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• Designing the Army's Future Active Duty Weapons of Mass Destruction Response: Is the Defense Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High-yield Explosives Response Force (DCRF) the Right Force at the Right Time?

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  From the thesis abstract: "With the ever-evolving contemporary nature of external and internal threats to the safety and security of the American homeland, it becomes increasingly important to consider all of the possible contingencies for which an active-duty military component force might have to provide emergency response and consequence management (CM) capabilities in the event of a major incident on United States soil. The active force consigned for this purpose, designed to provide a large contingent for support during a major event involving the use of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosives (CBRNE) materials was designated as the Defense CBRNE Response Force (DCRF) per the CBRNE Enterprise of 2011. This purpose of this thesis was to examine the capacity of the DCRF in responding to a situation similar to the standardized scenarios presented as part of the National Preparedness Guidelines. The nascent nature of the DCRF and the difficulties of integration into national-level exercises involving local and state-level responders (including National Guard forces) suggest further study of the design of the DCRF is warranted. The DCRF itself is stood-up on a rotational basis between two Maneuver Enhancement Brigades (MEBs) within the United States, leading to long train-up times and challenges with continuity, collaborative training, and operational tempo. The study discussed these issues and suggestions for DCRF design, planning, and training that could significantly improve the ability to mitigate suffering and provide essential support in the event of a major CBRNE incident. "

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Hurt, Justin P.

  2013-06
• Mobile Communications within the Deepwater Lifelines

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  From the thesis abstract: "This thesis researched the availability and applicability of using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) cellular software and smartphone hardware platforms to address future individual communication requirements for the US Navy at sea. The paper presents evidence in favor of incorporation of COTS technology aboard ships to address tactical communications. Individual communication needs facilitated by devices include text, chat, voice, position location information, imagery and map viewing, streaming video, web browsing and e-mail. While all of these identified communication capabilities are currently available in military command and control systems, they presently reside primarily at hardwired workstations requiring large assets to maintain. The paper also studies current research in micro mobile communication networks that have been growing exponentially in the past year including a host of different network types: ad hoc, smartphone, access point, sensor, etc. The paper lays out a solid understanding of all layers of wireless networking and the interactions between them (including physical, data link, medium access control, routing, transport, and application). The topics of security, efficiency, mobility, health risk, scalability, and their unique characteristics in wireless networks are discussed. Finally, the researcher explores advanced architectures, protocols, and satellite support for complex, dynamic, developing recursive network architectures, protocols, and looks at devices for complex, dynamic, high-performance communication in hostile and extremely remote locations such as the high sea."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Kostenko, Franklin C.

  2013-02
• Narratives, Policy and Change: The Deconstruction and Reconstruction of U.S. Narratives in Syria

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  From the Abstract: "In the complex foreign policy domain, what a government says is as important as what a government does. This part of the policy formation is called a narrative. The narrative, in simple terms, describes the situation, provides context and meaning, and proposes a solution. Narratives can be found at all levels of discourse, but the relationship between narratives and their corresponding policy is complex. This thesis attempts to discern this relationship by reviewing the literature on policy narratives and policy change. To better understand this relationship, the author reviews the United States narrative and policy through a case study approach to the Syrian Civil War. In this case study, the Syrian policy narrative is reconstructed in three time periods; prior to the violent clash between Syrian security forces and protestors in March 2011; the time between the start of hostilities to the Syrian regime's alleged use of chemical weapons in August 2013; and from August 2013 through October 2014. This case study showed that there is a hierarchy to narratives consistent with the traditional view of the hierarchy of policy and strategy, as well as the importance of aligning the policy specific issue narrative to overarching narratives."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Bergin, Jeremy S.

