Advanced search Help
Publisher is Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
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).
-
Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Emergency Management: A Guide for Policy Makers and Practitioners
From the thesis abstract: "Responding to disasters is a critical function for first responders and the emergency management community. The primary mission when responding to disasters is saving lives, which often requires the use of multiple resources. Rotary and fixed-winged aircraft have traditionally performed disaster response missions, such as overhead damage assessments, reconnaissance, and missing person searches. However, with the advancement of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), there is an opportunity to perform many conventional aerial missions in a safer, more expeditious, and cost-effective manner. This thesis explores the introduction of UASs for disaster response missions into the national airspace system of the United States. It includes a review of traditional disaster response missions and opportunities for the utilization of UASs; a comparison of UAS programs, both military and civilian, as well as international UAS programs; and a review of barriers to implementation. It also offers policy and program considerations for agencies and jurisdictions to consider when implementing a UAS program, and it recommends future research concerning the topic of autonomous UASs. Lastly, this thesis provides a decision guide to assist policy makers and practitioners with determining the need and feasibility of a UAS program."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Price, Darren E.
2016-03
-
Becoming More Than a Digital Bullhorn: Two-Way Engagement on Twitter for Law Enforcement
From the thesis abstract: "Police agencies are increasingly turning to social media to communicate with the public; some departments only push information out one way, while others engage in a two-way, back-and-forth conversation. Research is robust on topics such as two-way engagement, the benefits of a large following, and the positive impact government can have by using social media during and after crises, but there is a marked lack of police-specific quantifiable data. The purpose of this thesis is to determine if two-way engagement on Twitter leads to an increase in followers. A case study analysis of three Silicon Valley, California, police departments' Twitter engagement habits showed that agencies using a two-way communication model receive more new followers overall than agencies using a one-way model. The analysis did not, however, conclusively find a direct relationship on a monthly or daily basis between the amount of two-way engagement and the number of followers. Ultimately, the research reveals a number of tactics that police agencies can employ to increase two-way engagement, and recommends strategic implementation devices."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Perron, Zachary P.
2016-03
-
Do You Know What's In Your Community? A Strategic Risk Management Approach to Better Prepare for Chemical Emergencies
From the thesis abstract: "Communities throughout the United States are susceptible to hazardous materials releases, with varying impact. Unfortunately, some of those incidents have caused catastrophic casualties, irreversible environmental damage, revenue loss, and nonconventional impacts such as community and industry social implications-many of which could have been prevented. This thesis creates a framework to help communities better prepare for chemical emergencies. The research examined two case studies, revealing three major disconnects and several challenges that emergency management professionals face to pursue a delicate balance of natural resources, population growth, limited resources, security, and the need for commercial goods-made possible by the necessary use and manufacturing of chemicals. This framework enables communities throughout the United States to better prepare for chemical disasters. It offers first responders, emergency management professionals, the private sector, and community members a collaborative path toward making their communities more resilient to chemical disasters in order to diminish preventable hazards and lessen inevitable impacts."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Furnish, Wun Kiu Vicky
2016-03
-
Upping the Emergency Management Ante: The Role of Private Sector Collaboration in Emergency Management and Whether State Procurement and Emergency Management Laws Are Built to Collaborate
From the thesis abstract: "The benefits of public-private collaborations for enhanced emergency management purposes are widely acknowledged, but the questions of when and how such collaborations would be most beneficial have been the subject of much debate. Arguably, it is at the preparedness stage that the private sector's resources, innovative technologies and business continuity expertise can best be used to create more robust risk reduction and preparedness plans. Collaborations at this stage also provide for the identification and proper competitive procurement of all reasonably foreseeable emergency-related goods and services, rather than overuse of the emergency 'no-bid' exception to competitive procurement, which can result in contractor fraud and government abuse. But, do the appropriate legal mechanisms exist to support increased collaborations? Given that the discussion surrounding such collaborations is still current, the assumption was that legal reform would be necessary. Using the Best Practice Research methodology, a review of the states' procurement and emergency management laws actually reveals that they generally contain the necessary language to support increased public-private collaborations. But, some are more explicitly supportive of such collaborations than others. Accordingly, this thesis offers a statutory policy framework for agencies to consider to make greater use of private resources for better emergency management practices."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Manzella, Monica J.
