Digital Commons Network^™

A Primer On Ukrainian Special Forces: Beyond Joint, Kevin D. Stringer, Taisiia Vivdych

Joint Force Quarterly

"A Primer on Ukrainian Special Forces: Beyond Joint" by Kevin D. Stringer and Taisiia Vivdych examines the evolution, structure, and operations of Ukrainian special operations forces (SOF), highlighting key distinctions from U.S. and NATO models. Tracing their lineage from Soviet spetsnaz to contemporary formations, it analyzes the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces Command (USOFCOM), State Security Service’s Special Operations Center Alfa (SOCA), Rapid Response Corps (KORD), the 10th Separate Operational Response Unit (DOZOR), Foreign Intelligence Service (SZR) units, and the volunteer Kraken Regiment under the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR). Ukrainian SOF are dispersed across military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies, …

Breadth Or Depth: The Ongoing Battle In Professional Military Education, Ryan Wadle, Heather Venable

Joint Force Quarterly

This article examines the ongoing and oftentimes heated debates on the curricula in Professional Military Education institutions and the guidance provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. By studying the "breadth" of conflict and the national security environment, PME graduates can best apply their knowledge and skills at the intersection of military strategy and political objectives where they can be the most effective.

Ukraine, The U.S. Defense Industrial Base, And The Elusive Crisis-Era Munitions Production Surge, Bryce Loidolt

Joint Force Quarterly

“Ukraine, the U.S. Defense Industrial Base, and the Elusive Crisis-Era Munitions Production Surge” by Bryce Loidolt examines why U.S. efforts to rapidly increase munitions production during Russia’s war in Ukraine produced uneven results. While crisis-era authorities, funding, and contracting flexibility allowed the Department of War to move quickly after 2022, this article argues that post-crisis actions alone did not determine surge success. Instead, variation in production increases across key munitions - Stinger, Javelin, GMLRS, and PAC-3 MSE, was largely driven by pre-crisis procurement decisions and associated investments in capacity, supply chains, and obsolescence management. Drawing on historical analysis and case …

Fabrication At The Tactical Edge, Aubry J. Eaton, Dustin T. Thomas

Joint Force Quarterly

This research reviews empirical evidence of rapid battlefield fabrication efforts and proposes potential new uses of this technology. It recommends that the joint force must undergo a paradigm shift to view battlefield manufacturing as an inherent component of force projection with potentially decisive impact across the spectrum of conflict. It proposes a doctrinal concept for Fabrication At The Tactical Edge (FATE), defining the technologies that enable this concept. FATE offsets adversary capabilities by imposing asymmetric costs while making U.S. forces difficult to predict. Unlike prior studies on military innovation, this research focuses on manufacturing itself as a weapon system. If …

Influence By Design: A Network Strategy For Integrated Deterrence, Robert S. Hinck

Joint Force Quarterly

Confronting the complexity of the future security environment requires new concepts to coordinate efforts for maximum effect. The 2022 National Defense Strategy appropriately identifies integrated deterrence as the centerpiece of these efforts but criticisms regarding its strategic application remain. While integrated deterrence is associated with one set of national security strategies, its points of emphasis will endure. This essay addresses current limitations of the concept by offering a tangible and theoretically grounded approach connecting the ends, ways, and means by which the Joint Force and interagency, in combination with US allies and partners, can enact integrated deterrence across the spectrum …

Executive Summary, William T. Eliason

Joint Force Quarterly

In the Executive Summary of Joint Force Quarterly (JFQ) 119, Editor in Chief Dr. William T. Eliason reflects on the journal’s 32-year evolution and shares transitions in its production. With the next arrival of JFQ 120, the National Defense University Press will reduce print circulation in favor of digital distribution due to fiscal and media landscape changes, marking JFQ 119 as the last broadly printed edition. The issue also recognizes the retirement of longtime Executive Editor Dr. Jeffrey D. Smotherman, whose 25-year tenure shaped the journal’s excellence. Eliason previews timely research on deterrence, AI-enabled decisionmaking, defense industrial readiness, …

