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Air Force Institute of Technology

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Comparative Analysis Of Active And Passive Mapping Techniques In An Internet-Based Local Area Network, James B. Kuntzelman Mar 2004

Comparative Analysis Of Active And Passive Mapping Techniques In An Internet-Based Local Area Network, James B. Kuntzelman

Theses and Dissertations

Network mapping technologies allow quick and easy discovery of computer systems throughout a network. Active mapping methods, such as using nmap, capitalize on the standard stimulus-response of network systems to probe target systems. In doing so, they create extra traffic on the network, both for the initial probe and for the target system's response. Passive mapping methods work opportunistically, listening for network traffic as it transits the system. As such, passive methods generate minimal network traffic overhead. Active methods are still standard methods for network information gathering; passive techniques are not normally used due to the possibility of missing important …

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Throughput Performance Evaluation And Analysis Of Unmodified Bluetooth Devices, Steven J. Taylor Mar 2004

Throughput Performance Evaluation And Analysis Of Unmodified Bluetooth Devices, Steven J. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force relies on the application of new technologies to support and execute its mission. As new technologies develop, the integration of that technology is studied to determine the costs and benefits it may provide to the war fighter. One such emergent technology is the Bluetooth wireless protocol, used to connect a small number of devices over a short distance. The short distance is a feature that makes using the protocol desirable. However short, there is still a vulnerability to interception. This research identifies ranges at which several commercially available Bluetooth devices are usable. Various combinations of both distance …

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Packet Analysis Of Unmodified Bluetooth Communication Devices, Neal A. Watts Mar 2004

Packet Analysis Of Unmodified Bluetooth Communication Devices, Neal A. Watts

Theses and Dissertations

Bluetooth technology has potential for widespread use within the Department of Defense and the Air Force. An office environment using Bluetooth technology can wirelessly connect computers, printers, and other office equipment in order to share information over short distances. The clutter and annoyance of cables connecting equipment can be eliminated. Bluetooth provides a standard interface for connection, as opposed to many different proprietary cables. The research is conducted indoors in a climate controlled environment, with minimal obstructions, to closely follow free-space signal propagation. Four different antenna orientations are used. The factors varied are the distance between devices, and the antenna …

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Location Optimization Of Continental United States Strip Alert Sites Supporting Homeland Defense, Jon A. Eberlan Mar 2004

Location Optimization Of Continental United States Strip Alert Sites Supporting Homeland Defense, Jon A. Eberlan

Theses and Dissertations

With the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and the fall of the Soviet Union, the number of alert aircraft dwindled to 14 aircraft located at 7 sites on September 11, 2001. After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Towers and the Pentagon, the United States could not continue to endorse an outward looking air defense strategy. Terrorism completely changed the landscape of the air defense mission. This research develops a location optimization model to optimally locate alert sites post-11 September to cover areas of interest in the CONUS. The model finds the minimum number of alert sites, minimum …

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Mitigating Growth Cost For Mobility Readiness Spares Packages, Stephen D. Gray Mar 2004

Mitigating Growth Cost For Mobility Readiness Spares Packages, Stephen D. Gray

Theses and Dissertations

A Mobility Readiness Spares Package (MRSP) is an air-transportable package of spare parts configured for rapid deployment in support of conflict or war. Each package is tailored to support a specific scenario, for a specific type and number of aircraft without re-supply for the first 30 days of deployment. Inventory is limited to mission-critical spares. The high cost of airlift and spares drive a necessity to keep MRSPs as small as possible, yet robust enough to meet wartime goals. Historical MRSP inventories exhibit significant volatility and the subsequent growth of their inventory creates significant cost to the Air Force. Annual …

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A Demand Side Requirements Model To Forecast C-17 Mobility Aircraft Availability, Joseph R. Huscroft Jr. Mar 2004

