Digital Commons Network^™

Celtic Security In The Atlantic: How Does Ireland Secure Europe’S Western Flank?, Patrick J. Smith

Joint Force Quarterly

Ireland plays a crucial role in protecting Europe’s western flank, but growing Russian aggression has exposed serious gaps in its security. With a small, outdated naval fleet, limited air capabilities, and inadequate radar systems, Ireland struggles to defend its airspace, waters, and critical undersea cables—vital infrastructure that carries 97% of transatlantic data and underpins global communication and security. These vulnerabilities have made Ireland a target for Russian sabotage and incursions, posing risks to Europe and the transatlantic alliance.

The article explores two paths for Ireland to address these security challenges: joining NATO or seeking Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with …

The Urgency Of Warfighting Renewal: Five Principles For Today’S Professional Military Education, Christopher M. Marcell, Gaylon L. Mcalpine, Reagan E. Schaupp, Joseph L. Varuolo

Joint Force Quarterly

This article highlights the urgent need to reform Professional Military Education (PME) to prioritize warfighting skills and strategic thinking, as called for in the 2018 National Defense Strategy. Despite recent updates to include China and Russia-focused content, PME programs remain misaligned with their core mission of developing leaders proficient in the art and science of war.

A key challenge is the growing number of external requirements unrelated to warfighting—such as climate security and diversity initiatives—that dilute PME’s focus and weaken instructional quality. The authors recommend establishing a central authority to vet these requirements and ensure they align with warfighting priorities. …

Being Believed: Persuasion And The Narrative In Military Operations, Brent A. Lawniczak

Joint Force Quarterly

This article examines the vital role of persuasive narratives in modern military operations, highlighting their power to shape perceptions, influence behavior, and achieve strategic objectives across the competition continuum. Narratives are described as unifying stories that provide context, coherence, and clarity to military actions, ensuring alignment between words and deeds while promoting credibility and unity of effort.

The article also explores the key elements of effective narratives—setting, characters, plot, and moral—and identifies factors that enhance their persuasiveness. These include emotional appeal, simplicity, consistency with audience values, relatable characters, trust in the narrator, and resonance with cultural and historical contexts.

Military …

The Art Of Campaigning: Joint Planners Working At The Intersections Of Everything, Mary Bell, Edgar M. Hollandsworth, Thomas J. Snukis, Jeffrey Turner, Luke P. Bellocchi, Nicholas Anthony, Steve Tribble, Chris Botterbusch, Justin D. Harper

Joint Force Quarterly

This article examines the evolution of military campaigning from traditional large-scale combat operations to ongoing efforts that shape the global environment and achieve long-term strategic goals. It highlights the role of Combatant Command Campaign Plans (CCPs) in aligning national strategies with operational objectives and addressing modern challenges like cyber, cognitive, and information warfare.

Key topics include the importance of a Combatant Commander’s (CCDR) vision, the integration of global and regional plans, and the use of strategic wargaming to refine approaches. The article also addresses challenges such as delays in guidance, fragmented planning structures, and adapting to dynamic environments.

Finally, it …

Adopting A Data-Centric Mindset For Operational Planning, Jeremiah Hurley, Morgan Greene

Joint Force Quarterly

The Department of Defense (DOD) is investing heavily in advanced technologies, but its true advantage lies in adopting a data-centric mindset that prioritizes the collection, integration, and use of data to drive faster, smarter decision-making. To modernize its outdated operational planning processes, the DOD must replace static tools like PowerPoint and spreadsheets with real-time data visualizations, automated systems, and standardized data collection templates. By formalizing a "data-first" culture, operational planning can identify and address critical information gaps, improve battlefield awareness, and accelerate mission execution. This approach enables commanders to make more informed decisions while unlocking the full potential of artificial …

Preparing For Adversary Employment Of Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons: Tactical Effects, Operational Impacts, Strategic Implications, James H. Gifford

Joint Force Quarterly

For over 30 years after the Cold War, the U.S. largely dismissed the threat of tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield. However, recent nuclear threats from adversaries like Russia have highlighted the need to revisit U.S. strategies. Tactical nuclear weapons differ from strategic ones by their delivery systems, not their destructive power. On the battlefield, they could cause casualties, disrupt missions, and overwhelm medical resources. Operationally, they could create logistical challenges, civilian panic, and delays in military responses. Strategically, even a limited nuclear strike could escalate quickly, requiring leaders to carefully balance deterrence, messaging, and responses to avoid all-out nuclear …

Executive Summary, William T. Eliason

Joint Force Quarterly

This issue of Joint Force Quarterly explores the fall of Bashar al-Asad’s regime in Syria, marking a major geopolitical shift with significant implications for the Middle East and beyond. It examines the role of U.S. and NATO strategies in this outcome and raises critical questions about post-conflict support and the future military posture in the region.

