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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 9 of 9
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Value Focused Thinking For Nation Building In Afghanistan: A Regional Perspective, Muhammad S. Riaz
Value Focused Thinking For Nation Building In Afghanistan: A Regional Perspective, Muhammad S. Riaz
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis is an effort to mathematically model the nation building effort that is underway in Afghanistan. The thesis examines this nation building effort from the perspective of a local person who understands Afghan culture better than a foreigner. The thesis employs value-focused thinking to categorize the factors that we need to focus on for nation building in descending order of priority. This research adds a new dimension to the models already available in the literature and is likely to be more readily embraced by the local people who are sometimes in conflict with American priorities.
Analysis Of Layered Social Networks, Jonathan T. Hamill
Analysis Of Layered Social Networks, Jonathan T. Hamill
Theses and Dissertations
Prevention of near-term terrorist attacks requires an understanding of current terrorist organizations to include their composition, the actors involved, and how they operate to achieve their objectives. To aid this understanding, operations research, sociological, and behavioral theory relevant to the study of social networks are applied, thereby providing theoretical foundations for new methodologies to analyze non-cooperative organizations, defined as those trying to hide their structure or are unwilling to provide information regarding their operations. Techniques applying information regarding multiple dimensions of interpersonal relationships, inferring from them the strengths of interpersonal ties, are explored. A layered network construct is offered that …
Gauging The Commitment Of Clandestine Group Members, Doneda D. Downs
Gauging The Commitment Of Clandestine Group Members, Doneda D. Downs
Theses and Dissertations
Since the attacks of September 11th, 2001, there has been a great deal of attention given to understanding the inner workings of terrorist organizations in order for the United States to be successful in the Global War on Terrorism. Group dynamics has been one area of interest pursued to gain more insight into a terrorist's cognitive battlespace. Until a few years ago, most research on individual commitment and organizational cohesion has been based primarily on questionnaires and open observations on groups that desire to be understood. However, terrorist organizations are clandestine; they constantly employ operations security (OPSEC) to ensure protection …
Strategic Airlift En Route Analysis To Support The Global War On Terrorism Using A Value Focused Thinking Approach, Marykathryn W. Tharaldson
Strategic Airlift En Route Analysis To Support The Global War On Terrorism Using A Value Focused Thinking Approach, Marykathryn W. Tharaldson
Theses and Dissertations
The Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) has yielded new challenges to the United States' strategic airlift infrastructure. The network of en-route airfields that serve as refueling and maintenance stops were designed primarily to service relatively static Cold War requirements. However, the GWOT has resulted in the need for an infrastructure that is responsive to a highly dynamic environment. This research uses a "value focused" methodology to identify en-route airfield locations that simultaneously maximize cargo throughput capability while possessing a high degree of adaptability to volatile cargo delivery requirements.
Investigating The Complexities Of Nation-Building: A Sub-National Regional Perspective, Matthew J. Robbins
Investigating The Complexities Of Nation-Building: A Sub-National Regional Perspective, Matthew J. Robbins
Theses and Dissertations
Stabilization and reconstruction operations are necessary to secure and maintain the peace in the aftermath of conflict. The complexities of nation-building involve many different but interrelated systems and institutions. The basic structure of a country may or may not remain; its political, economic, and judicial systems, cultural, educational, medical, and military institutions, and critical infrastructure all vitally contribute to the overall progression of stability and prosperity. Understanding the significance of the dynamic relationships between the forces in play during stability and reconstruction operations is paramount to the successful conclusion of such missions. The system dynamics model proposed in this research …
Toward Development Of An Integrated Aerospace Power Doctrine, Toby G. Doran
Toward Development Of An Integrated Aerospace Power Doctrine, Toby G. Doran
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis discusses the state of the Air Force, decision making factors in the making of military doctrine, the definition of doctrine, Air Force doctrines today, new ways to develop doctrine, including models and hypothesis-research-analysis loops, space doctrine, control of space, space superiority and a call for aerospace power doctrine.
Assessing The Social Preference For Historic Preservation Of United States Air Force Facilities, Patrick R. Breaux
Assessing The Social Preference For Historic Preservation Of United States Air Force Facilities, Patrick R. Breaux
Theses and Dissertations
The Air Force is required to inform the public and solicit their comments when proposing actions to historic facilities. However, the Department of Defense has been criticized for the lack of consistent and adequate public involvement in this process. This research effort developed a hierarchy to capture public's general preferences for historic preservation treatments. This information could be utilized as an early input to the decision making process. Expert participants provided inputs regarding the building characteristics which influence historic preservation decisions, the objectives of preservation, and the treatments which are applied to historic buildings. Focus group discussions were conducted with …
The One With The Most Information Wins? The Quest For Information Superiority, Stacy M. Clements
The One With The Most Information Wins? The Quest For Information Superiority, Stacy M. Clements
Theses and Dissertations
The escalation of interest in information as a corporate resource is reflected in the military's quest for information superiority. A volume of directives, articles, and doctrine is appearing to meet the unique challenges presented by information as a resource. Discussions of how to achieve information superiority have given rise to investigations of such related concepts as information warfare and information operations, with associated taxonomies and ideas of how to use information capabilities for attack and defense. This thesis examines information superiority and the related concepts, and examines current information technology initiatives in order to discern the characteristics which can aid …
A Methodology For Evaluating Military Systems In A Counterproliferation Role, Stanley Stafira Jr.
A Methodology For Evaluating Military Systems In A Counterproliferation Role, Stanley Stafira Jr.
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis develops a methodology to evaluate how dissimilar military systems support the accomplishment of the United States? counterproliferation objectives. The overall scope is to develop a model of the counterproliferation decision process that enables systems to be evaluated against common criteria. By using decision analysis, an influence diagram model is developed which represents military activities in the counterproliferation process. The key questions which must be asked in evaluating counterproliferation systems are highlighted. An analysis of perfect intelligence, perfect defensive, and perfect offensive systems reveal that a perfect intelligence system provides the greatest potential to meet the United States' counterproliferation …