Joint Force Quarterly, Issue 119, 4th Quarter 2025, National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly

Joint Force Quarterly (JFQ) 119 examines the evolving challenges and innovations shaping the U.S. joint force and professional military education. Key themes include tactical-level manufacturing (“Fabrication at the Tactical Edge”), the ongoing debate over curriculum focus in professional military education (“Breadth or Depth in PME”), and the transformative role of artificial intelligence in decisionmaking for military operations. Together, these articles and others highlight the dynamic intersection of technology, strategy, and education in modern defense. This issue highlights how digital transformation, industrial capability, and intellectual agility are vital to maintaining strategic advantage across domains of competition and conflict.

"That Others Might Be Free”: Pride, Prejudice, And Paternalism In The Imperial Period, Bridget Goguen

History & Classics Student Scholarship

The goddess of wisdom and war models intellect without complacency, valor without rashness. Claiming this duality—a civilized militancy—from their patron goddess Athena, an ancient Athenian citizenry could rationalize imperial conquest as democratic goodwill. Millennia later, the United States, seeking subtle proclamation of classical succession, crafted their national personification Columbia from the mold of Athena. Amidst the politics of territorial expansion in the aftermath of the 1898 Spanish-American War, the Americans called on Columbia to symbolically marshal and disguise their own imperial ascent. This paper explores the American adaptation of Greco-Roman rhetoric through the mediums of cartoons, sculptures, and paintings in …

Lanthorn, Vol. 60, No. 13, March 16, 2026, Grand Valley State University

Volume 60, August 4, 2025 – April 20, 2026

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

The Grizzly, March 12, 2026, Renee Washart, Alex Zelaya, Nico Yanzaguano, Claudia Tracy, Andrew Mihniak, Sophia Kumar, Hadley Whitman, Erin Ewing

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

We Didn't Start the Fire (in New Hall) • Disability Day of Mourning at Ursinus College • Alumni Graduate Student Panel: Health Sciences • All-Recovery: What Does it Mean to Get Sober in College? • New Spades Club Shares, Teaches, and Tournaments! • Snow Days: Are They Only Fun for Students? • Bears Basketball Finishes Up Successful Season • Women's Lacrosse Winning Big to Start the Season

"Hoch Der Kaiser, Der Kaiser Killed A Cat." An Examination Of Anti-German Sentiment In Print In The British Empire During The Great War: Australia And New Zealand, 1914-1918, Grace A. Bailey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The unprecedented rise in anti-German sentiment across the British Empire during World War I, 1914-1918, was intensified by an “us vs. them” mentality that was reflected daily in the newspapers of the Empire. However, the intense hatred expressed in Antipodean newspapers surpassed that of the rest of the Empire. This dissertation examines the explicit role newspapers in Australia and New Zealand played in inciting Germanophobia among the public and the societal consequences that followed. Ultimately, the hatred led to the internment of those with German heritage, despite their naturalized status. Along the way, however, German Australians changed their last names, …

Nascar's Transformation From Regional Pastime To National Spectacle, 1990 To 2004, Brett James

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

NASCAR, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, experienced a rapid rise in popularity during the 1990s and early 2000s. Although the sport originated in the postwar southeastern United States and initially drew a largely regional fan base, by the late-1990s it enjoyed a national following and expanded its race schedule across the country. During this period, NASCAR underwent significant changes that affected nearly every aspect of the sport, including its drivers, manufacturers, and the format determining the season champion. Led by the France family, the sport’s owners since its inception in 1948, the industry pursued these changes in …

