Digital Commons Network^™

The Secret "Kill List" And The President, Kenneth Anderson

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

“Savages” In The Service Of Empire: Native American Soldiers In Gorham's Rangers, 1744–1762, Brian D. Carroll

History Faculty Scholarship

Gorham's Rangers, initially an all-Indian ranger company, was instrumental in Britain's conquest of Nova Scotia (Acadia) during the eighteenth century. In the process of uncovering that story, the essay assesses New England Indians’ role in shaping colonial frontier warfare as well as the impact of military service on Native American communities.

The United States Military Realignment On Okinawa, Kevin M. Evringham

Master's Theses

The United States maintains military bases in foreign countries in efforts to protect American overseas interests, whether they are economic, diplomatic or for geostrategic purposes. In Japan, where the United States has maintained military installations since the end of World War II, debate over the realignment of forces on Okinawa has caused minor, yet growing, rifts in the stable United States-Japanese alliance. Current plans to shift American military forces from Okinawa to locations throughout the Pacific do not take into account the historical or geostrategic factors for their stationing in Japan. This thesis identifies the geostrategic challenges to the current …

Soldiers In An All Volunteer Force, Joshua Aaron Webster

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This work focuses on several themes that deal with the idea of motivation in the military. The primary focus is to view the soldiers in the “all volunteer” force in order to examine their sources of motivation. The majority of sources came from interviews conducted with active duty, reservist, and retired soldiers who were deployed to Iraq and/or Afghanistan. The work examines how the evolution of the “all volunteer” force has changed since its inception in 1973, primarily focusing on the soldiers who were involved in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are several reasons for why a citizen …

A Comprehensive Human Factors Analysis Of Off-Duty Motor Vehicle Crashes In The United States Military, Rebecca Iden

All Dissertations

Researchers have always had great interest in traffic safety and the phenomenon of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). Though scores of service members are severely injured or killed in off-duty MVCs each year, few studies have addressed the MVC phenomenon within the military population and none have conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the causal factors associated with MVCs involving military personnel.
The main purpose of this dissertation was to gain a greater understanding of the causal factors associated with serious and fatal off-duty personal MVCs for military service members with the ultimate goal of preventing future losses. The HFACS-MVC framework was …

The Law Of Operational Targeting: Viewing The Loac Through An Operational Lens, Gary Corn

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

Air and missile warfare is and will almost certainly continue to be a ubiquitous aspect of contemporary armed conflicts. Yet, the law related to the regulation of this aspect of warfare has failed to develop at the same pace as the methods and means of employing such combat assets. The Manual on International Law Applicable to Air and Missile Warfare (AMW Manual)' is therefore without question an important development in the law of armed conflict. Although not hard law, it reflects the consensus of some of the most respected jus in bello scholars in the world on how existing law …

Ahmed, Ramatu, Bronx African American History Project

Oral Histories

Interviewee: Ramatu Ahmed

Interviewer: Dr. Mark Naison

Date of Interview: March 10, 2010

Summarized by Sheina Ledesma

Ramatu Ahmed is a leader in the Ghanaian community in New York City. She is currently a committee member of the National Council of Women of the United States and the Harlem Hospital’s Medina Clinic but is actively involved in many other projects and organizations that are working towards the improvement of the lives of women who live in both Africa and America. One of her greatest passions is bringing awareness to the issue of the lack of availability of higher education for …

Wounded Warrior Foundation Case Statement, Wounded Warrior Foundation

Fundraising and Marketing

Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides assistance to our Wounded EOD (Explosive Ordinance Device) Warriors and their families in the form of financial relief.

This is their case for support.

