be balanced with other intelligence collection resources."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Day, Lowell L.
1990-06-07
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Should the U.S. Department of State Continue to Use Private Security Contractors to Protect U.S. Diplomats?
From the thesis abstract: "On September 16, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq, members of an American protective security detail, composed of private security contractors (PSCs), engaged in a shooting incident while protecting U.S. Department of State (DOS) personnel. Seventeen Iraqi civilians died. The idea of U.S. Foreign Service personnel being protected by armed American private contractor personnel raised many questions. The purpose of this study is to provide answers to the primary question of 'Should DOS continue the use of PSCs to provide protection for U.S. diplomats?' and three secondary research questions: (1) How effectively do PSCs perform their protection function for DOS? (2) What alternatives exist besides using PSCs? (3) How can DOS use PSCs more effectively? I answered the above questions with a qualitative analysis of the existing body of literature complemented with personal interviews with key DOS leadership, and solicited comments from Diplomatic Security Service Agents, U.S. Foreign Service Officers, and PSC detail members."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Dela-Cruz, Derek
2008-06-13
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Effect on Operational and Tactical Surprise by U.S. Military Forces Due to the Proliferation of Unclassified Satellite Imaging Systems
From the thesis abstract: "This study investigates the ability of U.S. military forces to maintain surprise over the next five years, in view of the highly capable unclassified satellite imaging systems available soon. These systems, developed for a broad range of scientific, commercial, civil, and media applications, will have the potential to provide space-based imagery of ongoing U.S. military operations. The U.S. may no longer maintain the element of surprise that is held so dearly in its doctrine. The study uses three types of research methodology to analyze the problem: case studies, measurement research, and relationship research. The study examines the importance of surprise during three operations: El Dorado Canyon, Just Cause, and Desert Storm. This study systematically and speculatively determines if several programmed and proposed commercial satellite imaging systems have the quality, timeliness, and accessibility to defeat military surprise and examines the potential countereffects of policy, diplomacy, and passive and active countermeasures. The study's conclusion is that the U.S. can defeat these electro-optic imaging systems during mostly military operations using unilateral methods, such as deception, concealment, and night operations."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Swedberg, Edwin C.
1995-06-02
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Irregular Forces in Counterinsurgency Operations: Their Roles and Considerations
From the thesis abstract: "The purpose of this monograph is to determine the ideal practices for militias and irregular forces in counterinsurgency operations. This study specifically addresses those groups organized by a legitimate sponsor such as the Host Nation or one of its partners and takes note to exclude criminal organizations that seek to terrorize the government or its population to gain concessions. As part of its study, this paper provides a basic outline of the goals of insurgent and counterinsurgent doctrine. It uses Mao Tse-tung as a source for universal insurgent goals and Revolutionary Insurgencies and David Galula for Nationalist Insurgencies (Galula refers to them as Bourgeois-Nationalist). Galula's differentiation is unique because it attempts to identify situations and expected insurgents actions for each type of insurgency though insurgencies may include characteristics of both models. This study also refers to US doctrine to provide an understanding of how the US expects to fight insurgencies. This monograph then establishes a baseline of criteria for militia tasks and considerations that it subsequently investigates using historical examples of three conflicts: The Malayan Emergency, The US in the Vietnam War, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. As in any military operation, commanders must balance a myriad of criteria that weigh on possible alternative solutions. In the employment of irregular forces, a leader must consider how using locally hired indigenous forces affect operations. He should be aware of how the roles of such unconventional forces affect the militias themselves, how the Host Nation or its defense forces react to them, and possible US government and popular reactions. While verifying that militias are effective in counterinsurgent operations for basic security and defense related tasks, providing intelligence, population control, and permit for conventional forces to direct actions against the insurgents, this paper revealed that irregulars have the potential for additional contributions. With training and supervision, surrogates can engage in short duration offensive operations. Militias also provide a means for the government to garner local support against the insurgency through inclusion. They can facilitate reconciliation with disaffected groups and provide a unifying force for these groups in politics."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Rieper, William R.
2010-05-10
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Toward a Two-State Solution: Expanding U.S. Military Assistance to Palestinian Security Forces
"Many contend that the inability to resolve 'Final Status' issues is the primary cause for the continual failure of the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process. However, enduring violence between Palestinian militants and Israeli Defense Forces has interrupted the Peace Process more often than any other reason. Until the Palestinian government establishes complete authority over the use of force within the Palestinian territories, to include the containment of terrorism, Palestinian statehood will not be achieved. A unique political-military environment has emerged in which the Defense Department should serve as a leading element of the U.S. Two-State policy. The Department must expand Palestinian security assistance programs and develop a long-term plan to increase the counter-terrorism capacity and capability of Palestinian security forces. This paper examines the ongoing efforts of the United States Security Coordinator mission to assist Palestinian security force development. Recommendations are presented to enhance this program and prepare for future requirements."
Army War College (U.S.)
Kardos, Thomas J.
2010-03-23
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Assessing the Impact of Strategic Culture on Chinese Regional Security Policies in South Asia
From the thesis abstract: "Over the past 60 years, the Sino-Indian relationship has swung from a cool détente to all out war. Many Western international relations theorists applying the 'realist' school of thought view China as a dangerous threat to not only the region but the world. Other experts, however, propose that China has more passive intentions and, using a strategic culture model, find these intentions to be made clear. Given these approaches, how can American policymakers best decipher Chinese security intentions towards India in order to create effective foreign policy? This monograph suggests that to understand Chinese intentions, it is beneficial to examine current leading Western international relations theories and their functional equivalence to the proposed strategic culture paradigms which purportedly influence China's strategic leaders. The theory with the most influence should seemingly dominate China's security policy decisions towards India. An assessment of these theories suggests that although China's current actions may look like challenges to India and the region, the dominant influence of the Confucian-Mencian tradition of Chinese strategic culture reveals the intent of China to maintain a hedging approach which seeks to not only build a strong and prosperous nation but also sustain regional harmony. "
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Martin, Craig A.
2011-05-10
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