A Demand Side Requirements Model To Forecast C-17 Mobility Aircraft Availability, Joseph R. Huscroft Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Current aircraft forecasting methods of the Air Mobility Command (AMC) Directorate of Logistics are reliant on the experience of personnel and lead to after the fact, labor-intensive analysis. These deficiencies led AMC to the development of a Mobility Aircraft Availability Forecasting (MAAF) model. The purpose of the MAAF model is threefold: predict aircraft availability in order to provide the Tanker Airlift Control Center (TACC) with a forecast of aircraft that will be available for AMC mission requirements, provide what if capabilities that analyze the effects of tasking and policy changes, and to provide foresight into problems associated with aircraft availability …

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An Analysis Of The Impact Of Base Support Resources On The Availability Of Air Mobility Command Aircraft, Christian E. Randall Mar 2004

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Base Support Resources On The Availability Of Air Mobility Command Aircraft, Christian E. Randall

Theses and Dissertations

The AMC Directorate of Logistics is responsible for ensuring AMC aircraft are available to accomplish the mission. Currently, however, the organization lacks an objective tool for assessing the impact of proposed operations on the health of the fleet, To improve this process, the Directorate has initiated the development of a Mobility Aircraft Availability Forecast (MAAF) simulation model designed to identify alternatives and associated impacts on aircraft availability, manpower, and cost. This research seeks to assist the MAAF development effort by identifying and demonstrating how different base support factors impact the availability of AMC aircraft. To address this research objective, multiple …

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Modeling A Field Application Of In Situ Bioremediation Of Perchlorate-Contaminated Groundwater Using Horizontal Flow Treatment Wells (Hftws), Peter G. Chosa Mar 2004

Modeling A Field Application Of In Situ Bioremediation Of Perchlorate-Contaminated Groundwater Using Horizontal Flow Treatment Wells (Hftws), Peter G. Chosa

Theses and Dissertations

Perchlorate contaminated groundwater is rapidly becoming a significant environmental remediation issue for the Department of Defense. In this study, an existing numerical model that simulates the operation of a Horizontal Flow Treatment Well (HFTW) system to effect the in situ biodegradation of perchlorate through the addition of an electron donor is modified to include a submodel that describes bioclogging. Bioclogging restricts flow out of the HFTW due to the accumulation of biomass directly adjacent to the well. The modified model is then applied to an existing perchlorate contaminated site that will be used for an evaluation of the HFTW technology. …

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Decision Analysis Using Value Focused Thinking To Select Renewable Energy Sources, James S. Duke Mar 2004

Decision Analysis Using Value Focused Thinking To Select Renewable Energy Sources, James S. Duke

Theses and Dissertations

The United States is heavily dependent on fossil fuels to produce electricity. Renewable energy can provide an alternative source of energy for electricity production as well as reduce fossil fuel consumption. The executive agencies in the U.S. must also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2010 based on 1990 emission levels as directed by Executive Order. However, there is currently no analysis model to provide guidance toward which renewable energy to select as a course of action. This research effort used value-focused thinking decision analysis to create a model based on inputs from the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency. This …

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The Application Of Value Focused Thinking To Utilities Privatization Source Selection, J. Heath Duncan Mar 2004

The Application Of Value Focused Thinking To Utilities Privatization Source Selection, J. Heath Duncan

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense's utility systems have suffered from under-funding and lack of technology investment, thereby creating a service gap between these DoD systems and systems operated by commercial providers. In order to overcome this gap and refurbish their systems, the DoD has focused its efforts on privatization of these systems. The utilities privatization decision is extremely vital and permanent and thus warrants backup source selection methodologies. Since awarding contracts in the utilities privatization arena requires a decision considering tradeoffs between multiple competing objectives, a value-focused thinking approach was used to create a structured, standardized value model taking into account …

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Aerobic Biodegradation Of Alternative Fuel Oxygenates In Unsaturated Soil Columns, Kevin A. Mares Mar 2004