Of Course A Handgun Can Take Down A Helicopter: Cultivation Effects Of Military-Style Video Games, Michael J. Kurtz

ETD Archive

The goal of this study is to add to the literature that extends the theory of cultivation into the realm of video games. Video game studies incorporating cultivation stress the importance of specifying a single genre of video games and measuring the cultivation effect, due to the lack of homogenous content between video games. It is possible that video games are actually an antithesis to the theory of cultivation because of content that is user-generated, which not only dissolves homogeneity between different games, but also the same game. Cultivation research has also suggested that second- order cultivation effects (on attitudes …

Modern Warfare: Is The Evolution Of Weaponry Worth The Cost?, Nicholas Decastro

Undergraduate Review

War is a creation of mankind that has evolved along with human civilization, leaving a bloody trail in its wake. As there are those in our world who strive to improve peacetime society, there are also those who push the limits of weaponry and revolutionize the way war is waged. In this day and age, opposing forces rarely meet on a traditional battlefield but instead inflict death and destruction from across the horizon with weapons of catastrophic capability. Consequently the costs of developing such advanced war machines are increasingly heavy. With this rapid evolution of combat and the weaponry used …

Combat-Related Gunshot Wounds In The United States Military: 2000-2009 (Cohort Study), John J. Walker, Joseph F. Kelly, Brendan J. Mccriskin, Julia O. Bader, Andrew J. Schoenfeld

United States Army: Publications

Introduction: The armed forces of the United States are engaged in the longest conflict in their history. No prior works have described the incidence or epidemiology of gunshot wounds in the U.S. military.

Methods: All combat-related gunshot wounds sustained by uniformed service members in the years 2000-2009 were identified using the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database. Demographic information for all individuals identified as having sustained gunshot injuries was obtained and like data was captured for the entire military population serving in the same time-period. Raw unadjusted incidence rates were calculated for gunshot wounds within the entire demographic, as well …

If Female, Skip To Question #23, James Santiago

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform Caveat

The requirement that only men register with the Selective Service System is in need of reform for many reasons. One reason that has largely been unexplored is the public’s disconnect with the military and the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Women are actively engaged in those wars in our all-volunteer force, but women are not required to register with the Selective Service. Failure to register can have tremendous legal consequences for men, such as ineligibility for student loans with an answer of “no” to question #22 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). There are many consequences …

Ethics In Action : A Study Of Ethical Decision Making In Counterinsurgencies, Marcus Schulzke

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The goal of this dissertation is to analyze the kinds of ethical challenges soldiers encounter during counterinsurgency operations, what decision making processes or values they use to resolve these challenges, and how military institutions and culture influence soldiers' ethical reasoning. The first part of the dissertation is an assessment of various theories of applied ethics and how these can be used by soldiers during counterinsurgency operations. The second part discusses the institutions and cultures of the American Army, British Army, and Israeli Ground Forces. In the third part, I take up the problem of how soldiers from each of these …

Blast-Induced Brain Injury: Influence Of Shockwave Components, Dexter V. Reneer

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) has been described as the defining injury of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). Previously, most blast injury research has focused on the effects of blast on internal, gas filled organs due to their increased susceptibility. However, due to a change in enemy tactics combined with better armor and front-line medical care, bTBI has become one of the most common injuries due to blast. Though there has been a significant amount of research characterizing the brain injury produced by blast, a sound understanding of the contribution of each component of the shockwave to the …

Themes Of Trauma And Morally Injurious Events Among Vietnam Non-Combat Veterans: A Qualitative Examination Of The Nvvrs, Thomas M. Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

To broaden our understanding of traumatic events, Litz et al. (2009) introduced moral injury (MI), defined as "perpetrating, failing to prevent, or bearing witness to acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs and expectations" (pg. 6). While Drescher et al. (2011) interviewed trauma experts to identify types of events that maybe associated with MI, it is unknown if these themes of events are experienced by non-combat veterans (i.e., Vietnam Era Veterans; N=200). Therefore, this qualitative study identifies the themes of traumatic events reported by a random selection of the non-combat subsample within the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS), and …

A Conflict Of Diamonds: The Kimberley Process And Zimbabwe's Marange Diamond Fields, Julie Elizabeth Nichols