Key topics include managing risk in U.S. national security decisions, the strategic implications of Russia’s vast nonstrategic nuclear arsenal, and the rising role of artificial intelligence in military planning. Insights are provided on enhancing joint warfighting capabilities, improving military education, and modernizing command systems …

Joint Force Quarterly, Issue 116, 1st Quarter 2025, National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly

Joint Force Quarterly 116 explores key challenges and innovations in military strategy, operations, and global security. The Forum section examines how the U.S. approaches risk in its strategy, the impact of nonstrategic nuclear weapons, and the importance of using data-driven methods in planning military operations.

In JPME Today, articles focus on how joint military campaigns succeed, the role of storytelling and persuasion in operations, and the urgent need to modernize professional military education.

The Commentary section highlights Ireland's strategic role in securing Europe’s western flank and evaluates whether China’s military overestimates the potential of artificial intelligence.

The Features section dives …

The Eschatological Vision Of The Abolition Of Man, Joshua J. Paladino

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

C. S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man is ultimately an eschatological work, a vision of the end of history, a warning about the fully conditioned society, an insight into the nature of the universal and homogeneous state, and even a prophecy of Hell on Earth. The end-times significance of the Abolition is perhaps overlooked because it lacks an apocalyptic framing. Lewis presented, rather, a “snug” eschatology.1 There is none of the apocalyptic drama that Lewis crafted in The Last Battle. We do not hear the Lion roar, “Now it is time,” before watching Father Time squeeze the sun in his …

Mamluk And Ottoman Remains In The Al-Wata Quarter, Safed (Zefat) (Pp. 113–137), Hervé Barbé

'Atiqot

The salvage excavation in the al-Wata quarter of Safed revealed that the development of this sector of the city began as early as the early Mamluk period. This is further reinforced by the Arabic historical sources. The pottery suggests that occupation began as early as the thirteenth century, with some vessels clearly dating to the Frankish period. The numismatic study adds credence to this conclusion. The historical data and the archaeological finds, including a seventeenth-century coin, hint that the site was also occupied in the first half of the Ottoman period; however, no building remains from this period were identified.

Four Hebrew Seals, One Depicting And Assyrian-Like Archer, From The Western Wall Plaza Excavations, Jerusalem (Pp. 115–129), Tallay Ornan, Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah, Zvi Greenhut, Benjamin Sass, Yuval Goren

'Atiqot

Four Hebrew seals were unearthed in an Iron Age II building excavated opposite the Western Wall, Jerusalem. All four seals are inscribed in Hebrew of the eighth–seventh centuries BCE, but each was executed by a different ‘hand’. One of the seals (No. 4) exhibits the image of a standing archer, inspired by Assyrian imagery, depicted here for the first time on a seal with a Hebrew inscription. The seals, and the pottery found in association with them, indicate that the building belonged to people of an upper class, possibly holding a high rank in the kingdom of Judah.

Sinking Ships And International Relations: The Washington Conference And America's Relations With Britain And Japan, Tucker T. Peterson

Masters Theses

Following World War I, the diplomatic relationships between the United States, Great Britain, and Japan were being strained to a breaking point and the risk of armed conflict was increasing. To stave off a naval arms race and war in the Pacific, U.S. President Warren G. Harding called for a conference to discuss disarmament and questions regarding the “Far East.” The Washington Conference was held from November 12, 1921, to February 6, 1922, and delegates from nine different nations attended. Through the lenses of naval and diplomatic history, this study explores the ascendancy of the U.S. Navy, the Washington Conference, …

Witchcraft, Demons, And Spiritual Death: An Apologetic For The Bible's Prohibition Against Witchcraft, Joshua Dean Wrenn

Masters Theses

This paper attempts to apologetically defend the Bible's intolerance against witchcraft and other related activities that are prohibited in the Old Testament. It does so by showing that Witchcraft and other related activities gets one involved with demonic entities. It shows how demonic entities are deceitful, and how they are actually the ones behind the power of witchcraft. The paper starts by studying the history of ancient witchcraft, which is something that is useful for understanding the witchcraft of today. It then builds a profile of demons. The paper shows what demons physically do and what they attempt to get …

Timeless: A Sanctuary In Libraries, Taylor D. Vaughan

Masters Theses

This Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing thesis focuses on the literary element: character development. It includes a vision and background for the thesis project as a whole. An analysis of characters involved in wartime conflict will focus on William Shakespeare’s tragedies Macbeth and Hamlet and various characters in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. The creative manuscript that concludes the thesis incorporates fantasy and war genres and character development research. The manuscript aims to shed light on traumatic events in our modern world rather than use escapism in fantasy to ignore them.

