Digital Commons Network^™

Combat Air Forces Campaign Level Modernization Planning-A Study In Group Decision Making, Ian L. Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Modernization is a critical component of the current transformation effort within the Department of Defense (DoD) Effective and efficient modernization planning will provide for the improved allocation of limited funding. The Air Force currently conducts capabilities based modernization planning to identify shortfalls. Air Combat Command (ACC) utilizes multi-objective decision analysis (MODA) techniques to support the modernization planning process (MPP). A MODA model has been created to identify and quantify capability shortfalls across a diverse range of mission areas. Groups of subject matter experts are utilized to provide model inputs improving the usefulness and credibility of the model. The intent of …

Internet Protocol (Ip) Over Link-16, Clinton W. Stinson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of Link- 16 is to exchange real-time tactical data among units of the United States and allied forces. Primary Link- 16 functions include exchange of friendly unit position and status data, fl%the dissemination of tactical surveillance track data, and the control/management of air, surface, and subsurface engagements. Because Link- 16 will play an integral role in fl% network-centric Joint Battlespace Infosphere (JBI), the performance of Internet Protocol version six (IPv6) and IP Security (IPSec) over Link-16 needs to be determined. Using OPNET modeling software to simulate a Link- 16 network, the investigation of this research revealed that the …

A Visual Language For Composable Simulation Scenarios, Carolyn R. Bartley

Theses and Dissertations

Modeling and Simulation plays an important role in how the Air Force trains and fights, Scenarios are used in simulation to give users the ability to specify entities and behaviors that should be simulated by a model: however, building and understanding scenarios can be a difficult and time-consuming process, furthermore, as composable simulations become more prominent, the need for a common descriptor for simulation scenarios has become evident. In order to reduce the complexity of creating and understanding simulation scenarios, a visual language was created, The research on visual languages presented in this thesis examines methods of visually specifying the …

Performance Evaluation And Analysis Of Effective Range And Data Throughput For Unmodified Bluetooth Communication Devices, Timothy F. Kneeland

Theses and Dissertations

The DoD and the Air Force continually seek to incorporate new technology in an effort to improve communication, work effectiveness, and efficiency. Office devices utilizing Bluetooth technology simplify device configuration and communication. They provide a means to communicate wirelessly over short distances thereby eliminating the need for different vendor specific cables and interfaces. One of the key concerns involved in incorporating new communication technology is security; the fundamental security concern of wireless communication is interception. Studies focusing on IEEE 802.11b have shown vulnerability zones around many DoD installations that reflect the ranges at which wireless communications using the 802.11b standard …

Searching System Call Information For Clues: The Effects Of Intrusions Of Processes, Mark G. Reith

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force extensively uses information systems as a tool managing and maintaining its information. The increased dependence on these systems in recent years has necessitated the need for protection front threats of information warfare and cyber terrorism. One type of protection utilizes intrusion detection systems to provide indications that intrusive behavior has occurred. Other types of protection may include packet filtering, cryptography and strong user authentication. Traditional approaches toward intrusion detection rely on features that are external to computer processes. By treating processes as black-boxes, intrusion detection systems may miss a wealth of information that could be …

Using Future Value Analysis To Select An Optimal Portfolio Of Force Protection Initiatives, Robert P. Eskridge

Theses and Dissertations

With the recent increase in terrorist activity, force protection has become a key issue for the Department of Defense, Leading the research for new ideas and concepts in force protection for the US Air Force is the Air Force Force Protection Battlelab (FPB). The FPB is charged with searching out force protection ideas and selecting those most worthy for future consideration. In 2002, a Value-Focused Thinking (VFT) hierarchy was created to help the FPB select those ideas that provided the most value to the Air Force and its force protection goals. This research effort uses the Future Value Analysis (FVA) …

Understanding The Dynamic System Of Terrorist - Government Interaction, John A. Hanrahan

Theses and Dissertations

The nature of action and reaction that forms the basis for terrorist - government interactions creates a dynamic system. Understanding how this dynamic system behaves in response to key government activities can help the government better control the overall behavior of the system. The system dynamics methodology is one tool that can help the government solve specific behavioral problems within the overall system. This research shows the ability of system dynamics to help develop government policy towards terrorism that can directly affect a terrorist's behavior. It supports a government policy of offensive action instead of defensive reaction. It also identifies …

Using The Gps To Improve Trajectory Position And Velocity Determination During Real-Time Ejection Seat Design, Test And Evaluation, Christina G. Schutte