2016-03
-
Spatiotemporal Modeling of Community Risk
From the thesis abstract: "Every day throughout the country, fire departments respond to a variety of emergencies in their communities. Steadily over the last decade, departments have mitigated these threats in an atmosphere of decreasing budgets, declining fire volume, and a burgeoning call volume. Thus, fire service leaders require data and analysis to justify the dollars spent to mitigate the risks within communities. Community risk is dynamic in that it fluctuates over geography and time; spatiotemporal modeling is one proven method for illustrating such dynamic modulations. This thesis produces a spatiotemporal model of fire department call volume to depict fluctuations in community risk in the Fresno (CA) Fire Department's area of operations. This study led to several findings. First, using historical records for spatiotemporal modeling of community risk could help leaders visualize the dynamic nature of risk. Second, visualizing community risk with spatiotemporal modeling could provide the basis for resource deployment models attuned to specific risks. Finally, investigating additional data sets in conjunction with such methodology could uncover the causal factors of risk dynamics from which leaders design proactive preventative measures."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Tuggle, Todd T.
2016-03
-
Not Out of Control: Analysis of the Federal Disaster Spending Trend
From the thesis abstract: "The purpose of this study of 20-year trends in federal disaster spending was to determine whether and to what extent spending has been on the rise, and to examine contributing factors. A grounded theory analysis was conducted on 1,156 major declared disasters from fiscal years 1995 through 2014. Numerical data graphically illustrate budgeting, spending, and declaration trends, and policy and inertia influences are described. This study found an upward trend of federal disaster spending, yet one that is far from out of control. Research shows that 66% of major disaster funding was provided by emergency supplemental bills versus regularly budgeted appropriations. Half of all spending was on infrastructure, and hurricanes were the number one disaster type for federal spending. More severe storms were declared than all other disaster types combined, and the number of major disasters declared demonstrated an upward trend. The trend of rising spending and quantity of declarations was consistent with existing literature. Federal spending for fire, human services, post-disaster mitigation, and mission assignments demonstrated a downward trend as a proportion of the Disaster Relief Fund. Recommendations are provided to transform national thinking toward development of a national risk management approach to incentivize policymakers, homeowners, and local- and state-level funding recipients to better manage risk and improve stewardship of federal tax dollars."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Boccia, Suzanne
2016-03
-
Ethical Imperative of Reason: How Anti-Intellectualism, Denialism, and Apathy Threaten National Security
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis explores the roots and manifestations of anti-intellectualism, denialism and apathy. Philosophical in its design, this research explores the following question: What are the potential effects of cultural anti-intellectualism on the construction and execution of national security and homeland security policy? Specifically, it focuses on how anti-intellectualism can affect how a course of action is created, presented, messaged, supported, and executed. The thesis amasses a review of previous research on the nature and manifestations of this issue and offers an account of the prospective implications for the securities field. Utilizing a case study model, this research explores three examples to highlight the manifestation of this current problem. The findings indicate that anti-intellectualism impacts the highest levels of the political, media, and security processes and, as such, requires practitioners to acknowledge and address its influence. This thesis concludes by arguing that widespread ignorance of objective reality poses a threat to the democratic process. It provides three overarching strategies designed to limit the impact of anti-intellectualism in the policy process and demonstrates that, in the intricate and dynamic matters of our nation's security, there is an ethical imperative for 'reason' and factual discussion to rule the policy process."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Favre, Greggory J.