Aerobic Biodegradation Of Alternative Fuel Oxygenates In Unsaturated Soil Columns, Kevin A. Mares

Theses and Dissertations

Groundwater contamination problems caused by methyl-tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in subsurface waters have prompted the search for a gasoline oxygenate replacement. In order to avoid the problems encountered with MTBE, it is prudent to evaluate the fate and transport in the subsurface of proposed replacements, such as ethanol. In this study, ethanol transport and degradation in unsaturated soil was investigated using a series of eight soil columns. This preliminary study was to see if the soil column system components functioned properly, how similarly the eight soil columns performed, and if soil oxygen concentration affected degradation of ethanol. Tracer tests, using …

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An Evaluation Of Vegetated Roofing Technology: Application At Air Force Plant Four, Building 15, Benjamin J. Morgan Mar 2004

An Evaluation Of Vegetated Roofing Technology: Application At Air Force Plant Four, Building 15, Benjamin J. Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force maintains thousands of facilities around the world. Many of these facilities have asphalt built up roofs or some other less than sustainable roofing system. In an effort to find roofing systems suitable for Air Force facilities that are both economically and environmentally friendly, this thesis investigated vegetated roofing as a possible alternative to conventional roofing systems. While vegetated roofs are a relatively new roofing system, they exhibit performance qualities that seem to be in line with Air Force needs. An investigation into the feasibility of vegetated roofing technology revealed that this roofing system has many …

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Application Of Horizontal Flow Treatment Wells For In Situ Treatment Of Mtbe-Contaminated Groundwater, Preston F. Rufe Mar 2004

Application Of Horizontal Flow Treatment Wells For In Situ Treatment Of Mtbe-Contaminated Groundwater, Preston F. Rufe

Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized a three-dimensional numerical model to evaluate the potential application of HFTWs to manage MTBE-contaminated groundwater. HFTWs consist of two dual-screened treatment wells. One well operates in an upflow mode, with MTBE-contaminated water extracted from an aquifer through a screen in the deep portion of an aquifer and injected into the aquifer through a shallow well screen, while the adjacent well operates in a downflow mode, extracting water from the shallow zone of the aquifer and injecting it into the deep zone. As the MTBE-contaminated water flows through the wells, an electron acceptor and/or another electron donor is …

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An Evaluation Of Formic Acid As An Electron Donor For Palladium (Pd) Catalyzed Destruction Of Nitroaromatic Compounds, Mark R. Stevens Mar 2004

An Evaluation Of Formic Acid As An Electron Donor For Palladium (Pd) Catalyzed Destruction Of Nitroaromatic Compounds, Mark R. Stevens

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense is responsible for over 2,000 hazardous waste sites containing nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) such as 2,4,6-TNT, 2,4- and 2,6-DNT that resulted from the production and use of munitions throughout the nation and world, NACs are typically persistent in natural environments, though they can be oxidized or reduced under engineered conditions, NACs and their reduction products are toxic chemicals and suspected human carcinogens, Both TNT and 2,4-DNT are listed as priority pollutants by the U,S EPA, This study investigates the effectiveness of using a palladium (Pd) catalyst in concert with formic acid as an electron donor to reduce …

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An Evaluation Of Formate As An Electron Donor To Facilitate Palladium (Pd) - Catalyzed Destruction Of Chlorinated Aliphatic Hydrocarbons, Matthew D. Welling Mar 2004

An Evaluation Of Formate As An Electron Donor To Facilitate Palladium (Pd) - Catalyzed Destruction Of Chlorinated Aliphatic Hydrocarbons, Matthew D. Welling

Theses and Dissertations

Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) such as trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), and trichloroethane (TCA) are probable human carcinogens that have been used widely within the DoD, primarily as solvents for cleaning and metal degreasing. These compounds are frequently found to be groundwater contaminants. In fact, TCE and PCE are the first and third most commonly detected groundwater contaminants nationwide. The focus of this study was to determine the effectiveness of using a palladium (Pd) catalyst with formate as a reductant to treat CAH-contaminated groundwater. TCE was used as a model CAH. Other investigators have focused on hydrogen gas (H2) …

