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Change of Detection: To Find the Terrorist Within the Identification of the U.S. Army's Insider Threat
From the thesis abstract: "Thirteen individuals were killed and thirty-two individuals injured in the Fort Hood shooting. The U.S. Army bearing the wound left a nation questioning of how one of their own military members could be accused of such catastrophic events. In the aftermath of reviews and Congressional testimony, there have been changes proposed for the identification of insider threats. The Federal Insider Threat Task Force is faced with developing the comprehensive program for all departments. In the interim, Congress proposes a significant challenge to the Departments to synchronize the efforts to identify insider threats to the United States. Prior to the Department of Defense synchronization, the U.S. Army has proposed changes within their forces to identify and define this insider threat. This thesis reviews the proposed U.S. Army identification processes in correlation to the Fort Hood shooting as a Homegrown Terrorism Threat. The purpose is to compare and analyze modifications that can best be applied to predicting and mitigating the homegrown terrorist segment of the U.S. Army's insider threat."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Baker, Christine
2012-06-08
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Senior Leaders of the Future U.S. Coast Guard
From the thesis abstract: "Following the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the passing of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the Coast Guard finds itself as one of the largest agencies within this new department and executing a greater role in the development of national maritime policy as it relates to port security, international maritime trade, and protection of natural resources. The increased role has highlighted the necessity for Coast Guard senior leaders to be well equipped to meet these challenges and capable of navigating the waters ahead at the strategic level. With the desired end states of the Coast Guard Maritime Strategy as the foundation for analysis, this paper recommends that Coast Guard Flag Officers will need to be politically savvy, expert in governmental partnering, capable of maintaining a high degree of mental agility, and astutely aware of stewardship concepts necessary to protect the national investment of Coast Guard resources. Recommended future areas of study are provided to improve the Coast Guard's senior leader development."
Army War College (U.S.)
Prestidge, G. Todd
2011-03-21
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Improving Southeast Asian Security Within the ASEAN Framework: Insurgencies and Counterinsurgencies
From the thesis abstract: "Since the end of the Cold War, changing global dynamics have brought about important political, social and economic developments to Southeast Asia. Foreign relations between the Southeast Asian states have also improved, reducing intra-regional tensions to the degree where inter-state armed conflicts are no longer likely. The domestic security situation of some Southeast Asian nations, however, remain precarious as local insurgencies resulting from political disagreements, ideological divergences and socio-economic gaps continue to plague these states. Terrorism, a second-order effect of these conflicts, has also become a security concern as regional terrorist groups, such as the Jemaah Islamiah and the Abu Sayyaf Group, have been working with global jihadist organizations to establish an ideological presence within these troubled states. If unchecked, these threats could potentially disrupt the peace in Southeast Asia and de-stabilize the region. This thesis will analyze Southeast Asia's ongoing insurgencies as well as its counterinsurgency efforts. It will examine whether the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), under the constraints imposed by its organizational principles, is able to play a more significant role than it has thus far in improving regional security by addressing the problem of insurgencies within its member states."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Leung, Shing Tai
2009-06-12
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Towards Unified Conventions
From the thesis abstract: "Interagency transformation has the potential to radically increase the strategic and operational capacities of the U.S. Government's interagency system. This transformation will require changes to the structure and processes employed by the interagency system. This study explores options such as expanding the Executive Office of the President, expanding the role of the National Security Council, or creating an Office of National Strategy as part of interagency transformation. This study also draws conclusions regarding the costs and benefits of these forms of transformation, the possible mechanisms that could drive transformation, and the need to determine guiding principles that will determine how the interagency system will be employed. This study examines the interconnection between governmental structure, processes, and models of multi-lateral contention. "
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Longacre, Michael
2009-06-12
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New Partnerships for a New Era: Enhancing the South African Army's Stabilization Role in Africa