  2014-02
• Increased Economic Relations Between China and Zambia in the Last Decade: Implications on Zambia's Existing Bilateral Relations with the United States

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  This thesis was written in partial fulfillment of of the requirements for the Masters of Military Art and Science, Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. From the thesis abstract: "This thesis studied the increased economic relations between China and Zambia in the last decade with the view to determine its implications on the existing bilateral relations between the United States (U.S.) and Zambia. The study identified the nature of both Chinese and U.S. relations with Zambia, their strategic interests, trends in their economic investments, including areas of potential overlap in their interaction with Zambia. The study found out that the increase in Chinese economic relations with Zambia has not significantly impacted Zambia's bilateral relationship with the U.S., and Chinese increased investments are primarily in mining and infrastructure development, while the U.S. has maintained steady investments in almost all sectors of the Zambian economy. The research concluded that an increase in Chinese economic relations with Zambia has not changed U.S. relations with Zambia. However, areas of potential overlap do exist in Chinese activities which can directly or indirectly impact on U.S. interests in Zambia. Further, Zambia's economic relationship with both China and the U.S. is not zero-sum, as both countries make meaningful contributions to Zambia's economic growth. Zambia has to leverage its relations with the two economic powers in order to achieve synergy."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Mubita, Oliver Mubita

  2013-02
• Security Implications of ISAF Exit from Afghanistan on South Asia

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  From the Abstract: "This study analyzes the regional security implications of Afghanistan's internal and external environment. Long conflicts have weakened Afghanistan state. In the midst of a fragile Afghan political, economic and security situation, the US plans to draw down its military forces by the end 2014. Long term prosperity incorporating all factions of Afghan society is vital for the stable and peaceful environment. This goal appears very far away. However, Afghanistan is a resilient and warrior nation, and is evolving as a nation-state. It has passed through very arduous times and surfaced, essentially unchanged, again. The current situation reflects historical instability. The future can be better, but depends on a fine balance between the interests of Afghanistan and regional players. Without internal security, Afghanistan will turn into a hotbed of violence. Ethnic proxies of external actors will lead it into even more conflict. Afghanistan's politics are interwoven among tribal intricacies and the interests of several external players, including its neighbors. My analysis concludes Afghanistan is extremely important to the security environment of South Asia. Without a stable and peaceful Afghanistan, South Asian long term stability will not be possible. Narrow national interests will scramble to fill the vacuum after ISAF [International Security Assistance Force] exits. This study also includes the discussion on India-Pakistan-Iran relations in the backdrop of Afghanistan. In the post-ISAF environment, a positive sum game is highly unlikely. Without a successful, comprehensive dialogue with all groups, including Taliban, any effort to establish a broad based government will not last long. Only regional consensus and tribal solutions can pave the way for a better future."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Sumbal, Muhammad Ramzan

  2014-02
• Unwanted Guests: The Impact of Iraqi Refugees on Jordan's Economy

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  From the thesis abstract: "As a byproduct of the war in Iraq, half a million displaced Iraqis migrated to neighboring Jordan. What impact did these refugees have on Jordan's economy? A dominant narrative shared by the international community generally assumes that refugees impose great costs on hosting nations. Despite an abundance of anecdotal claims that the Iraqi refugees were a massive burden on Jordan's economy, there is a lack of empirical evidence to support this assertion. Using a quasi-experimental research design that exploits the variation in refugee presence across Jordan, I find that although the Iraqi refugees had a small negative impact across a number of economic measures, the commonly held criticisms are far overstated. Furthermore, I argue that some of the policies Jordan implemented to mitigate the effect of the refugees were counterproductive, eliminating some potentially positive impacts. The results of this study add to a growing body of evidence that shows how local integration refugee policies can be of benefit to both the refugees and the hosting nations."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Glonek, Joshua G.

  2014-01
• Understanding the Root Causes of Military Coups and Governmental Instability in West Africa

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  This thesis was written in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Masters of Military Art and Science, General Studies degree from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. From the thesis abstract: "West Africa with its 16 countries is the cradle of military coups and governmental instability totaling 44 coups in 50 years of independence. Major studies identify and explain the causes in different structural theories: Political development -Military centrality -Ethnic antagonism -World system/dependency theory. While agreeing with all these theories as leading factors of governmental instability and military coups in West Africa, this study widens the scope to a more prominent factor that contributed to this situation. This research posits that the premature and sudden departure of colonial military powers is the major cause of the governmental instability and military coups in West Africa. This sudden departure creates a gape in the security and most importantly in the professionalization of the embryonic West African militaries with regards to the civil-military relations. A qualitative case study with a controlled comparison between Niger and Senegal showed a difference in the outcomes with regards to stability and military coups. A permanent presence of military installation of a democratic power like the case with French troops in Senegal would help provide the same governmental stability in the other West African countries."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Kemence, Kokou Oyome