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An Analysis Of Coast Guard Hh-65 Engine Reliability: A Comparison Of Malfunctions To Component Removals, Donna L. Cottrell Mar 2004

An Analysis Of Coast Guard Hh-65 Engine Reliability: A Comparison Of Malfunctions To Component Removals, Donna L. Cottrell

Theses and Dissertations

The Coast Guard HH-65 helicopter experienced 31 in-flight loss of power incidents during FY 2003 and 21 during the first two months of FY 2003. Concurrent with this apparent decrease in reliability, the Coast Guard seeks ways to expand the HH- 65’s Airborne Use of Force capabilities as a result of the September 11th, 2001 terrorists’ attacks. This study is an exploratory, empirical analysis of engine and airframe component replacements as related to engine mishaps and reliability in the HH-65. We use contingency table analysis, ordinary least squares regression, and logistic regression to examine the mishap history and component replacement …

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Characterization Of Chlorinated Solvent Degradation Profile Due To Microbial And Chemical Processes In A Constructed Wetland, Teresa A. Sobolewski Mar 2004

Characterization Of Chlorinated Solvent Degradation Profile Due To Microbial And Chemical Processes In A Constructed Wetland, Teresa A. Sobolewski

Theses and Dissertations

Perchloroethene (PCE) and its degradation products are among the most common organic groundwater contaminants in the United States. Constructed wetlands are a relatively new approach to dealing with this contamination problem. With their upward flow capability it is possible to introduce an aerobic and anaerobic environment with a consortium of microorganisms available to degrade the contaminants to within acceptable levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This study is a follow-up to the previous two years of research on PCE degradation in cell 1 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. This thesis was conducted in order to study the wetland …

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Effects Of Uncertainty On Real World Aerospace Mission Data, Steven J. Barosko Mar 2004

Effects Of Uncertainty On Real World Aerospace Mission Data, Steven J. Barosko

Theses and Dissertations

Uncertainty is an age old element of warfare. How does one measure success or failure on the battlefield? This thesis explores the effect of uncertainty on real world aerospace mission data from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Sources of uncertainty are identified during data preparation and the effects of uncertainty are investigated using multivariate analysis techniques. Two distinct cases are analyzed: one case with a low level of uncertainty in predicting whether or not a mission is pre-planned or alert generated, and another case with a high level of uncertainty in predicting whether or not a mission is a success or …

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An Investigation Of The Effects Of Correlation, Autocorrelation, And Sample Size In Classifier Fusion, Nathan J. Leap Mar 2004

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Correlation, Autocorrelation, And Sample Size In Classifier Fusion, Nathan J. Leap

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis extends the research found in Storm, Bauer, and Oxley, 2003. Data correlation effects and sample size effects on three classifier fusion techniques and one data fusion technique were investigated. Identification System Operating Characteristic Fusion (Haspert, 2000), the Receiver Operating Characteristic Within Fusion method (Oxley and Bauer, 2002), and a Probabilistic Neural Network were the three classifier fusion techniques; a Generalized Regression Neural Network was the data fusion technique. Correlation was injected into the data set both within a feature set (autocorrelation) and across feature sets for a variety of classification problems, and sample size was varied throughout. Total …

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Agent Based Simulation Seas Evaluation Of Dodaf Architecture, Gregory V. Destefano Mar 2004

Agent Based Simulation Seas Evaluation Of Dodaf Architecture, Gregory V. Destefano

Theses and Dissertations

With Department of Defense (DoD) weapon systems being deeply rooted in the command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) structure, it is necessary for combat models to capture C4ISR effects in order to properly assess military worth. Unlike many DoD legacy combat models, the agent based model System Effectiveness and Analysis Simulation (SEAS) is identified as having C4ISR analysis capabilities. In lieu of requirements for all new DoD C4ISR weapon systems to be placed within a DoD Architectural Framework (DoDAF), investigation of means to export data from the Framework to the combat model SEAS began. Through operational, system, …