2016-03
-
Shadows of Stuxnet: Recommendations for U.S. Policy on Critical Infrastructure Cyber Defense Derived from the Stuxnet Attack
From the thesis abstract: "In June 2012, the worldwide cyber security landscape changed when the presence of a new and sophisticated malware, later dubbed 'Stuxnet,' was discovered in the computers of an Iranian nuclear facility. The malware was a cyber weapon, programmed to destroy the industrial machinery utilized for uranium enrichment. Stuxnet was soon dissected and diagnosed as a pioneering and politically motivated cyber attack that successfully infiltrated a high-security, government-run critical infrastructure and destroyed its physical property with computer code. The potential consequences of a similar attack on vulnerable U.S. critical infrastructures could be devastating. This thesis begins with a review of the evolution of U.S. policy related to the cyber defense of critical infrastructures. It then examines the critical infrastructure sectors within the United States, its dependency on computer technology, and the potential consequences of cyber attacks. A detailed case study of the Stuxnet attack follows, along with an analysis of the lessons learned from Stuxnet. The thesis concludes with specific policy improvement recommendations for the United States under three major themes: enhancing national unity of effort, expansion of cyber security coordination between the private and government sectors, and incentivizing private-sector compliance with best practices in cyber security."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Lendvay, Ronald L.
2016-03
-
Beyond Sister City Agreements: Exploring the Challenges to Full International Interoperability
From the thesis abstract: "Communities on the international border are often interconnected by more than simple proximity. They are connected through social networks, economy, culture, and shared natural resources. Despite this interdependent relationship, and in spite of international agreements that support mutual aid between countries, crossing the border with emergency resources, even for a humanitarian purpose, can be problematic. This thesis examined existing agreements on both the northern and southern U.S. borders to determine how various regions address their cross-border agreements. Research indicated that unique challenges-such as liability concerns, local politics, and border violence-along the Mexican border must be addressed. By examining the fuller context, this thesis recommends that local entities examine their specific challenges to establishing fully interoperable agreements. Local interoperability agreements just might move us beyond 'sister city agreements' and put us on the path toward functional international partnerships."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Shanks, Calvin D.
2016-03
-
Suicide in the Fire Service: Saving the Lives of Firefighters
From the thesis abstract: "The goal of this thesis was to determine whether post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and firefighter suicide are on the rise in the U.S. fire service and how fire chiefs can implement programs to curb PTSD-related firefighter suicide. The research was limited, however, by imprecise statistics on PTSD and suicide in the fire service, caused in part by the firefighter culture. To work toward a proactive solution, this research examined current, effective mental health programs that can be utilized in-house by fire departments, including Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, Psychological First Aid, and Stress First Aid. Research on professional mental health focused on therapies used by the Department of Veterans Affairs, including psychotherapy, medication, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. Through a critical review of available programs, this thesis identifies best practices for collecting accurate firefighter suicide data, and suggests development of a tiered approach to decrease PTSD and firefighter suicide. A limitation of the research was the inability to verify results of a firefighter being 'cured' of PTSD."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Heitman, Steven C.
2016-03
-
Winning the War at Home: Stability Operations Strategy for Homeland Security
From the thesis abstract: "While much progress has been made in American homeland security, there remains a lack of strategic consensus for state and local agencies. Communities are increasingly outspoken in their expectations of unified homeland security efforts. Remarkably, the U.S. military has a long history of using stability operations strategy to execute similar missions in foreign and domestic settings. Stability operations strategy is a non-traditional U.S. military approach emphasizing community collaboration to restore order. Despite similar objectives, stability operations strategy and its use of civil affairs forces do not appear to have been studied as a possible model to unify state and local homeland security activities. This research uses a case study and policy options analysis to explore the questions: Is the U.S. military's stability operations strategy a useful consideration for domestic homeland security applications? If so, how could military stability operations strategy be implemented in homeland security efforts? The research recommends adopting the strategy and organizing state and local homeland security initiatives into six stabilization sectors: civil security, civil control, essential services, support to governance, support to economic and infrastructure development, and information management. Stability operations strategy offers state and local decision makers a comprehensive, community-focused model for homeland security initiatives."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Shaughnessy, Joshua
2016-03
-
Saving the Savable: Using Bystanders to Increase Survival from Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) in New York City
From the thesis abstract: "Every year in America, thousands of people needlessly die following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Because first responders in New York City (NYC) have difficulty arriving soon enough, cardiac arrest survival rates lag significantly behind jurisdictions around the country. One successful approach used elsewhere to increase OHCA survival rates is encouraging bystanders to perform CPR [Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation] prior to first responders' arrival. Regarding bystanders as the first first responders requires a shift in thinking as well as an understanding of the modern bystander. This thesis examines the people, policies, and technology that are available-some of them already tested in other jurisdictions-and presents specific recommendations for NYC. Bridging the gap from the time a person stops breathing until the arrival of first responders may not be as difficult as it seems." A 13 minute and 38 second video interview on this thesis is also available at the following link: [https://www.chds.us/ed/saving-the-savable-using-bystanders-to-increase-survival-from-out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest-in-nyc/]
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Leeb, Frank A.