  2013-02
• Reaching the Target Audience

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  From the thesis Abstract: "Military Information Support Operations (MISO) uses themes and messages to reach target audiences in order to influence their emotions, motives, reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of foreign governments, organizations, groups, and individuals. This thesis looks at the German people as the target audience of the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP or NS) from 1920 to 1941 to determine if the methods and techniques were effective in influencing the German people to believe or conform to NS ideology. The level of effectiveness is the number of German citizens who supported NS ideology or remained unopposed to their actions. The analysis will be conducted through the MISO Target Audience Analysis process to frame the research as well as conclude calculable strengths and weaknesses of MISO synchronize information related capabilities, methods and techniques."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Flitton, Mark S.

  2014-01
• Reframing Stability Operations: Using Social Science to Identify Pillars of Stability Operations to Bridge the Gap Between the Principles of Joint Operations and Stability Operations Framework

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  From the thesis abstract: "Recent Government and Department of Defense publications designate stability operations as a core military mission, leading to its parity amongst other more traditional military missions along the spectrum of armed conflict. However, doctrine fails to account for the constructive nature of stability operations when compared to the destructive nature of the offense or defense. While both FM 3-07 'Stability Operations' and the new joint Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and United States Institute for Peace's 'Guiding Principles for Stability and Reconstruction' provide frameworks for the conduct of stability operations, there exists an institutional difficulty in achieving operational success. This leads one to question whether the proposed frameworks are correct, and if they can be improved upon. The problem lies in 2001, with the combining of the MOOTW [Military Operations Other Than War] Principles and the Principles of War. While this accounted for many common efforts and eventually led to the emergence of the Full Spectrum Operations concept, doing so erased parameters that provided unique guidance to the conduct of stability operations. This thesis addresses this doctrinal gap through social science by identifying what needs all people have, Drivers of Instability, and how stable societies adapt to ensure needs are met and avoid unstable behavior. It then critiques examples of need-fulfillment interventions, and the reasons behind their success. This analysis deduces certain Pillars, rooted in social science and validated against historical examples, which govern the unique conduct of stability operations. These Pillars of Stability Operations provide a theoretical basis that nests in the Principles of Joint Operations and complements the existing frameworks in FM 3-07 and 'Guiding Principles', making the execution of stability operations more efficient and effective."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Harding, Ethan H.

  2009-11-12
• Future Role of the Department of Defense in Protecting and Defending America's Economy in Cyberspace

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  From the Abstract: "Cyberspace attacks continue in the United States with many of these incidents crossing international borders. The global nature of cyberspace makes it difficult to determine if a breach into a computer system is an act of cyberterrorism, cyber crime, or cyber warfare. An attack to steal credit card information may be all three simultaneously [sic]. The Department of Defense is ready to protect the nation against all enemies in the air, on the land, or on the sea. These domains are well protected with military forces postured to respond. Our nation's economy is under constant attack through the cyberspace domain. Attacks through electonic [sic] means happen at the speed of light and require a quick response to contain. Proactive appoaches [sic] defend our borders, but not our economy. Instead, the United States has a passive defense relying on the goodwill of commercial enterprises and the investigative approaches of law enforcement agencies. Through the Untied [sic] States Cyber Command, the Department of Defense has capability that can be used to defend America. This reseach [sic] paper looks at the roles and responsibilities of the Department of Defense as it relates to Homeland Defense and the protection of credit card information transitioning across the Internet."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Jensen, Scott A.