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Modeling And Simulation Of The Military Intelligence Process, Carl R. Pawling Mar 2004

Modeling And Simulation Of The Military Intelligence Process, Carl R. Pawling

Theses and Dissertations

There is concern within U.S. space and intelligence organizations that the current Tasking, Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination processes may be insufficient to support current and future Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance systems. As part of a larger intelligence process, more detailed analysis becomes critical to determine what portions need to be improved. This analysis can be accomplished by simulation, which is appropriate due to the complexity of the process and the ability to compare variations in the process. We construct a high level model of a generalized military intelligence process based in part on the Intelligence Cycle outlined in Joint Publications. …

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Value-Focused Thinking In The Presence Of Weight Ambiguity: A Solution Technique Using Monte Carlo Simulation, Timothy W. Porter Mar 2004

Value-Focused Thinking In The Presence Of Weight Ambiguity: A Solution Technique Using Monte Carlo Simulation, Timothy W. Porter

Theses and Dissertations

When a Decision Maker is asked to provide his or her preferences, the response represents a snapshot in time. While their preference structure elicited at any given moment may represent their revealed preferences at that point in time, it may change over time. These changing preferences over time represent ambiguity in the decision maker's preferences. Other sources of ambiguity may exist. One weakness of many decision analysis techniques today is the inability to incorporate ambiguity into the basic decision model. The existence of the problem has been known and commented on for many years. This research addresses that problem. It …

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Modeling And Analysis Of Post-Conflict Reconstruction, Damon B. Richardson Mar 2004

Modeling And Analysis Of Post-Conflict Reconstruction, Damon B. Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

The forces at play in reconstruction operations are a complex system of time phased interlocking cause and effect relationships that are not thoroughly understood. A model capable of capturing the general dynamics involved in post-conflict reconstruction would provide insight to decision makers regarding potential policy alternatives. This research effort demonstrates the viability of using systems dynamics modeling techniques to simulate the establishment of public order and safety in a post-conflict reconstruction operation (Phase IV operations). A high level generic framework is developed that can be used as a general template for modeling post-conflict reconstruction. It is then demonstrated with a …

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Aggregation Techniques To Characterize Social Networks, Sara E. Sterling Mar 2004

Aggregation Techniques To Characterize Social Networks, Sara E. Sterling

Theses and Dissertations

Social network analysis focuses on modeling and understanding individuals of interest and their relationships. Aggregation of social networks can be used both to make analysis computationally easier on large networks, and to gain insight in subgroup interactions. Aggregation requires determining appropriate closely knit subgroups as well as choosing a measure or measures to represent the network data. This thesis provides the analyst with several techniques for using aggregation to analyze the characteristics of social networks. The contribution of this research lies in its ability to analyze a wide variety of social network structures and available data through two methods for …

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Atmospheric Simulation Using A Liquid Crystal Wavefront Controlling Device, Matthew R. Brooks Mar 2004

Atmospheric Simulation Using A Liquid Crystal Wavefront Controlling Device, Matthew R. Brooks

Theses and Dissertations

Test and evaluation of laser warning devices is important due to the increased use of laser devices in aerial applications. In this thesis, an atmospheric aberrating system is developed to enable in-lab testing of laser warning devices. This system employs laser light at 632.8nm from a Helium-Neon source and a spatial light modulator (SLM) to cause phase changes using a birefringent liquid crystal material. Before the system can be used, the SLM phase response must be quantified to ensure proper manipulation of index of refraction. Additionally, diffraction from the SLM and real-world system scaling are addressed. Once completed, the atmospheric …

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Characterization Of The Target-Mount Interaction In Radar Cross Section Measurement Calibrations, Donald W. Powers Mar 2004