2016-03
-
Different Shade of Blue: An Evaluation of the Civilian Detective Concept and Its Impact on Police Capabilities
From the thesis abstract: "Financial distress and shrinking police candidate pools have diminished cities' abilities to protect the public. This thesis examines the manner in which cities have adapted by using civilians to perform the duties of sworn detectives-specifically, whether this practice enhances cities' contributions to public safety. Nine law enforcement organizations across the country that applied this policy were analyzed. It focused on cost implications, impacts on investigative and emergency response capabilities, job qualifications, training standards, scope of duties, and overall efficacy. Similar themes include the ability of cities to reduce costs and to achieve equivalent work output from civilian personnel. Dissimilar themes surrounded the reasons cities adopted the policy and how they trained the personnel. From the analysis, this thesis determined that the use of civilian personnel does enhance cities' contributions to public safety. This thesis also identified a need for a uniform national framework for policy adoption and for state peace officer accrediting commissions to develop guidelines for training and certification." A 15 minute, 21 second interview on this thesis is also available at the following link: [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=808962]
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Green, David B.
2016-03
-
Flight Plight: An Examination of Contemporary Humanitarian Immigration from Honduras, Cuba and Syria to the United States with Considerations for National Security
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis examines contemporary U.S. immigration for humanitarian populations from Honduras, Cuba, and Syria. Humanitarian immigration refers to refugees, asylum seekers, and those who are forcibly displaced from their homelands. The study explores how the United States can balance its identity as a nation of immigrants with its increasing security concerns within forced migrant populations. The research describes various philosophies of and motives for migration and the United States' role as an international destination for refugees. The study also provides a comprehensive review of all U.S. humanitarian immigration programs available to forced migrants from Honduras, Cuba, and Syria. These unique reviews, or case studies, are introduced with descriptions of each country's social, political, and historical context for migration and feature fictional scenarios in which immigrant families interact directly with country conditions and the U.S. humanitarian immigration programs available to them. Finally, the thesis reviews national security concerns presented by humanitarian immigration programs and explains how national priorities and legislative remedies can temper public fear." An 8 minute, 28 second interview on this thesis is also available at the following link: [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=808963]
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Ventura, Catherine Schroeck
2016-03
-
Armed to Learn: Aiming at California K-12 School Gun Policy
From the thesis abstract: "Although the idea of a school shooting strikes fear in the hearts of school administrators, school employees, and parents, there is no agreement on whether arming employees is a sound strategy to counter this threat. There is a wide gap in viewpoints between gun control advocates who want tighter gun control and constitutionalists who believe as strongly in the Second Amendment right to bear arms. Whether or not to implement a weapons policy is an issue every school superintendent or school authority may need to face sooner or later. This research does not seek to answer the question of whether school districts should arm their employees. Rather, it seeks to provide a framework for each educational agency to explore, contemplate, and determine its course of action based upon risk-management principles that take into account the values, goals, and capabilities of the community in which the policy would apply. Possible outcomes include the policy options of MoreGuns (allow teachers to be armed), BanGuns (no one is armed), or SomeGuns (trained security or law enforcement can be armed but not teachers). This research is intended to stand as a resource for stakeholders such as legislators, parents, and employees; to equip them to engage in the policy debate; and to empower their participation in making informed decisions about school-district weapons policy." An 8 minute, 36 second interview on this thesis is also available at the following link: [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=808966].
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Jones, Catherine Wilson
2016-03
-
Cruser News [February 2016]
This February 2016 newsletter from the Naval Postgraduate School's (NPS) Consortium for Robotics and Unmanned Systems Education and Research (CRUSER) contains the following articles: "Joint Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Swarming Integration (JUSI) Quick Reaction Test (QRT)"; "Mitigating Cosite Interference"; and "Drone Detection at the Rose Bowl".