  2014-02
• Transnational Security Challenges in Southeast Asia: The Need for Multinational Military Cooperation and Coordination in ASEAN

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  From the Abstract: "Recently, the association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has accelerated the process of realizing a closer-knit ASEAN community by 2015 through implementing holistic and synergistic solutions with an emphasis on military cooperation. Economic development and political stability in the region facilitate the expansion of a cooperative agenda defense which has been marked by the inception of regular sessions of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus. However, the military cooperation sphere is considered to be lagging behind and remains a domain waiting for improvement. This thesis ascertains that there is a need for stronger and closer military cooperation and coordination under the ASEAN framework in order to address transnational security challenges in the region. It starts by highlighting key ASEAN security architectures, major developments, and predominant patterns of military ties in Southeast Asia. This research then scrutinizes the strategic context surrounding ASEAN military cooperative practices by closely looking at each member country's perspective on security cooperation. The strategic importance of ASEAN's geographic location and its combined military capabilities as well as the serious security issues that confront the region are examined. Analyses of two case studies - the international search for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight 370, and the Malacca Strait Patrols, are presented as a way to identify the benefits that multilateral military cooperation in ASEAN can create and the obstacles to such an approach. The thesis concludes by asserting that multilateral military cooperation under the ASEAN framework is necessary to tackle transnational security issues in the region."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Huong, Tran Duc

  2014-02
• Effect of an Electromagnetic Pulse Strike on the Transportation Infrastructure of Kansas City

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  From the Abstract: "In the twenty-first century many non-state actors and third-rate countries aspire to become relevant in a world moving forward. The development of Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) used as a weapon poses a significant threat to an electrically driven world. An EMP strike is an extremely desirable way to affect a given population of any nation. Due to the indirect nature of an EMP strike, its employment has minimal signature further concealing its origin or motivated actor. An aspiring third-rate country could harness or employ this weapon to quickly ensure its relevancy in the world, while a world super-power could use it to upset the balance of power without bringing attention to its self. As the U.S. and specifically a mid-sized city such as Kansas City adjust for tighter homeland security, they also look to combat potential future threats. Kansas City is at the epicenter of U.S. transportation acting as a major mid-continent hub for multi-mode transport, where everything is executed just in time. This study examines how an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) strike targeting Kansas City will affect its road, rail, and distribution infrastructure."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Reardon Jr., Patrick J.

  2014-01
• America's Achilles Heel: Defense Against High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse - Policy vs. Practice

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  From the Abstract: "This thesis examines the strategic level policies and practices of Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) consequence management and how they translate down to the lowest echelon in the practices in addressing the potential second and third order effects. With the proliferation of nuclear devices and ballistic missile delivery systems, an EMP attack originating from a rogue or non-state actor is a potentially catastrophic threat that needs to be addressed. EMP has the potential to irrevocably damage electronics and electrical components over an extensive geographical area with some estimates of a grid outage lasting as long as 18 months. This is in part due to the current design limitations and vulnerabilities inherent in an aging infrastructure. Case study data from high altitude nuclear testing from the 1960s and EMP simulations are used to highlight the effects of EMP. The Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) mission of the military will be needed to bolster Department of Homeland Security efforts in a regionally widespread disaster area. Policies and legislation to address U.S. electrical grid vulnerabilities can take several years between milestones. Recommendations will address both governmental and private sector approaches to EMP damage mitigation and consequence management."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Bontea, Sirius T.

  2014-02
• Finding Order Within the Chaos of Counternarcotics: A Universal Framework for the Reduction of Illicit Crop Cultivation

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  From the Abstract: "This thesis proves the existence of a universal framework that can be used to strategically reduce illicit crop cultivation in source countries. This framework is established through the demonstration of four universal principles: counternarcotics strategies require multiple coordinated components; counternarcotics strategies must lead with state presence and security; eradication reduces illicit crop cultivation when applied with sufficient threat; and alternative development must be applied in the right sequence, leading with human resources development, local participation, and investment in infrastructure. The concept of determining a limit to farmers' tolerance of eradication in order to provide a sufficient threat of eradication is a novel concept presented in this paper, with sufficient threat of eradication ultimately causing a reduction in illicit crops planted each year. This thesis does not assume to have determined all of the universal counternarcotics principles. As more principles are discovered through additional studies, the current framework will continue to be developed and refined, increasing its ability to strategically reduce the cultivation of illicit crops."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Challen, Nicholas B.