Clinton’S March: A Strategic And Logistical Study Of The Crown Forces’ March Through New Jersey In 1778, Colin Edward Zimmerman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This paper reexamines the British army's march through New Jersey in the summer of 1778, led by Sir Henry Clinton, challenging the traditional narrative that portrays Clinton’s movements as a mere retreat following the loss at the Battle of Monmouth. Instead, it argues that Clinton’s actions were part of a calculated strategy to provoke General George Washington’s Continental Army into a decisive engagement that could potentially end the Revolutionary War. By analyzing Clinton’s leadership decisions, logistical considerations, and the army’s experience during the march, this work reveals a more nuanced intention behind the British movements. The paper contends that Clinton’s …

Care Providers Caring For Military Members Struggling With Grief, Clara Altagracia García

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research aims to address the lack of grief support services for service members (SMs) and veterans, which affects them and the wider community. The mission is to uncover the needs of SMs and veterans and devise effective strategies to support them. The literature review will provide the foundation for the need for research and create a reasonable solution for a healthier grieving process for SMs. This research aims to determine how complicated grief goes undetected and how counseling can help SMs and veterans. The thesis project will impact the grief counseling process of others in this field and bring …

Red Herring: The Overstatement Of Soviet Power In The Early Cold War (1945-1953), Ronald R. Shaw

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The early Cold War (1945-1953) was a defining period for the 20th century, setting the grand strategic approach to the post-World War II era for the United States and Soviet Union. A common method employed by both sides was to overstate the power, capability, and aggression of the Soviet Union to enable grand strategic planning objectives. While acknowledging the tangible menace of communist expansion, President Truman used the illusion of an immediate Soviet existential threat to stoke fear, reject traditional isolationism, and facilitate American international engagement to protect free and open markets in Europe. Josef Stalin made use of American …

Expendable To Essential: Conceptualizing The Rhetorical Othering Of Frontline Workers, Sarah Sexton

Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee

As my article discusses, Over the course of the pandemic, there has been a social shift in the way certain workers are represented within American society. Everyday workers such as grocery store clerks, baristas, and retail managers were deemed “essential workers” as COVID-19 created a global healthcare crisis. Although these workers were declared as essential to the wellbeing of American society during the pandemic, there is evident dissent between the collective experience of frontline employees and those outside of this community. The rhetoric produced by members of the essential community, including myself, alongside statistical findings reflect an ongoing instance of …

Militarized Sexual Labor: Violent Encounters Between Comfort Women And Japanese Soldiers, And Camptown Women And American Soldiers, Shoyun Claire Oh

Historical Perspectives: Santa Clara University Undergraduate Journal of History, Series II

No abstract provided.

Pottery And Stone Objects From The Abbasid–Fatimid Periods At Ramla, Hagit Torgë

'Atiqot

The pottery assemblage from the excavation at Ramla comprises well-known vessel types of the late Abbasid–Fatimid periods, mostly dating between the ninth and eleventh centuries CE. Most of the vessels were locally made; however, fine-ware vessels imported from as far as Egypt and China, were also found. Other probably imported items from Egypt are a Shabti figurine and a fragment of green marble. These luxury finds indicate that the area was most likely part of the affluent neighborhood of Ramla uncovered south of the White Mosque in the Early Islamic period.

The Unknown Turning Point: How Operation Pedestal Secured Allied Dominance In Europe, Brian Zachary Williamson

All ETDs from UAB

Operation Pedestal was a World War II convoy operation in the Mediterranean that successfully resupplied the island of Malta in late 1942. The convoy fought through constant Axis air raids and submarine attacks, which resulted in high British losses. The operation was overshadowed by the Allied invasion of North Africa during Operation Torch, which was launched soon after. Malta’s role throughout the war in the Mediterranean made it vital for the British to hold and the Pedestal convoy’s successful effort to keep the island from capitulation should make the operation be considered as a turning point. The few military historians …

The Songs Of The Spheres: Lewis, Tolkien And The Overlapping Realms Of Their Imaginations (2024), Edited By Łukasz Neubauer And Guglielmo Spirito, G. Connor Salter

Journal of Tolkien Research

Book review, by G. Connor Salter, of The Songs of the Spheres: Lewis, Tolkien and the Overlapping Realms of their Imaginations (2024), edited by Łukasz Neubauer and Guglielmo Spirito