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
2016-02
-
Unmanned Systems Sentinel [January 11, 2016]
The following is a collection of article summaries concerning recent developments in the field of Unmanned Systems from the Navy Postgraduate School. The collection covers various aspects of emerging Unmanned Systems. All opinions expressed are those of the respective author or authors and do not represent the official policy or positions of the Naval Postgraduate School, the United States Navy, or any other government entity.
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
2016-01-11
-
Cruser News [January 2016]
This newsletter from the Naval Postgraduate School's (NPS) Consortium for Robotics and Unmanned Systems Education and Research (CRUSER) contains the following articles: "Flying Miniature Quad-Rotor Unmanned Aerial Systems over the Arctic Ocean," by Peter Guest; "New Department of Defense [DOD]Robotics and Autonomous Systems Strategies for 2016," by Matt Dooley; "Multispectral Imaging - Eye on the Commercial Market," by David Harrison; "Student Corner," by Joshua Lum; and "Librarian Corner," by Greta Marlatt.
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
2016-01
-
Unmanned Systems Sentinel [December 29, 2015]
The following is a collection of article summaries concerning recent developments in the field of Unmanned Systems from the Navy Postgraduate School. The collection covers various aspects of emerging Unmanned Systems. All opinions expressed are those of the respective author or authors and do not represent the official policy or positions of the Naval Postgraduate School, the United States Navy, or any other government entity.
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
2015-12-29
-
Nuclear Command, Control, and Stability Framework
"This project investigates the topic of nuclear command and control (C2) as a policy consideration for expressing and mitigating nuclear risks. The research was led by the Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation (VT-ARC) with a sub-award to ANSER's [Analytic Services] Asia-Pacific Institute. The overall structure for the project revolves around two independent assessments of a stability framework proposed in the 2007 book chapter titled, 'Nuclear Command and Control in the Twenty First Century: Trends, Disparities and the Impact on Stability.' The first independent assessment was conducted by the Decision Support Red Team (DSRT) group at VT-ARC and focused on the functional design of the stability framework and the ease and accuracy with which it could be used by policy makers. This assessment was agnostic of specific regional and global characteristics and focused on the framework as a tool for expressing power dynamics. The second independent assessment was conducted by a research team at ANSER and took a deeper look at the merit of the stability framework for expressing nuclear stability dynamics in a regional (bipolar or multi-polar) context. A primary focus of both independent assessments was to determine the overall utility of the Framework for its application and use as a tool for constructive discourse by policy makers and non-technical personnel." Note: This document has been added to the Homeland Security Digital Library in agreement with the Project on Advanced Systems and Concepts for Countering WMD (PASCC) as part of the PASCC collection. Permission to download and/or retrieve this resource has been obtained through PASCC.
Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Contemporary Conflict
2015-12-29
-
Unmanned Systems Sentinel [December 14, 2015]
The following is a collection of article summaries concerning recent developments in the field of Unmanned Systems from the Navy Postgraduate School. The collection covers various aspects of emerging Unmanned Systems. All opinions expressed are those of the respective author or authors and do not represent the official policy or positions of the Naval Postgraduate School, the United States Navy, or any other government entity.
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
2015-12-14
-
Unmanned Systems Sentinel [December 7, 2015]
The following is a collection of article summaries concerning recent developments in the field of Unmanned Systems from the Navy Postgraduate School. The collection covers various aspects of emerging Unmanned Systems. All opinions expressed are those of the respective author or authors and do not represent the official policy or positions of the Naval Postgraduate School, the United States Navy, or any other government entity.
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
2015-12-07
-
Does the Department of Defense Possess Solutions for the Department of Homeland Security's Personnel Management Issues?