  2013-02
• Necessity of Company-Grade Air Defense Artillery Officers in the Air Defense and Airspace Management Cells Within the Brigade Combat Team

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  "The recent trend in leader development appears to focus on preparing leaders to be adaptive in the face of rapid change and uncertainty. The Army incorporated the trend in the publication of the Army Leader Development Strategy. A strong case can be made that experiences in the past twelve years at war and the uncertainty for future conflicts has encouraged the investment in adaptability. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan evolved into fights that had not been anticipated. Organizations were capable of adapting to their specific environments with relative advantages gained with the available personnel, training, and equipment. On the precipice of transition to a 'post-war' military, the Army is at the optimal point to make adjustments to form and function that can be rapidly adapted to face virtually any enemy. […] The study will identify the doctrinal task and purpose for the ADAM [Air Defense and Airspace Management] cell OIC in order to determine the training requirements for that position. This study will review the changes that occurred within the ADAM cells of BCTs [Brigade Combat Team] over the course of the last ten years. It will review the current missions and purposes of the ADAM cell and the OIC. The study will also assess the reports of what tasks company-grade ADA officers conducted while deployed with BCTs."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Minott, Nathan N.

  2014-01
• Iraq Provincial Reconstruction Teams: Flawed from the Start, How Perverse Incentives and Unintended Outcomes Impacted Success

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  This thesis was presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Military Art and Science degree. "The Iraq Provincial Reconstruction Team program (PRT) was part of the larger U.S. Government effort to rebuild Iraq. This thesis explores how institutionalized rules created perverse incentives which produced deleterious outcomes. The study applies the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework to four case studies of PRT activities: The Commander's Emergency Response Program, The Quick Response Program, The Local Governance Program, and the Basrah Modern Slaughterhouse Project. The study identifies a number of ways in which the rules governing the PRTs resulted in negative outcomes. The rules encouraged a trial and error approach that is not consistent with a wicked problem set. The intentionally ad hoc structure of the individual PRTs contributed to a lack of a unified programmatic vision and prevented the development of a comprehensive plan for the reconstruction of Iraq. PRTs were overly inward-looking when it came to measuring success. They had incentives to rely on performance metrics which had little connection to the critically important developmental objectives of beneficiary ownership and sustainability."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Arnold, Eugene J.

  2013-01
• Islamic State's Tactics in Syria: Role of Social Media in Shifting a Peaceful Arab Spring Into Terrorism

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  From the thesis abstract: "The present descriptive study examines the Islamic State's (IS) use of social media to launch its message and expand its propaganda to the world. IS focus on the Syrian Arab Spring revolution that started on March 15, 2011, as a foundation of tacit and explicit support of some Syrian people to evolve into a reorganized terrorist group. Examination and analysis of articles, reports, magazines, IS's publications and social media posts (such as those found on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook) constitute the main methods of research for this report to deduce how IS expanded its social media organizational capabilities between 2011 and 2014. The study incorporates a mixed method approach consisting of both archival and statistical research. The collected data was analyzed qualitatively by using the document review method. The inductive approach used to analyze the data was the Framework Analysis using scientific theories to validate the effectiveness of the research questions. Research findings from social media suggest that IS is a sophisticated organization driven by religious and political ideas to create an Islamic Caliphate. IS uses social media as a primary means of information dissemination, making the distribution of its media decentralized. One of the limitations of this study is the danger of virus and malware attacks from terrorists that make researchers increase their investigations."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Harkous, Hasan S.

  2017-09-06
• Increasing Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Operational Agility through Mission Command

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  "This thesis examines if applying the six principles of the United States Army's mission command philosophy would improve the agility of Joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) at the operational level. The study employs a qualitative research design utilizing an inductive logic approach with a meta-analysis research methodology to create a series of increasingly strong and logically cogent inductive arguments. The full body of literature paired with the meta-analysis provides sufficient evidence to support a direct relationship between mission command and ISR agility. Therefore, changes in the amount of mission command within a given environment will likely result in comparable changes within the level of ISR agility. The resulting analysis is applied to a representative operational example within the South Caucuses region in order to discuss mission command's potential in increasing ISR agility in a real-world context. The research concludes with a series of recommendations at the unclassified level regarding the application of mission command philosophy to Joint ISR doctrine in order to improve Joint ISR's agility at the operational level."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Skaggs, Ryan D.