From the abstract: "Since emerging from the mire of its apartheid past, South Africa has become a key player in Sub-Saharan Africa. The very significant challenge of creating a truly national military during a period in which South Africa has also wrestled with tough internal socio-economic problems has left the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in a weakened state. Despite this, in recent years the branches of the SANDF, particularly the South African (SA) Army, have made a considerable contribution to efforts to bring peace and stability to the African continent. A critical step in building a capable and confident future SA Army has been the commencement of the Army's Vision 2020 forward planning process. Recent political changes in both the United States and South Africa have opened up a new window of opportunity for developing a productive partnership between the two nations. This monograph outlines ways in which the United States can contribute to the SA Army's Vision 2020 program so as to help optimize South Africa's potential contribution to the emergence of a peaceful and stable Africa."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Baker, Deane-Peter
2009-06
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Assessing the Efficacy of Capital Punishment in the War on Terror Through the Lenses of History, Law, and Theory
From the thesis abstract: "Prior to President Obama halting all ongoing military commissions, the United States charged six Guantanamo Bay prisoners with capital crimes. Further, his latest policy directive for new military commission rules has not excluded the death penalty as punishment. Application of the death penalty for convicted terrorists will draw worldwide attention. President Obama's decision to approve or disapprove a capital sentence has both domestic and international implications. Not only will application of the death penalty draw international attention, and possibly international ire, it will prove problematic because of competing issues related to strategic communication, international expectations, domestic desires, and the overall effort in fighting global terrorism. In President Obama's early days in office, he has put great emphasis on the American identity in the international arena and on using the American identity to build relationships with other nations. Therefore, the constructivist approach to international relations is an effective tool for evaluating President Obama's decisions during the punishment phase of military commissions. Using constructivism to frame his overarching decision, an examination of history, identity, law, and strategic communication help complete the examination of his strategic outlook. This paper provides a description of the international relations approach of constructivism as the theoretical basis for the author's evaluation. The application of this approach requires a combination of history, philosophy, and law. In essence, this approach presupposes that American national identity, as manifested through President Obama and his administration, will explain the decision whether or not to use capital punishment against terrorists and of the potential positive and negative consequences of this decision based on group identities. Because the factors that define, shape and describe a national identity are nearly infinite, this paper focuses on a broader historical, legal, and cultural analysis to measure the efficacy of using capital punishment against convicted terrorists. The author's analysis leads her to conclude that President Obama will approve a capital sentence handed down to convicted terrorists from a military commission."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Bohrer, Mandi L.
2009-09-08
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Algerian Perspectives of Counterinsurgencies
From the monograph abstract: "Recent scholarly work has devoted much attention to analyzing the French counterinsurgency war in Algeria from 1954 to 1962. The United States military has taken many of the lessons and principles offered by authors such as David Galula and Roger Trinquier based on this conflict and placed them into its doctrine. This monograph serves to explore other examples of internal conflicts in Algeria in light of the popular model normally presented by the insurgency against French occupation in 1954. It proposes that population centric counterinsurgency emphasizes a direct approach to the population. It will show that in two other instances in Algeria an indirect model of counterinsurgency proved more effective. The study will commence with a brief review of the 1954-1962 war of independence from France and the counterinsurgency theory that emerged from it. Next, the study explores the Ottoman experience in Algeria from 1515 to 1830. Subsequently, the work will review the recent Algerian Civil War (1991-2002). The monograph will conclude with an analysis of the applicability of current counterinsurgency doctrine, as derived from the French theory, to the other insurgencies in Algeria. It will further show that the US chose as a model a theory that proved strategically ineffective in Algeria."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Laguna, Jose R.
2010-04-22
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Psychological Warfare: Elements and Organization of Totalitarian Propaganda in a War of Nerves
From the monograph abstract: "Gentlemen, the problem which is under consideration resolves itself into a basic analysis of the organization and elements of psychological warfare and propaganda in a cold war or a war of nerves. For my purpose, I have taken the organization of Nazi Germany prior to and during World War II as my subject for study, because it was their concept and application that forms the basis underlying scheme of totalitarian propaganda. Upon the study of their methods, we can devise an organization in this country by which we can best equip ourselves to combat this form of warfare As a basis for planning, it can be assumed that any totalitarian country planning aggression against us will use every form of psychological warfare propaganda as a preliminary to actual military operations."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
McMillin, Dan S.