From the thesis abstract: "Personnel and management problems are hindering the Department of Homeland Security [DHS] in its ability to accomplish its mission. Leadership weaknesses, insufficient education and training for employees, and retention problems divide the workforce across many agencies and threaten to undermine the Department's ability to carry out its objective of protecting the United States. Department of Defense (DOD) practices, however, can serve as a model for change. The DOD has demonstrated a finely tuned system of addressing personnel and management concerns, as developed through the creation of the all-volunteer force and the Goldwater-Nichols Act, which restructured the military chain of command. This research explores how the DOD might offer solutions to DHS through lessons learned from 1973 through the early 1990s--some 20 years of hard-earned experience dealing with issues that are very similar to what the DHS is facing in its infancy."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Frizzell, Joshua D.
2015-12
-
Improving Access to Military Aircraft During Civilian Wildfires
From the thesis abstract: "Wildfires are a growing problem in the United States, and military aircraft are increasingly mobilized in support of civilian wildfire suppression efforts. The photogenic qualities of aircraft distributing a trail of red slurry over a wildfire increase the public's expectation of fire suppression from the air. The problem is that Department of Defense (DOD) aircraft are not dispatched to civilian wildfires in a timely manner, resulting in lives lost, property destroyed, and critical infrastructure damaged. The research question considered by this thesis is, 'What improvements can be implemented to existing local, state, and federal protocols to provide a more timely response to civilian wildfires by DOD aircraft?' The current system is complicated and confusing, involving federal laws, such as the Economy and Stafford acts; DOD doctrine and instruction, such as Defense Support to (of) Civil Authorities and Immediate Response Authority; and civilian agencies, such as the National Interagency Fire Center with its 'Military Use Handbook' in the existing process to dispatch military aircraft to civilian wildfires. The results of the study recommend that (1) DOD aircraft be more closely coordinated with civilian aircraft via the IRA [Immediate Response Authority] for responding to civilian wildfires, and that (2) the Economy and Stafford acts be modified to improve the efficiency with which military aircraft respond to civilian wildfires."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Dubay, Steve E.
2015-12
-
Technology Strategy in Irregular Warfare: High-tech Versus Right-tech
From the thesis abstract: "When faced with any type of irregular warfare, technology integration has proved to be problematic for developed countries with technologically advanced militaries. Developed countries train and equip their militaries and develop military doctrines that tend to focus on protection from other developed countries. Thus, these military agencies are well prepared for conventional warfare and assume they can use the same operational concepts against irregular adversaries as well. Unfortunately, this theory has proved incorrect. History suggests that developed countries rely on the most advanced technologies to provide an advantage in all operations; however, high-tech does not always equate to right-tech. Through three related case studies, this thesis analyzes how strong actors use varying levels of technology to engage weak actors in irregular warfare, and how the misuse of technology can lead to defeat rather than victory for the strong actors. I suggest that advanced militaries should develop technology strategies for irregular warfare that are based on tailored capabilities. Additionally, these agencies need processes that promote tactical and technological innovation to fill operational gaps in their capabilities for waging irregular warfare."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Rowlette, Kevin P.
2015-12
-
Finding Effective Responses Against Cyber Attacks for Divided Nations
From the thesis abstract: "There can be hostile relations between nations that are divided politically or ideologically, and there are threats in cyberspace as well as physical space. Although every cyber threat, like a physical threat, has countermeasures, this can be hard because of the complexity of cyberspace and the ethics in cyberspace. This study tries to find effective countermeasures for South Korea in cyberspace against North Korea's continuing cyber attacks in light of the Korean peninsula's situation, a typical example of divided nations in the world. To find good solutions, South and North Korea's cyber capabilities are compared in terms of infrastructure, organization, defensive capabilities, offensive capabilities, and vulnerabilities. Characteristics and features of North Korea's cyber attacks are inferred by analyses of past attacks. Based on these analyses, this study recommends defensive and offensive countermeasures to mitigate these cyber threats and prevent escalation. Each countermeasure is assessed using considerations such as prevention of escalation, efficient use of limited resources, international laws and ethics, and bargaining power in the real world."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Park, Ji Min
2015-12
-
Study on the Decision Factors in the Delay of the ROK-U.S. Wartime OPCON Transfer: Focusing on the Domestic Determinants