  2016-06
• U.S. Armored Brigade Combat Team versus Current Hybrid Threat: How Should the U.S. ABCT Be Organized and Equipped to Address the Current Hybrid Threat

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  "Recent conflicts and military operations in the world have shown that hybrid threat (HT) is increasingly common. U.S. combat forces can expect to encounter HTs throughout the entire range of military operations. In recent decades, the United States have prepared for and fought mainly in counterinsurgency (COIN) operations, defeating opponents who did not have the sophisticated capabilities that a current HT would employ. That is why objectively assessing the readiness of the U.S. Army's ABCT [armored brigade combat team] to wage war against a hybrid adversary is important. The problem is insufficient assessment of the U.S. Army's ABCT organization and equipment in order to answer the question of whether the U.S. Army can successfully counter the HT or whether the U.S. Army still needs to learn more, adapt, and change. The research plan used is a qualitative approach that included analysis of available documents and studying the separate but similar cases of Israel fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006 and Ukraine fighting pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Sobko, Serhii

  2017-06-09
• Gyges Effect: An Ethical Critique of Lethal Remotely Piloted Aircraft

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  From the thesis abstract: "The U.S. Army pledges to defend the country against all enemies, foreign and domestic, in a manner that upholds national values. One such way recent presidential administrations make good on their pledge to protect the American people is by authorizing military strikes using the Remotely Piloted Aircrafts (RPA). If RPA do act as a political deposit on the sacred oath sworn by our leaders to protect and defend the constitution, does the policy likewise uphold the traditional norms associated with justice in war ('jus in bello')? In other words, does the U.S. Government violate 'jus in bello' in its use of RPA to conduct military strikes? To examine this question further, it is necessary to explore three broad areas. The first, and most substantial, is the moral basis for justifiable military action. The second area is legal precedence for RPA strikes. The final area deals in the consequences of such action within today's operational environment (OE) and the effects it has on the future of warfare. This thesis critiques the morality, legality, and military ethics of the United States' RPA Policy."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Pride, Matthew D.

  2017-06-09
• Online Radicalization: Bangladesh Perspective

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  From the thesis abstract: "The internet has significantly increased terrorists' reach, and person to person contact is no more essential to radicalize people. Some terrorist organizations in Bangladesh are also maneuvering in the cyber domain to spread their ideologies and radicalize people. To prevent radicalization through cyberspace, Bangladesh mostly implements hard powers such as removing contents and restricting access to the internet. However, freedom of speech and access to information are prime requirements for a prosperous and democratic society. Therefore, Bangladesh should develop an effective strategy to counter radicalization without impinging citizens' freedom of speech. The country, nonetheless, faces challenges due to lack of coordination among the counter-terrorism agencies, and lack of positive initiatives to grow enduring social resilience against radicalization. Bangladesh may harness benefits by adopting key elements of seemingly successful programs of other countries. It should also create a strategy for appealing positive messaging to foster inter-faith respect and communal harmony where counter-narratives will be embedded. Besides, developing ethics and responsibility of the Internet users will create a self-monitoring system in the cyber domain. Finally, constructive measures will enable Bangladesh to develop a sustainable counter radicalization mechanism without impinging citizens' democratic rights."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Rashid, Mohammad Istiaque

  2017-06-09
• Shortcomings in Information Sharing Facilitates Transnational Organized Crime

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  From the thesis abstract: "This study asks what shortcoming exists hindering information sharing across the U.S. Government to combat transnational organized crime (TOC). A comprehensive review of national strategies, law, and scholarly works establish the immediate security and economic threat posed by criminal organizations worldwide. The confluent business models shared by terrorist and TOC organizations requires an equally unified effort to combat these threats. By employing a levels of analysis approach to disaggregate national level, organizational level and individual level factors, four gaps emerge to combat TOC. First, divergent strategies to combat terrorist and TOC organizations are revealed. Second, the current process for information sharing relies on gate keepers access to stove piped information. Third, the absence of a lead agency to combat TOC. Finally, bureaucratic boundaries to sharing information persist. To address these shortcomings, five recommendations are provided. First, a single national strategy clearly representing the convergence between terrorist and TOC organizations. Second, the Director of National Intelligence must have the authorities necessary to unify the intelligence community (IC). Third, reorganization of the IC is urgently needed. Fourth, designate the National Counter Terrorism Center as the lead agency to combat TOC. Finally, a directive to migrate all government networks to cloud technology."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Tucker, Daniel J.