Denver Journal of International Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Modern Warfare And Its Evolving Weapons – Assumptions And Inherent Contradictions, Richard Rousseau

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The link between the world of 1906 and that of 2012 is diffuse and weak; it is more the product of chaos theory than a proverbial golden thread. So far in the 21st century the world has been shocked and surprised by dramatic international events. There is little convincing evidence that this tendency to be shocked and surprised will not continue into the indefinite future. In today’s world, the military focuses predominantly on land based irregular warfare, even if attacks can also come from the air and sea. However, despite the continued threat these pose, international air and sea trade …

"Dear Jane": An Examination Of Female Combat Warriors, The Communiaction Styles Used During War Vs. The Communication Used In The Home, Renee Humphrey

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

War has been happening for centuries. Women have been in the United States Armed Forces since the War of Independence in 1775, with very little research done on how war affects these women once on the home front. The purpose of my research is to evaluate the role of communication because of being a female in a combat zone at a time of war, and how it has affected the female‘s life back home once returned. Specifically, I used Relational Dialectic Theory and Expectancy Violations Theory as a basis of ethnographic research and one on one interviews to research the …

Strategic Perspectives: Clausewitz, Sun-Tzu And Thucydides, Richard Rousseau

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This article illustrates the nature and function of strategy in military affairs. The main argument of the article is that strategy is a bridge connecting military power with political purpose. Strategy and military power are not alike, nor is strategy the actual application of power. Similarly, strategy is not policy. Strategy should be seen as a “theory of success.” Strategy is the source of operational plans intended to convert nominal military capability into useful performance against the enemy. To illustrate the nature and function of strategy, the article reflects on the behavior of Winston Churchill’s British government in the summer …

Sitting Bull And Geronimo: A Comparison Of Their Military And Religious Leadership, Gary Joseph Younger

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

In the history of the American West, hundreds of books have been written about Indian Leaders. Two of the most famous leaders are Sitting Bull and Geronimo. However, every history looks at them as individuals and never compares the military and religious aspects of the two men. Both Sitting Bull and Geronimo fought against the westward expansion of the United States to protect their people’s way of life. Each leaders’ religious views influenced their decisions. While Sitting Bull felt that Wakan Tanka chose him to lead his people, Geronimo believed that his Power wanted him to continue his quest for …

Identity And Psychological Needs Among National Guard Service Members And Undergraduates, Bradley Antonides

Theses and Dissertations

This study measured identity style and identity status within military and academic populations (N = 286) to investigate whether low levels of identity commitment predict dissatisfaction in meeting basic psychological needs. Analysis of identity style and identity status subscales examined the reliability of traditional measures of identity in an atypical emerging adult population. Group comparisons based on participant characteristics (identity commitment, work experience, age, combat experience) explored differences between and within institutions. Results supported the reliability of traditional identity measures in a non-traditional population. A diffuse identity status and diffuse identity style both significantly predicted lower reported levels of psychological …

Transition Home : An Exploratory Study Of The Transition From Military To Civilian Life Among Veterans Of Operation Enduring Freedom And Operation Iraqi Freedom, Jillian Madgel Early

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study was undertaken to explore the experience transitioning out of the military for veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The study paid particular attention to the role of meaning in life in this transition. Twelve veteran participants were recruited to participate in this qualitative study through posting of call for participants through veterans organizations, craigslist volunteer ads, and snowball sampling methods. The study collected demographic information, military service history, responses to the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, and qualitative responses to a semi-structured interview consisting of six questions. The interview topics …

Considering Swiss Neutrality In World War One: Ideas, Successes, And Failures, Brian Wages

Swiss American Historical Society Review

At first glance, the Fifteenth Century Swiss ascetic Niklaus von Flue

and George Washington have only their distinguished military service

in common. Yet they share something far more important to contemporary

citizens of the United States and Switzerland. They were early

proponents of their respective nations' views on neutrality and vocal

advocates of avoiding foreign influences, alliances, and payments. For

international observers, Swiss neutrality is a universal constant and the

nation is quickly approaching two hundred years of uninterrupted neutrality.