1949-05-31
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Shiprider: A Joint Capability for Enhancing U.S./Canadian Cross-border Maritime Security
From the thesis abstract: "In order to maximize the effectiveness of a U.S/Canada perimeter approach to border security, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Canadian government must support the development of a joint concept of operations that affords operational commanders a permanent, integrated cross-border law enforcement capability in the maritime environment. This paper will discuss the importance of securing the gaps existing along the northern border in a post-9/11 environment and the many challenges the U.S and Canada face in securing those gaps, specifically within the maritime environment. It will discuss current limitations of U.S. and Canadian law enforcement agencies operating along the northern maritime border and examine the national security implications associated with those limitations. Further, it will highlight a pilot project and several proofs of concept executed within the past decade which tested a joint concept of operations developed specifically to address challenges of maritime border enforcement in The Great Lakes Region and the Pacific Northwest. Finally, this paper will highlight the need to further develop the earlier concept of operations to enable routine exercise of integrated maritime cross-border law enforcement capability and will propose an operational level recommendation for joint planners to consider when building the next generation of integrated operations."
Naval War College (U.S.). Joint Military Operations Department
Reid, Dana B.
2011-05-04
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Key Considerations for Irregular Security Forces in Counterinsurgency
From the thesis abstract: "Counterinsurgents have raised and employed irregular security forces in many campaigns over the last century. Irregular security forces are indigenous forces, not part of the regular police or military organizations of the host nation, that are recruited locally to provide a basic level of security in a given area. Irregular security forces, when used in conjunction with all other available capabilities, contribute to, but do not in and of themselves ensure success. While irregular security forces can be effective in conducting local security, intelligence gathering, surveillance and other tasks in their home areas, tasks that may prove more difficult for regular security forces, irregular forces are no silver bullet to achieving success. Counterinsurgency is a struggle for the support of the population against an active and thinking enemy, and therefore, there are no hard and fast rules. Several counterinsurgency scholars and theorists do however agree on several key principles that can aid counterinsurgents in prosecuting their campaigns successfully. This paper seeks to add to the body of knowledge by examining the key aspects that counterinsurgents should take into account when considering raising an irregular security force."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Green, Robert L.
2011-06-10
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Stress: A Study of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Military
From the thesis abstract: "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can occur in veterans, regardless of exposure to various combat environments. This study shows how prevalent Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is among veterans, using examples from World War I, World War II, Korean conflict, Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf War. For better understanding, one must explore the evolution, symptoms, characteristic, and the classifications of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder."
US Army Sergeants Major Academy
Ritter, Scott; Robertson, Ken; Treon, Bill
1998-11-02
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Special Operations Forces in a Peacetime Engagement Strategy with the People's Republic of China
From the thesis abstract: "The US government currently espouses a strategy of peacetime engagement with the PRC [People's Republic of China]. Both nations declare that peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region are in their national interest. Developing areas where the PRC can play a constructive, responsible role in Asia-Pacific development is a major objective of USPACOM's [United States Pacific Command] China engagement program. Special Operations Forces (SOF) have often been in the vanguard of US peacetime military engagement programs. The characteristics, capabilities, and missions of SOF have proven effective in peacetime engagement. Military-to-military contact between SOF and the militaries of Thailand and the Philippines has assisted in preparing those nations for leading roles in the UN mission in East Timor. This study examines the feasibility, acceptability, and suitability of a SOF engagement program with the PRC. Application of the 'FAS [Feasibility, Acceptability, and Suitability] test' is often used to determine the soundness of proposed courses of action and may also provide insight into how a SOF engagement program with China can be implemented. Global economics is pushing the US and PRC closer together. Common problems and interests are emerging within the region. There may be opportunities for the PLA [People's Liberation Army] and US forces to work together, for the common interest of both nations."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Seagrist, Thomas A.