Locating The Archangel Saint Michael In Michelangelo Buonarroti’S The Creation Of Adam, Ana Vega

Art and Art History

This thesis asserts that Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam contains an unrecognized interpretation of the Archangel Saint Michael, thereby enriching Leo Steinberg's foundational analysis of the fresco's theological intricacies. Building on Steinberg's identification of the "glider" figure as a possible visual allusion to Michael, this study contends that Michelangelo intentionally integrated the archangel to symbolize themes of divine protection, judgment, and cosmic justice. Employing a multidisciplinary approach, the thesis draws from a range of biblical and apocryphal texts, including Revelation and The Assumptions of Moses, to illustrate that Saint Michael's traditional roles, as the protector of paradise, defender of the …

Culture Of Disease: A Historiographical Review Of The Black Death, Jack Bamford

History - Master of Arts in Teaching

I. Synthesis Essay ………………………………2

II. Document Selection ………………………. 22

III. Textbook Critique…………………………...32

IV. Original Textbook Entry…………………... 36

We're In This Together: Spirituality, Interconnectedness, And Concern For Global Crises, Ayla Lyons, Imants Barušs

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

This study examined the relationship between spirituality, interconnectedness, and concern for global crises. A sample of 225 participants comprised of students from King's University College, members of the Consciousness Club, and alumni from The Finders Course completed online questionnaires assessing spirituality, psychological well-being, and attitudes toward global crises. Quadratic regression analysis revealed that spirituality accounted for 11% of the variance in concern for global crises. Individuals scoring lower and higher on spirituality reported the most concern for global crises, whereas individuals scoring in the mid-range on spirituality reported less concern for global crises. The correlation between spirituality and interconnectedness was …

Examining How Task Forces Utilize Intelligence Methods During Anti-Human Trafficking Operations: Mitigating The Threat Of Human Trafficking Among Native American Women And Girls, Jessica Shockness

Theses and Dissertations

Native American women and girls, including First Nations people, have been disproportionately targeted due to centuries of marginalization, severe maltreatment, and gender inequality. To mitigate these violent acts, law enforcement and intelligence agencies should use various intelligence methods to identify and locate traffickers, victims, and high-risk locations. The intelligence methods that are analyzed in this study include open-source, geospatial and human intelligence. The lack of utilizing these methods can hinder the ability to mitigate human trafficking effectively. According to a study conducted through Northwestern University, Farrell et al. (2019) provided evidence showing that the Uniform Crime Reporting program continuously displays …

British And South African Perceptions Of African Participation In The African Military Campaigns Of World War One, Eric Mathew Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

Historians interested in reconstructing the events of World War One have consistently noted that the military campaigns that occurred in sub-Saharan Africa have been given scant attention. It is commonly accepted among researchers that while there has been some focus on the impressions of the individual European soldiers involved in this conflict, wide gaps still exist in the literature. Very significantly, a thorough search of the literature clearly reveals that the perceptions of whites towards their African counterparts who participated in the military campaigns has been very much neglected. This dissertation helps to close this gap by focusing on the …

Diamond In The Rough: A Century Of Education And Democracy At Deep Springs College, L. Jackson Newell

Eastern Sierra History Journal

Deep Springs College, one of the great innovations in American higher education, is the subject of this close reading of its history, educational philosophy, and present state. Situated in the rugged eastern California high desert, the college has managed to survive, even thrive, despite innumerable challenges.

Has Spain Recovered From The 2008-2009 European Financial Crisis?, Blake H. Rogers

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

The 2008-2009 Financial Crisis, which originated in the United States, shocked global markets. Being incredibly linked to the United States' markets, European markets like Spain felt the effects first. However, their build-up to the crisis was unique to the United States, its fellow European Union members, and the PIIGS nations. The PIIGS nations, comprising Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Spain, were a collection of primarily Southern European economies whose accession into the European Union led to unchecked borrowing at previously unheard-of interest rates. These rates created a massive cycle of borrowing to invest but ceased as the crisis halted all …

September 11th 2001 At Seton Hall University: Retaliation And Remembrance, Maxwell Kastner

Cohort 2024-2025

Max Kastner is a sophomore majoring in Social & Behavioral Sciences and Modern Languages. Utilizing archival copies of Seton Hall's student newspaper, The Setonian, their project focuses on Seton Hall's reaction to 9/11 as a Catholic Institution of Higher Education. Archival Collection Used: SHU 0054 The Setonian; Seton Hall University Magazine