Theses and Dissertations

Test and evaluation of the United States Air Force’s latest aircraft escape system technology requires accurate position and velocity profiles during each test to determine the relative positions between the aircraft, ejection seat, manikin and the ground. Current rocket sled testing relies on expensive ground based multiple camera systems to determine the position and velocity profiles. While these systems are satisfactory at determining seat and manikin trajectories for sled testing, their accuracy decreases when they are used for in-flight testing, especially at high altitudes. This research presents the design and test results from a new GPS-based system capable of monitoring …

Outsourcing Information Technology And The Insider Threat, Valerie L. Caruso

Theses and Dissertations

As one of our nation's top critical infrastructures, telecommunications is an essential element of many aspects of our lives upon which we, as a society, are becoming increasingly dependent. Computers, digital telephone switches, and interconnected information technology (IT) systems impact finances, travel, infrastructure management, and missions of national defense. This research examined whether the trend in increased outsourcing of information technology systems is a significant contributing factor to a reportedly increasing amount of insider attacks. In light of changing social, global economic, and technological conditions, the paradigm in which risk analysis, management practices, and operational and personnel security practices are …

Perceptions Vs Reality: A Longitudinal Experiment In Influence Judgment Performance, Monti L. Knode

Theses and Dissertations

Government reliance on computer-mediated information has transformed it from "enabler" to "target" which now demands the detection of manipulated and deceptive measures a primary security objective. As people are not inherently good performers at detecting deceptive communications, this study draws on interpersonal deception theory (Burgoon, 1986) and social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986) to measure personal perceptions that influence decisions operationalized as the successful detection of a deceptive measure. Department of Defense personnel (N--119) participated in a longitudinal experiment that measured detection performance before and after training and feedback treatments. Self-efficacy and perceived training effectiveness emerged as dominant factors in predicting …

Training Effects On Judgment Accuracy In A Computer-Mediated Environment, Mark M. Lankowski

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force (AF) has named Information Superiority the core competency "upon which all the other core competencies rely". In order to achieve Information Superiority, deceptive communication must be minimized. According to researchers, deception occurs when communicators control the information contained in their messages to convey a meaning that departs from the truth. This research draws on Biros, George, and Zmuds' (2002) deception research model to determine if training to detect deception will improve a person's deception detection performance in a computer-mediated environment. A longitudinal experiment was conducted with AF participants (N=119) where three separate training plans were …

Text Manipulation Judgment Accuracy: An Exploratory Study, Randy S. Wardak

Theses and Dissertations

Deception aims to affect a decision-making process in a way that somehow benefits the deceiver. More knowledge is desired in the area of purely text-based scenarios. Thirty-seven graduate students at the Air Force Institute of Technology participated in an experiment in order to gain an initial understanding of how people determine whether text has been manipulated, and to identify specific areas that may be more closely investigated in future research. Excerpts were drawn from editions of a current-events newsletter that the participants receive on a weekly basis as part of their enrollment in the graduate program. Some of the excerpts …

Aerospace Ground Equipment Management's Impact On Home-Station Sortie Production, Michael A. Bayer

Theses and Dissertations

Since the Air Force began its evolution into an Expeditionary Air Force, much effort has been expended in attempt to optimize the compositions of each Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) and the manner in which an AEF deploys. Air Force plans were previously based upon deploying 24-ship Unit Type Codes (UTC), although a 12-ship deployment is more prevalent in today's environment. In an effort to eliminate the anomalies between planned and actual deployment composition, the Air Staff directed in 2002 that all fighter UTCs be right-sized to reflect current, planned requirements (Headquarters United States Air Force, 2002), The directive stipulated the …

Assessing The Treatment Of Airborne Tactical High Energy Lasers In Combat Simulations, Maurice C. Azar

Theses and Dissertations

In March 2000, the High Energy Laser Executive Review Panel presented the Department of Defense Laser Master Plan, which reported that HEL weapons are ready for offensive and defensive applications. One candidate platform capable of performing some of the reported applications is the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL), an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration program which places a high energy laser weapon on a tactical aircraft, such as the V-22, C-130, or H-47. A way of assessing the utility of a new weapon system and the benefits of its inclusion in the force structure is the use of combat models. This research …

Using Neural Networks For Estimating Cruise Missile Reliability, Donald L. Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations

ACC believes its current methodology for predicting the reliability of its Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) and Advanced Cruise Missile (ACM) stockpiles could be improved. They require a predictive model that delivers the best possible 24-month projection of cruise missile reliability using existing data sources, collection methods and software. It should be easily maintainable and developed to allow a layperson to enter updated data and receive an accurate reliability prediction. The focus of this thesis is to improve upon free flight reliability, although the techniques could also be applied to the captive carry portion of the missile reliability equation. The …