2011-06-01
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By Understanding the Maoist Approach to Revolution and its Inherent Contradictions, Insights Will Be Gained on Taliban Vulnerabilities
From the thesis abstract: "The Maoist Revolutionary model provides a template of a successful revolution. Both the Taliban and the Chinese underwent similar circumstances. Both movements formed as a result of failed states seeking ways to restore unity and order within their environments. The purpose of this thesis is to use the Maoist revolutionary model to gain insights in vulnerabilities within the current Taliban strategy. First, the thesis examines the history behind both movements to determine if there are any contextual similarities. Second, it studies Mao's philosophies on revolution using his major works. These philosophies are applied to the Taliban to gain insights on their weaknesses. Last, the thesis looks at Mao's ideas in protracted war and problems conducting guerrilla warfare. The relevance of these ideas are applied to the Taliban to understand what threatens their strategic overall success from a Maoist perspective."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Han, Shepherd N.
2011-06-10
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Interagency Cooperation in the War on Drugs: Can Campaign Planning Be the Unifying Factor?
From the thesis abstract: "This monograph analyzes the potential of the military campaign planning process to unify the national interagency counternarcotics effort. Currently, DoD's antinarcotics mission includes the detection and monitoring of the aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs into the United States, and the integration of command, control, communications, and intelligence, (C3I) into an effective communications network. DoD also provides manpower and equipment resources to support the interdiction efforts of law enforcement agencies both in the United States and overseas. The military campaign planning has been posited as a method to foster interagency unity and to bridge the gap between the national counternarcotics strategy and the tactical level of the drug war. The potential of the campaign planning process to unify interagency counternarcotics efforts is the focus for the monograph. The paper also weighs the merits of DoD assuming a more active role in coordinating interagency campaign planning. The study establishes the context of United States military participation in the drug war by describing examples of previous and evolving military involvement. Current initiatives to improve interagency cooperation and to broaden the scope of military participation are also examined. Two campaign planning models are analyzed to show the adaptability of the campaign planning process to the drug war."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Mason, Bradley J.
1992-05-22
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Torture and Terrorism: A Pyrrhic Victory
From the thesis abstract: "This paper explores the problematic decision by the US Government to condone the use of various methods of physical and psychological torture when interrogating prisoners captured since the beginning of the Global War on Terror (GWOT). Additionally, it briefly examines the background of torture and the efficacy of physical torture for obtaining information. It also analyzes the moral, ethical, legal, and strategic ramifications of pursuing this particular torture policy."
US Army Sergeants Major Academy
Davidson, Glen F.
2007?
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Line in the Sand: A Historical Study of Border Security During Insurgencies and Lessons for the Contemporary Afghan-Pakistan Frontier
From the thesis abstract: "There is increasing consensus amongst those nations engaged in the stabilisation and reconstruction of Afghanistan that Taliban sanctuaries in the ungoverned border regions of Pakistan are central to the insurgency in both countries. Two individual or complementary means of countering this problem include the denial of sanctuary in Pakistan and improving border security between the two countries. This paper examines the border security measures used in three historical insurgencies: Algeria (1954-62), Dhofar (1968-75) and Rhodesia (1965-80). The study applies the methods and lessons from these historical examples to the contemporary Afghan-Pakistan border. Using this framework, the author attempts to support the thesis that traditional methods of border security, even with the use of modern technology, are not applicable to the Afghan-Pakistan border. Furthermore, attempts at obtaining such control would prove counterproductive to this counterinsurgency. The analysis focuses on physical barriers, population resettlement, external action, tribal or auxiliary forces and in-depth interdiction. The study finds that barriers and population resettlement are impractical for use in Afghanistan and likely to result in adverse consequences at the strategic level. The other measures have varying degrees of utility and applicability. The author concludes that a high degree of border control is unachievable along the Afghan-Pakistan border and suggests that border security should remain an economy of effort within the overall campaign. If these findings are accepted, it implies that the U.S. led Coalition should resist calls to concentrate on the border and, instead, strengthen security in the interior of Afghanistan and Pakistan."