  2017-06-09
• Artificial Intelligence: A Revolution Waiting to Happen

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  From the thesis abstract: "Artificial Intelligence is a rapidly emerging and influential technology that seeks to develop intelligent agents that can replace or improve on human performance in many aspects of human life. The scope for implementation is vast, and the world's leading technology is based not in the military, but the civilian sector. Historians have provided a context for understanding dramatic changes in the military, and have categorized this change by external and internal drivers. The Military Revolution and Revolution in Military Affairs are used as a vehicle to provide context to the emerging properties of Artificial Intelligence research. Analysis of AI [Artificial Intelligence] is exams the related but significantly different theories of General and Narrow AI. At the current level of research, it is clear that Narrow AI has potential to develop into many important RMAs [Revolution in Military Affairs], limited by innovative concepts and organizational desire to change. General AI, on the other hand, looms in theoretical form as a potentially significant change to the social-military order."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Bates, Stephen James Karl

  2017-09-06
• Exceptional Information: Recognizing Threats and Exploiting Opportunities

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  From the thesis abstract: "Exceptional information (EI) is the manifestation of the unexpected. Historical examples of EI include Robert E. Lee's lost order and the recovery of the German invasion plans into France, known as the Mechelen Incident. The 1997 edition of Field Manual 101-5, Staff Organizations and Operations, accurately described EI as the emergence of an unanticipated or unpredicted event that may present an opportunity for success or reveal an immediate or impending threat. It is crucial therefore for reconnaissance units, commanders, and staffs to be able to identify and apply EI in order to seize opportunities and maintain the initiative on the battlefield to enhance mission success. Applying a mixed methods approach using a combination of a qualitative literature review with a quantitative questionnaire distributed to human participants, this study examines the effect that the concept of EI plays in combat operations as reconnaissance units and staffs attempt to assist the commander in visualizing and understanding their environment."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Wolfe, Jason R.

  2017-09-06
• On Insurgency

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  From the thesis abstract: "How might Unified Action partners better understand the multifarious complexities of insurgencies? Practitioners must think more deeply about the arrangements, alliances, internal conflicts, ideologies, and parastatal relationships that emerge, morph and subside in an insurgency. Prevailing definitions are insufficient and military frameworks lend themselves to a false perception of a holistic understanding of intrastate conflict environments. Challenging this condition, this thesis argues that insurgencies are a diverse amalgamation of local and supralocal dynamics that shape the patterns of domestic and international politics and, therefore, require a new definition and a unique framework for analysis. This paper creates and develops the Insurgency Analysis framework, integrating cutting edge political science concepts, to facilitate the applied understanding of insurgency in a better way. To demonstrate the relevance, scalability, and contextual portability of this new framework, it is further applied to the ongoing insurgency in Nigeria. Furthermore, this new definition and new framework have institutional implications for Unified Action partners in that it assists in disaggregating the study of insurgency and accentuates the many complex factors one must consider with regard to policy formulation and collective action."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Aguilar, Anthony B.