Characterization Of The Target-Mount Interaction In Radar Cross Section Measurement Calibrations, Donald W. Powers

Theses and Dissertations

Radar Cross Section (RCS) measurements are quintessential in understanding target scattering phenomenon. The reduced RCS of modern weapons systems stresses the capability of current RCS measurement ranges. A limiting factor that has recently become more significant is the electromagnetic coupling between a test target and the mounting hardware used to support it and control its orientation during the RCS measurement. Equally important is the electromagnetic coupling between the RCS calibration artifact and its mount, which provides an opportunity to explore the coupling phenomena without delving into operationally sensitive areas. The primary research goal was to characterize the interaction between a …

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Enhancing The Instantaneous Dynamic Range Of Electronic Warfare Receivers Using Statistical Signal Processing, Bryan E. Smith Mar 2004

Enhancing The Instantaneous Dynamic Range Of Electronic Warfare Receivers Using Statistical Signal Processing, Bryan E. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Accurately processing multiple, time-coincident signals presents a challenge to Electronic Warfare (EW) receivers, especially if the signals are close in frequency and/or mismatched in amplitude. The metric that quantifies an EW receiver's ability to measure time-coincident signals is the Instantaneous Dynamic Range (IDR), defined for a given frequency estimation accuracy, a given frequency separation and a given SNR as the maximum signal amplitude ratio that can be accommodated. Using a two sinusoid time-series model, this thesis analyzes IDR for ideal intercept and parametric digital EW receivers. In general, the number of signals contained in the EW receiver measurement interval is …

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Analysis Of Uncertainties In Infrared Camera Measurements Of A Turbofan Engine In An Altitude Test Cell, Thomas A. Morris Mar 2004

Analysis Of Uncertainties In Infrared Camera Measurements Of A Turbofan Engine In An Altitude Test Cell, Thomas A. Morris

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the uncertainties in measuring the IR signature of a General Electric F110-GE-129 turbofan engine inside an altitude test cell. The requirements for the measurement system include the intensity and radiance of the engine surfaces in three bands of operation, two Medium Wave IR (MWIR) bands and one Long Wave IR (LWIR) band. The altitude test cell provides a venue for measuring the IR signature in simulated altitude operation, but the imaging process is laden with measurement uncertainty due to stray radiation from the facility structure, hot exhaust gases, and the measurement equipment itself. The atmosphere and a …

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A Decision Support Tool For Thrift Savings Plan Investors, Christopher J. Blanchette Mar 2004

A Decision Support Tool For Thrift Savings Plan Investors, Christopher J. Blanchette

Theses and Dissertations

The Thrift Savings Plan is-the defined contribution retirement plan for federal government employees. It is one of the largest retirement plans in the United States. The plan offers five different investment options: two funds concentrate on government securities and corporate bonds, two funds span the United States stock market, and one fund focuses on international stocks. These funds give investors the opportunity to diversify among a wide range of securities. This thesis examines the funds offered by the plan and creates a portfolio selection tool that uses investor inputs. The tool uses three mathematical models: optimization, based on Markowitz's (1952) …

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Investigation Of Geobase Implementation Issues: Case Study Of Information Resource Management, Mario L. Oliver Mar 2004

Investigation Of Geobase Implementation Issues: Case Study Of Information Resource Management, Mario L. Oliver

Theses and Dissertations

Billions of dollars have been wasted on failed information system (IS) projects over the last decade in the private and public sectors. More specifically, the tri-service environment of the U.S. military has not implemented a single successful geospatial IS (GIS). The lack of a service-wide insertion process for GIS was cited as the most significant cause for military GIS failures. GeoBase represents the USAF's most recent GIS implementation. The GeoBase program focuses on Information Resource Management (IRM) and cultural issues. The GeoBase Sustainment Model (GSM), anecdotally developed by GeoBase leadership to reflect implementation issues and the IRM practices of the …

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