Analysis Of Organizational Architectures For The Air Force Tuition Assistance Program, Krista Z. Lapietra

Theses and Dissertations

The consideration of restructuring through a change in organizational architecture is often a fiercely debated issue within an organization. The argument for restructuring to improve quality, customer service, and financial management is pitted against perceived lack of job security and historically poor results from previous restructuring initiatives. To balance all sides when considering a change in organizational architecture, the organization should use a method of evaluating potential architectures that assists in determining the best new architecture and generates support from those involved. The objective of this research is to provide the Air Force Education Division with a defendable methodology for …

Game Theory And U-Boats In The Bay Of Biscay, Joseph C. Price

Theses and Dissertations

Analysis of a large combat campaign using game theory is difficult due to non- linearities and other soft factors which exist in a complex system. However, game theory can give decision makers insight into strategies and outcomes that can be utilized to maximize one's objective. Agent-based simulation provides the means to model complex systems with non-linearities, by allowing for interactions among independent "agents." This thesis investigates game-theoretic strategies in agent-based simulation, modeled after the Allied search for U-boats in the Bay of Biscay during World War II (WWII). It also looks into the effects of adaptation on strategies by comparison …

Multimission Aircraft Design Study-Operational Scenarios, Nevin Coskuner

Theses and Dissertations

In the most recent years, the Command, Control and Communications, Counter Measures, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C3CMISR) aircrafts are used commonly in many NATO and UN Operations around the world. These aircrafts are AWACS, JSTARS, Rivet Joint, Compass Call and ABCCC. They provide close air support in the name of airborne surveillance, ground moving target surveillance, target reconnaissance, jamming, and command, control and communications issues in operational environments. Those aircrafts are tasked with a wide variety of missions than ever before in operational theaters and each one of them comprises a specific amount of cost and risk factors. As a …

Cargo Aircraft Bombing System (Cabs), Gurler Ari

Theses and Dissertations

From the early days of aviation, bombs typically have been carried by either fighter or bomber aircraft in the inventory. On the other hand, more and more long-range, precision-guided missiles are being produced with ranges that vary from tens to hundreds of miles. With such missiles, targets can be destroyed without placing personnel and equipment into close proximity to the targets. The mass delivery of standoff weapons could be especially advantageous during the early phases of an air campaign. This study considers the use of cargo aircraft for carrying and launching bombs and missiles. It discusses many aspects of a …

You Asked For It, You Got It . . . Toy Yoda: Practical Jokes, Prizes, And Contract Law, Keith A. Rowley

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Concept And Practice Of Jihad In Islam, Michael G. Knapp

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

The China Factor In The India-Pakistan Conflict, Mohan Malik

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

The Bush Doctrine And War With Iraq, Jeffrey Record

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Four Myths About Space Power, Nader Elhefnawy

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Al Qaeda And The Internet: The Danger Of “Cyberplanning”, Timothy L. Thomas

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Annotations, Cwbr_Editor

Civil War Book Review

No abstract provided.

Transitional Justice As Ordinary Justice, Eric A. Posner, Adrian Vermeule

Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers

No abstract provided.

Biology And The Battlefield, Robert E. Armstrong, Jerry B. Warner

Defense Horizons

The military and the life sciences have been intertwined throughout history. Biology has often been a source of offensive weapons, ranging from the hurling of plague victims over the walls of Kaffa (which probably started the 14th-century Black Death) to the anthrax attacks of fall 2001.

The military-biology relationship also has a humane side. Over the years, medical advances have saved countless soldiers and contributed to the overall well being of society. From the smallpox inoculation of Continental Army recruits in 1777—nearly 20 years before Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccination—to the development of modern vaccines, military physicians have a lengthy and …

Two Sports Torts: The Historical Development Of The Legal Rights Of Baseball Spectators, Roger I. Abrams

Tulsa Law Review

No abstract provided.

Katherine Backherms-Thornton Interview For Miami University Of Ohio Oral History Course 685 And The Miami Valley Cultural Heritage Project, Jodie Walker, Katherine Backherms-Thornton

Dayton and Miami Valley Oral History Project

On March 1, 2003 Jodie Walker interviewed Katherine Backherms-Thornton, a housewife and mother of six children, as part of the requirement for the Miami University Oral History 685 Course and the Miami Valley Cultural Heritage Project. During the interview Kay Backherms-Thornton discusses her two brothers joining the army and the navy World War II, her marriage, and more.