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis begins by asking why the wartime OPCON [Operational Control] transfer period between the ROK [Republic of Korea] and the United States has continuously been delayed. To answer this question, the author studies how domestic politics have affected the continuous delay. To investigate the influence of domestic politics, this thesis first applied Graham Allison's Rational Actor Model (security); second, it applied domestic politics from Allison's bureaucratic politics model; and third, to fill a gap between security (RAM) and domestic politics, this thesis used Robert Putnam's Two-Level Game theory to clarify interconnectivity of international and domestic levels. The result of this study indicates that the security environment is critical and could affect the continuous delay of the wartime OPCON transfer; however, the key actors of those decisions are policy decision makers. Unless the security environment changes drastically, the ROK conservatives and progressives, and the U.S. neoconservatives and pragmatists, will remain key members. The ROK, with its strong ally--the United States--should meticulously prepare the process of the wartime OPCON transfer to maintain the peace of the Korean Peninsula under unexpected political and economic situations, mainly focusing on the future-oriented combined ROK-U.S. military structure."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Jung, Jinhak
2015-12
-
Trolling New Media: Violent Extremist Groups Recruiting Through Social Media
From the thesis abstract: "With the advent and subsequent growth of several new media technologies, violent extremist groups have incorporated social media into recruiting strategies. How are violent extremist groups using social media for recruiting? This thesis explores several new media technologies--websites, blogs, social media, mobile phones, and online gaming--to determine if violent extremist groups rely on social media for recruiting. By comparing the communication of al Qaeda and ISIS [Islamic State of Iraq and Syria], this thesis concludes that violent extremist groups rely on social media, and they employ a wide range of new media technologies to attract and recruit new members. In some instances, virtual interaction still requires face-to-face communication to adequately recruit someone into a violent extremist group."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Chang, Mark D.
2015-12
-
Dim Networks: The Utility of Social Network Analysis for Illuminating Partner Security Force Networks
From the thesis abstract: "As the security landscape changes, the importance of strong and influential partnerships for security cooperation (SC) increases. The process of selecting the best possible partners should not be neglected; tools to accomplish this task may already exist. Recently, the use of social network analysis (SNA) has allowed the military to map dark networks of terrorist organizations and selectively target key elements. SNA data collection and analysis efforts remain focused on these terrorist networks, whereas friendly or light networks have been relatively neglected. This thesis highlights the importance of analyzing light networks for SC and introduces the concept of dim networks. These are networks that consist of friendly actors whose connections to external organizations may not be public. This thesis has potential to improve partner security force engagement selection through the use of SNA principles, methods, and software, yielding several dividends. First, it provides a commander with a detailed understanding of the foreign units involved in SC, which allows for development of a more focused engagement strategy. Second, it allows SC planners to invest time and resources on the partner security forces that most effectively advance the commander's engagement priorities. Third, it reinforces the collection of network-related data on organizations the U.S. military cooperates with and the importance of analyzing that empirical data to improve SC."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Fernandes, Antione C.; Taylor, Travis J.
2015-12
-
Precipitating the Decline of Al-Shabaab: A Case Study in Leadership Decapitation
From the thesis abstract: "The tactic of leadership decapitation, using military action to capture or kill terrorist leadership, is a key component of United States counterterrorism strategy. Policymakers argue that eliminating terrorist leadership is an effective way to disrupt, and, ultimately, destroy terrorist organizations. Since 2001, hundreds of terrorist leaders have been captured or killed by U.S. counterterrorism operations. In spite of this, the spread of violent, radical jihadist groups like Al-Shabaab has expanded and grown in strength. This thesis analyzes the United States' approach of leadership targeting toward Al-Shabaab in Somalia, and asks the research question: Under what conditions are leadership decapitation effective in degrading the terrorist group Al-Shabaab? This thesis finds that leadership decapitation operations have a limited effect in disrupting and preventing future acts of terrorism. It argues for a more analytical approach to leadership decapitation in order to improve its effectiveness. This thesis argues for leadership targeting principles that are likely to be effective counterterrorism strategies and lead to the long-term decline of the group, including basing targeting decisions on understanding the group's internal dynamics, integrating decapitation operations into comprehensive counterterrorism strategies, and capitalizing on existing leadership divisions, which can be as effective as lethal military action."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Butler, Brett M.
2015-12