Rivalry, Risk, And Ruin: The Economic Politics Of Antebellum Florida, Tyler Mudd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation investigates the interplay of land speculation, legal authority, and political governance in the Florida Territory from 1821 to 1845. Centered around the extensive Forbes and Innerarity land claims carried over from the Spanish period, the litigation and politics are demonstrative of the territorial administration and was profoundly shaped by a concentrated cohort. This faction of legally trained officeholders and investors, figures such as Joseph M. White, Richard K. Call, James, Gadsden, and William P. DuVal, operated as governing nucleus. Their ability and command of statutes, access to federal patronage, and strategic involvement allowed them to use land speculation, …

Parameters Spring 2026, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Approaching The Military As A Profession Through The Clausewitzian Trinity, Adam T. Biggs

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

The Clausewitzian trinity (people, government, and military—or passion, reason, and chance) can enhance existing scholarship and discussions about military professionalism by emphasizing the fundamental purpose of military forces. Specifically, managing chance incorporates elements of reducing uncertainty and applying creativity as individuals develop coup d’oeil. Junior personnel manage chance by reducing cognitive load while enhancing cognitive skills needed to quickly assess battlefield conditions as they progress to becoming senior leaders. This article contrasts these ideas against the various roles assigned to civil-military forces in the Clausewitzian trinity to emphasize professionalism in developing military leaders.

Book Reviews, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Spezialpropaganda: The East German Military’S Covert Information-Warfare Program, Joe Cheravitch

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article details the East German military’s extensive, innovative covert-propaganda program, which was designed to influence West German attitudes for almost two decades during the Cold War. Unlike existing scholarship that primarily addresses intelligence-led disinformation, this study exclusively analyzes military-led information warfare. The article uses previously classified East German military records to examine capabilities and tactics ranging from fake conscription notices to radio broadcasts. The findings offer contemporary US military planners and practitioners insight into the complexities of integrating information-warfare capabilities, measuring the effectiveness of propaganda, and understanding adversarial influence campaigns, with direct implications for current Joint Force planning and …

The Grizzly, March 5, 2026, Renee Washart, Nathaniel Nerone, Adam Denn, Claudia Tracy, Hadley Whitman, Erik Groff

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Tuition Promise to Incoming Montco Students • Mike Sielski: Covering the Hardest Sports Market in the U.S. • Too Much Light ... Makes the Baby Go Blind?! • The World Makers: Dungeons and Dragons on Campus • Ursinus' First Student Lighting Designer • Gundolf Graml is a Person, Too • As the Snow Melts, Softball is Ready to Take the Field • Bears Swim Teams Crush Conference Champs

Lanthorn, Vol. 60, No. 12, March 2, 2026, Grand Valley State University

Volume 60, August 4, 2025 – April 20, 2026

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Cataclysm Within The Court: The Bosnian Genocide Case And Its Implications On Historical Understanding Of Calamity, Alexandria Currier

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Bosnian Genocide remains one of the most challenging cases within the history of modern conflict and calamity. As the first occurrence in which the International Court of Justice applied the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide to a state, the International Court of Justice's legal proceedings on the Bosnian Genocide set a new standard for the obligations of the international community to act in the occurrence of genocide. This research aims to clarify the nature of the 1992-1995 conflict between the nations of Serbia-Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina using primary source documentation, modern commentary, and the …

Reading Migration Through Film: Using America, America, And ¡Alambrista! As Primary Sources, Joshua L. Kenna, Matt Stevenson

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this project was to:

• Engage pre-service social studies teachers in analyzing films from the National Film Registry.
• Develop inquiry-driven lessons where students use film as historical evidence.
• Model how media reflects cultural, political, and social conditions across time.