Joint Forces Staff College (U.S.). Joint Advanced Warfighting School
Storr, Dan, 1969-
2009-04-03
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Potential for Normal Political Relations Between the United States and Iran Following Presidential Elections in Each Country
From the thesis abstract: "With Presidential elections in both the United States and Iran occurring within eight months of each other, one can suspect major changes in the political environment. This environment is not just the relationship between the U.S. and Iran, but the entire world, and more specifically the Middle East. With one new President and another possible new President in Iran, the impacts could be dramatic. The author believes that the political landscape will change, however, the uni-lateral relationship between the United States and Iran will not change substantially. The basic factors examined are limited, but the assumptions would be the same if the base were expanded. The major efforts are put into the history of the relationship between the United States and Iran. This history points out that despite the various stages there was once a congenial relationship. The historical review depicts that both countries have had both positive and negative events that influenced the relationships. This fact in itself would lead to believe that if it was so once, it could be possible again. The use of terrorism throughout the world has created a new paradigm for political processes and expectations by state and non-state actors. Terrorism is not a political recognized bargaining tool, but many countries are now expending millions if not billions of dollars attempting to defeat it. These efforts are wide-ranging and influence relationships across the globe. More specifically, terrorism has negative impacts in almost all countries. The use of terrorism by a state actors, or countries that expect respect is a limiting factor in this world of instant information. Terrorism is a limiting factor when trying to establish relationships, however, non-state actors can negatively influence these attempted relationship-building efforts. Nuclear weapons play a critical role in the political process. The ability to produce and delivery reliable nuclear weapons is a major bargaining chip. The full history and implications must be understood by all. Not just understood by the countries attempting to form relationships, but all countries that could be impacted by the use or threat us use of nuclear weapons. The likelihood of the United States and Iran forming a normal relationship are limited. The assumptions made and built upon throughout the paper are base on historical factors. There are many different assumptions that could be made, but maintaining a historical, fact-based argument can only lead to one logical assumption."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Jerabek, Scott B.
2009-05-08
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Unraveling the Persian Knot: Indirect Approaches Towards Iran
From the monograph's abstract: "In 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini's indirect approach ignited existing socio-economic conditions during the Iranian Revolution to topple the Shah. A similar indirect approach using psychological operations to target audiences through key vulnerabilities and networks may have applicability for strategies today. Joint Pub 5-0 defines the indirect approach as the employment of attacks on an adversary's derived vulnerabilities when conditions do not permit direct attacks against a defined center of gravity (COG). […] Ayatollah Khomeini effectively unified various Iranian opposition groups through a common hatred and desire to overthrow the Shah. Most significant, the Ayatollah accomplished this while residing entirely outside Iran's borders using psychological operations as the primary arm of his approach. Joint doctrine defines psychological operations as, 'planned operations to convey selected information and indicators to foreign audiences to influence the emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of foreign governments, organizations, groups, and individuals.' Often misunderstood, psychological operations require sufficient time in order to work but given appropriate time the effects can often be dramatic. Khomeini's synchronization of psychological operations with coordinated internal political violence successfully detonated underlying frustrations. This continued until it reached what Malcolm Gladwell calls the Tipping Point when the opposition suddenly unified and full mobilization occurred resulting in the Shah's removal. Today, fear of a similar psychological invasion haunts the Iranian leadership generating more angst than all other potential military threats."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Brown, George C. L.
2009-05-21
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Digitized Chaos: Is Our Military Decision Making Process Ready for the Information Age?
From the monograph's abstract: "The integration of new technologies has always been important to the military. The longbow, rifled muskets, and armored fighting vehicles are all examples of technological innovations that found their way into the military. However, history has proven that new technology alone seldom has dramatic effects on battlefield effectiveness. Changes in doctrine, organization, and training must accompany the new technology in order to exploit its full capabilities. Today the Army is looking at ways to integrate information age, or digital technologies into our fighting force. In particular, the area of battle command is seen as holding great promise for digitization. Unfortunately, the Army is implementing its new battle command technology without considering changes to its planning and decision making doctrine. This monograph addresses the compatibility of the Army's Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) with information age technology. The analysis focuses on decision making theory, current digitization concepts and projects, and performance feedback from the field. The overall conclusions of this analysis are that the Army should upgrade certain portions of its decision making process to make it more compatible with digital information systems and contemporary decision making theory."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Charlton, John W.