  2014-06-13
• Cross-Cultural Competence: Leader Requirements for Intercultural Effectiveness in the Human Domain

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  "U.S. strategies focus on conducting increased engagement, and building of relationships and strategic partnerships around the world. The Army has organized regionally-aligned forces designed to provide to the combatant commander a force with enhanced understanding of the cultures, geography, languages, and militaries of the countries where they are likely to be employed, and an ability to impart military knowledge and skills to others. However, experience from recent conflicts has shown the need for more culturally-adept personnel. This paper examines the framework of individual cross-cultural competence, application to Army leaders and doctrine, and relevance to strategy. The Army has well-developed language and regional expertise training programs, but falls short on developing cross-cultural competence as an individual capability. Research shows that specific individual (culture-general) knowledge, skills, attributes, and affect/motivation (KSAs) are a greater indicator for cross-cultural effectiveness than language and regional expertise. These KSAs support adaptability, a necessary characteristic for Army leaders, and can be trained and developed. Army leadership doctrine should update to include these KSAs. Further, within the human domain, culture is operationalized when Army leaders use these KSAs (aided by language and regional expertise) during intercultural encounters to successfully influence others as necessary in order to achieve mission success."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Sebrell, Shawn A.

  2014-06-13
• Road to Success in Africa is Paved in Asphalt: Transportation Infrastructure Development in Emerging Economies as a Way to Achieve National Strategic Policy Objectives

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  "The purpose of this thesis is to explore the strategic importance of a dramatic improvement in the roadway infrastructure in an underdeveloped area, particularly when the United States has a specific interest. Every geographical area brings its own complications and challenges, but the Horn of Africa is chosen based on the general dearth of major roads and its strategic importance as outlined in the National Security Strategy for 2013. Most of the paved roads in Africa are in and around the major cities. Travel throughout most of Sub-Saharan Africa is slow and tedious along unlit, unpaved roads that wind around villages, topography, and hydrology terrain features. While the major premise of the thesis is development of roads, it is more in the idea of building lines of communication, including rail, telecom, and airports. In light of AFRICOM's [U.S. Armed Forces African Command] ongoing partnership, the nation of Ethiopia is chosen as a test case for this plausibility probe."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  McEvoy, Brendan J.

  2014-01
• Vietnam 1963-1973: Ten Years of Operational Contract Support

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  "The private military industry has always played a significant role throughout American military history. Much of the current literature, particularly concerning the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, magnifying negative aspects of individual contractors, not the strength of the entire industry. Other literature specifies concerns of overreliance as an indicator of a decreased ability to conduct military logistic operations. The purpose of this study is to show the private military industry as beneficial to military operations and pose the question of whether the private military industry negatively affects the future logistical capabilities in the United States Military. This study answers this question by demonstrating the necessity of private military companies to provide logistical requirements during ten years of the Vietnam War. This examination of one case study confirms that the private military industry does not threaten the future of logistics, but strengthens its capability. Proper integration of private military companies can enable force projection and operational reach within an austere environment."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Quail, Jeffrey J.

  2014-02-22
• Analysis of Over-The-Horizon Tactical Communications in an Immature Theater

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  "This qualitative research in the field of over-the-horizon (OTH) voice communications, for maneuver forces at echelons below division, aims to use grounded theory and axial coding to address feasibility for increasing the military's tactical OTH capabilities. Using the variables of frequency bands, capacity, costs, and mobility, the research examines both alternate portions of the electromagnetic spectrum and rising technologies in order to develop an emerging theory for how OTH capabilities will increase in the future."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Sinclair, Samuel Eugene

  2014-06-13
• Augmenting Security on Department of Defense Installations to Defeat the Active Shooter Threat

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  "Active shooter attacks appear to occur more in the United States than other countries and some data shows that their rate of occurrence has increased in the past several years. In response, institutions such as the Department of Defense (DoD), other federal agencies, police, and education systems have increased security and adapted response procedures. Despite ongoing efforts, active shooter attacks occurred in Fort Hood, Texas in 2009, the Washington Navy Yard in 2013, and Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2015. Regardless of the level of security, it appears that the proliferation of firearms in combination with radicalization through the Internet have facilitated more individuals to perpetrate active shooter attacks. These attacks also appear to have similar characteristics whether conducted on DoD installations or in other areas. This thesis studies a variety of available military documents, active shooter case studies, and other active shooter defeat strategies to determine if the military could benefit from increased numbers of armed personnel to augment military and civilian law enforcement personnel. The benefit to the DoD includes increased probability of prevention and deterrence of active shooter events, and a more efficient mitigation and defeat mechanism to reduce casualty rates and terminate the event."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Stansberry, Leslie M.

  2016-06