Archives And Children's Knowledge, Elliott Kuecker, Ashley Rockenbach

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

This article argues for the importance of collecting works created by children—not just about and not just for—in formal archival collections. Framed through the ideas of legitimate knowledge and epistemic injustice, this piece combines notions important to children’s rights activists and childhood studies scholars with the role archives can play in preserving children’s knowledge through child-created materials. The authors describe how researchers struggle to find work created by children within archives, impacting the ability to create child-centered research that centers children’s views of the world as prominently as adult views of the world. Some collections that do include child-created materials …

Book Review: Sister Sinner By Claire Hoffman, Shawn Smith

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

Claire Hoffman’s *Sister Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson* (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2025) offers a very balanced and engaging look at one of the most influential yet controversial figures in early twentieth-century American Christianity. Blending meticulous scholarship with narrative flair, Hoffman explores McPherson’s rise from obscure evangelist to international celebrity, her pioneering use of radio, and her complex role in shaping Pentecostalism and popular culture. Avoiding sensationalism, Hoffman examines McPherson’s triumphs, contradictions, and mysterious disappearance with nuance and respect, resulting in a balanced yet compelling and well contextualized biography.

An Examination Of Civil War Memory: The Lost Cause, Taylor Hill

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

The way that Americans view the Civil War has changed over time. What was once considered a mighty conflict and a horrid defeat for the South has transformed into a distant, unpleasant memory. Different interpretations have struggled to understand why the war was fought and how it has been received.

Interview No. 1823, Sylvia Torresdey

Combined Interviews

Sylvia Torresdey (Sylvia Chavira), born in 1955 at El Paso’s Hospital Dieu, grew up as one of six sisters in a family that maintained a vibrant transnational life. While her parents, Juanita Payán and Don Nasiano Chavira, established a residence in El Segundo Barrio to ensure their daughters could attend school in El Paso, the family maintained a home in Juárez’s Colonia del Carmen. Torresdey describes a childhood of constant movement across the border, crossing the bridge daily or weekly to bathe, collect clothes, and share weekend meals with her parents in Juárez. This bilingual upbringing involved speaking Spanish at …

The Grizzly, February 26, 2026, Renee Washart, Nathaniel Nerone, Adam Denn, Alex Zelaya, Sophia Kumar, Claudia Tracy, Jesse Cherone, Erin Ewing

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

What to Expect: Ursinus' Revamped Career Fair • Measles: What Students Need to Know • Former CDC Advisory Committee Member Talk: Vaccines • Thoughts From the Heads of the APEX Hubs • Therapy Dog Spotlight: Poppy Louise • True Love, or True Indifference? • Athlete Profile: Dylan McHugh Explores Post-Football Career • Possenti Shatters Steals Record

Norris Burroughs, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Charity Simone, Mark Naison, Anthony Abd-Al Shafi Rosado

Oral Histories

Simone’s path to leadership was inspired by her late mentor, Charles Foster, who encouraged her to be an active voice in their community. After seeing issues with building maintenance and a lack of clear communication, Simone ran for office and was elected Treasurer of her Building Association in 2023. Through this role, she noticed that community work is complex and needs navigating different opinions, yet the experience ultimately reinforced her belief that community is a “verb.” To her, it is an intentional, ongoing action that requires showing up every day to hold the system accountable.

A significant aspect of Simone's …

Reading Hair As A Document, Bhuva Narayan

Proceedings from the Document Academy

This paper is an exposition of the documental being, becoming, and unbecoming of hair, wherein I argue that although human hair is a corporeal material, and an object that can be viewed through various perspectives and theories, it can also be read as a document imbued with meaning, intention, and perception by humans, and fulfills Suzanne Briet’s criteria (Briet, 2006; Buckland, 1997) for an object to be considered a document: it has materiality (it must be a physical thing), intentionality (intended as evidence), needs processing (to be made part of a documentary system), and is an object of phenomenological perception …

Confinement And Consent: A Comparative Analysis Of Sexual Abuse In Finnish And U.S. Prisons, Madison A. Greico

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

The Bangkok Rules and The Basic Principles for The Treatment of Prisoners are a specific outline of protections and rights for individuals( Bangkok specifically about women) within prisons adopted by the United Nations compromising states. While The United States is a leader in the United Nations and adopted this set of rules, their failures of commitment are extremely apparent. Every year, thousands of prison rapes occur behind bars in New York alone by the very guards meant to protect them. In Finland, another United Nations member, however, has virtually no record of sexual abuse within their prisons. In investigation of …