1997-12-18
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Reintegrating Short Range Air Defense into the Maneuver Fight
From the Thesis Abstract: "As the United States faces growing global uncertainty, the need to renew key military capabilities is vital to fight and win across any conflict that threatens U.S. interests. To retain overmatch, the combination of our capabilities must be relevant to successfully deter our potential adversaries. The Army's investment to incorporate Maneuver Short Range Air Defense into each division is a move towards this end. This thesis examines the future readiness of these forces using a historical and an Australian case study as examples of successful integration of similar capabilities at similar echelons. This study leverages historical doctrine while comparing it to modern guidance. It synthesizes our current readiness with historical success, yielding areas for development prior to reintegration. The research aims to answer the question: How can the US Army best set the Leadership and Training conditions for reintegration of divisional Short Range Air Defense?"
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Norwood, David C.
2019-06-14
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Russian Fires Capability Gap: A United States North Atlantic Treaty Organization Coalition Answer
From the Thesis Abstract: "After 17 years of conducting counter-terrorism operations, the U.S. and its NATO partners have divested and reduced their ability to support maneuver operations with effective and lethal field artillery in Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO). While we have focused on the Global War on Terrorism, our adversaries have continued to invest in and develop sophisticated fires and Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) capabilities. This thesis examines U.S., NATO, and Russian ground-based indirect fires by analyzing current doctrine, organizations, and material in the fires warfighting function. To further define the problem, this thesis analyzes current U.S. Army, U.S. joint, multinational, and Russian doctrine, as well as, periodical journals, academic works, and open-source published articles. To address the problem, this thesis identifies current capabilities and interoperability gaps, impediments to effective joint-multnational fires employment, the importance of combining capabilities, and provides recommendations to improve U.S.-NATO fires capability."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
O'Connor, Roderic J.
2019-06-14
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College Students Perceptions of Quarantine and Social Distancing Methods in the Event of an Influenza Pandemic
"In the event of another pandemic influenza, it will be important to understand the public's perception of quarantine and social distancing methods, as these methods will be the first line of defense in attempting to contain or lessen the severity of the outbreak until a vaccine and medications can be developed and produced in mass quantities. College students perceptions are particularly important to look at as their living situations can vary drastically from the general public, i.e. living far away from home and with roommates. This study looks at college students perceptions of quarantine and social distancing measures that could be implemented in the event of an outbreak of pandemic influenza. The data revealed that undergraduate college students in this study favored the use of government implemented quarantine and social distancing methods, except for requiring that religious services be temporarily canceled. They are also worried about the potential problems that may occur as a result of the implementation of quarantine and social distancing methods, and the only information source that the majority of them trust to give them useful and accurate information regarding an influenza pandemic in their community was their physician or other health care professional. Of most significance to the college student population, as opposed to the general public, is the place of quarantine for the other people that live in the same residence. Fifty-three percent of the respondents in this study favored quarantining the other people living in their residence in a separate quarantine facility compared to 29% in the Blendon (2006) study that surveyed the general adult population in the United States."
Indiana University. Department of Communication Studies
Baker, Kylene Joy
2007-07
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Life and Liberty: Economic, Political and Ethical Issues Arising from 21st Century Quarantines for Influenza
"Quarantine is a word that elicits fear among many. However, it is also a long-utilized and important policy tool for controlling the spread of infectious diseases. This thesis considers the role of quarantine for influenza outbreaks during the twenty-first century. I thematically review scientific literature on the ethical, social and political, and economic issues that have arisen from or have the potential to arise from quarantines for influenza. After identifying these issues, I make policy recommendations targeted at mitigating them. I then compare these with the World Health Organization's (WHO) Influenza Preparedness and Response Guidance to determine where our recommendations overlap and diverge. I propose a set of five additional recommendations to the WHO Guidance for governments considering implementing quarantines for influenza: develop of a body of experts and stakeholders for policymaking, use least-restrictive policy measures first, establish a duty to treat and its limits, determine who will be prioritized during cases of scarcity, and establish support and compensation mechanisms for quarantined individuals. My research contributes to the discourse around quarantine for influenza by identifying a broad scope of consequences of quarantine for influenza. It also contributes to the existing literature on quarantine design for influenza by proposing policies targeted at addressing the issues I identify. While this research is a start, there is still a great need for further research to prepare for and learn from influenza outbreaks. My recommendations fit well alongside existing influenza pandemic preparedness plans such as the WHO's Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Guidance during an influenza outbreak to develop robust disease control policy for influenza outbreaks."
Duke University
Serat, Simone
2017
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Bayesian Closed Point of Dispensing Planning Model
"The goal of this thesis is to assist a local public health department to plan for a mass medication closed Point of Dispensing (POD) in a large casino. The objective is to identify the best resource allocation for the stations in the POD in order to maximize the throughput considering uncertainty. The major unknown and uncertain factor affecting this critical decision is the traffic intensity. A Bayesian decision model is constructed to plan this closed POD site. […] The results show that the best resource allocation scenario is to allocate 6 nurses to the triage station, 9 casino staff to the registration station, 9 casino staff to the screening station and 12 nurses to the dispensing station. The ultimate goal of taking 3 minutes to process each person in the POD could not be achieved. In the recommended resource allocation scenario the minimum expected time per person is 4 minutes. In conclusion, the Bayesian decision analysis approaches used in this research can assist public health departments with determining the best resource allocation in POD stations. The models will also provide decision makers with insight about the traffic intensity of the system given the limited data available."
North Carolina State University
Aly, Heba Mohamad
2015-05-08
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Service Member Resistance to the Department of Defense Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program
"The current Department of Defense anthrax vaccination policy has suffered from phenomenally negative publicity, resulting in significant distrust and reluctance among military members. Criticism has come not only from Internet conspiracy theorists, but from prominent figures in government, in academia, and in the popular media. Service members fear dangerous health effects from the vaccine. Unprecedented numbers of individuals have refused to comply with the policy, either through open disobedience or by leaving military service. Serious questions about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine remain unanswered. This paper reviews the policy, the controversy surrounding it, and the historical context in order to consider options for future actions relative to the policy."
Army War College (U.S.)
Allison, Stephen C.
2002-02-19
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Shelter-In-Place: Indoor Exposure Assessment During an Airborne Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Event
From the thesis abstract: "The goal of Shelter-In-Place (SIP) is to reduce human exposure to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) agents in the event of an accidental or intentional airborne release into the outdoor environment. The Air Force Bioenvironmental Engineering (BE) career field is responsible for providing hazard identification, evaluation, and control capabilities as well as executing health risk assessments to recommend appropriate courses of action to commanders pre-, trans-, and post-incident. Specifically, BE is responsible for providing sampling, identification, and quantification input to hazard prediction models and supporting evacuation plan development to provide risk-based control recommendations. This also includes providing exposure and contamination control recommendations for sheltered populations. A Gaussian plume model combined with indoor box model was used to test the consequences associated with the delay of implementing SIP procedures. It is imperative that emergency planners pre-plan the installation SIP protocol for likely scenarios identified during the various vulnerability surveys conducted for both on- and off-installation. The decision to shelter-in-place must be made immediately in order to reduce the exposure and depending on scenario, a delay greater than one minute can significantly increase the exposure resulting in additional casualties presenting at the local medical treatment facility."
Air Force Institute of Technology (U.S.)
Schmidtgoessling, Robert D.
2009-03
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2011 Risk/Benefit Analysis of the Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program
"Safety, efficacy, and legal concerns surrounded the Department of Defense (DoD) Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program (AVIP) in the early and mid-2000s. Production capacity, patient refusals, and legal injunctions limited vaccine delivery during this time period. Since 2007, the Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed (AVA) has been administered to all service members deploying to high-risk areas except those medically or administratively exempt. This thesis evaluates the current AVIP in terms of associated risks and benefits. Aggregate data from long-term studies and review by multiple scientific organizations, both within and external to the DoD, suggest that the AVA is both safe and efficacious. The DoD has tailored the current AVIP policy to protect forces with anticipated high exposure risk. This tailored vaccination policy minimizes vaccine-associated risk for individuals and for the force. Current AVIP benefits for individuals and for force protection outweigh the risks. As risks and benefits change over time, ongoing assessment is essential to ensure that individual and force health promotion are optimized. Continuing long-term scientific safety and efficacy research, ongoing educational efforts, and recognition of patient concerns are essential for the continued success of the AVIP and other force protection programs. "
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Davis, Karla L.
2011-06-10
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Crisis Communications and Social Media: Advantages, Disadvantages and Best Practices
"With new environmental developments and terrorism breeding opportunities for crises, and media proliferation and advancement increasing exposure to crises, organizations have placed a higher premium on crisis management (Coombs, 1999). Through a thorough literature review, the purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how crisis communications is important today now more than ever with media (traditional and new) increasing the exposure of the crises, and new media -- particularly social media -- adding to and creating this exposure. The paper takes a broad view of crisis communications by examining the varying definitions of crisis and crisis communications, as well as highlighting a few related crisis communication functions, strategies, models and theories. Within this overview will be a concentration on the positive and negative impact of social media on the practice of crisis communications. This paper will explore how social media can help the practice by supplying stakeholders with a ready resource to make sense of a crisis, and by creating a way to share integral, time-sensitive information quickly to citizens and crisis managers and communicators. By the same token, social media can hinder organizations' crisis communications by spreading misinformation at rapid speed. Also, not everyone using social media has the best intentions -- they may use it to harm an organization thereby potentially creating a crisis for both the organization and those stakeholders who bear the risk."
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Holmes, Whitney
2010?
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Assessing the Threat of Infectious Disease to the Biosecurity of the United States
From the thesis abstract: "There are four significant variables that must be considered when assessing the biosecurity threat of infectious disease to the US. Climate change, globalization, bioterrorism and policy all have a variance of impact that must be considered to prevent an outbreak of disease. Diseases such as Ebola, Zika, anthrax, and measles, have all had recent impact on the biosecurity of the US. Climate change is having an effect upon the habitat of many arthropod vectors of disease. Global travel and human migration are increasing the ranges of many infectious diseases of global significance. After the attacks of September 11th, 2001, the US has increased efforts to identify and combat bioterrorism. Health policies that address vaccinations have come under scrutiny. When diseases are assessed against the four variables, the vulnerability of public health prevention and response efforts can be assessed and identified as 'gaps.' Once identified, gaps in biosecurity can be mitigated to prevent or lessen the impact of future outbreaks of infectious disease."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Lopez, John M
2016-06-10
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Operational Art of Ancient Israel: A Campaign Analysis of Israel's Conquest of Canaan in the 13th Century BCE
From the Abstract: "Israel's conquest of Canaan provides an example of how smaller military forces can overcome numerical and technological disadvantages in conventional warfare through the application of operational art. This military conquest resembles contemporary warfare in broad concepts such as offensive and defensive operations, multinational alliance and coalition warfare, and civilian-military relations. Israel's success depended on multiple factors, the most significant being the generalship of its national leader and military commander, Joshua. Campaign analysis through the lens of operational design elements revealed that Joshua's initial operations were linked in time, space, and purpose to set the Israelites in a position of advantage. Joshua created periods of local superiority by massing his forces and isolating elements of the Canaanite armies along single lines of operation. Using lines of effort, Joshua linked subsequent operations to his campaign by purpose only, which enabled him to exercise operational patience as he waited for the optimal conditions for battle. Periodic strategic and operational pauses ensured sufficient operational reach, and popular support enabled him to conduct a patient war effort. This reveals an ancient Israeli way of war that has implications to current U.S. military employment of operational art, which in some ways, challenges conventional wisdom."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Gordy, George R., IV
2017-09-06