There Is No Such Thing As An Ex-Marine: Understanding The Psychological Journey Of Combat Veterans, Melinda A. Morgan

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have turned national attention to the prevalence of invisible wounds in service members returning from combat. This surge in mental health care needs has resulted in a shortage of mental health care providers in both military and veteran’s hospitals (Barlas, 2007). Clinicians in the civilian sector have an opportunity to help address this shortage by taking on service members and veterans as clients; however, they need to be prepared to work with such a specialized population. The entire process of being part of the armed forces - from the decision to join, to the …

Emotion Work On The Home-Front: The Special Case Of Military Wives, Kimberly Michelle Murray

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research includes interviews with twelve military wives to examine emotion-work techniques used to negotiate the everyday life of wives during their husbands' deployment. In this study, I seek to better understand the ways in which military wives negotiate their feelings within a context of military masculinity and how they manage role strain, feelings of loneliness, isolation, and marginalization. In addition, I examine the cultural constructs available to wives, such as traditional gender roles and subordination. Interviews confirm the complexity of the life of the military wife, revealing challenges of contradictory emotions in relationship to the military, her husband, her …

Comics As A Cognitive Training Medium For Expert Decision Making, Amber Nalu

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Experts such as military commanders must make decisions quickly and under deadly conditions. A variety of cognitive training media exist, from Powerpoint to virtual reality (VR) simulations; however, there are alternative media that have not yet been comprehensively studied for expert decision making training. In this study, the researcher has examined the use of comics as an alternative to current cognitive training media. In Experiment 1, naval submariners were shown a text-based medium or comic strip and asked to make a decision about the scenario after viewing. The scenario was derived from a situation that submariners were somewhat familiar with …

Amid The Vipers: Establishing Malware's Position Within The Information Ecosystem, Shawn Louis Everett Robertson

Computer Science and Software Engineering

The paper consists of a detailed examination of malware broken down into three main sections.

1. Introduction: Malware in the World Today. Begins with a definition of terms, examination of the types of malware, research into historical pieces of malicious code, a detailed analysis of the attackers, why malware is so prevalent, and why it is so hard to defend against. This section finishes with a comparison of reasons to create and not to create malware.
2. Background: "Good" Pieces of Malware. Examination of what makes malware effective. Analysis of the existing CVSS standard and proposal of the alternative VIPERS classification system. …

The Development Of A Prototype Behavioral Marker System For Us Navy Officers Of The Deck, Paul O’Connor, W. Max Long

United States Navy: Publications

The officer of the deck (OOD) of a US Navy ship is in charge of the safe and proper operation of the ship, and accountable to the commanding officer for every event that occurs during his or her OOD watch. This paper discusses the development of a prototype behavioral marker system to evaluate, and provide feedback on, the nontechnical (cognitive, social, and personal resource) skills of OODs.

An initial set of 17 categories of nontechnical skills were identified from a literature review. A focus group with four qualified OODs used the skills identified from the literature review to develop an …

Using The Unmatched Count Technique To Increase The Accuracy Of Base Rate Estimates Of Psychosocial Problems In Returning Active Duty Service Members, Sean C. Sheppard

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan represent the most extensive conflicts since the Vietnam War, and a large body of research has focused on identifying base rates of PTSD, depression, and alcohol abuse and related behaviors in returning service members.

War For The Soul Of Empire: Colonial British Protestants In The French And Indian War, 1754--1763, Jonathan Bratten

Master's Theses and Capstones

As the British and French went to war in 1754, the British colonies readied themselves for another round of warfare. Unlike previous colonial wars, however, this conflict was supported by the zealous preaching of Protestant clergy who were calling for the destruction of Catholic New France. Colonial governments were loath to use the vitriolic rhetoric of the clergy, but still used religion as a justification for raising troops to send on campaigns. The soldiers themselves were drawn from the populace, which was extremely religious, and saw themselves as the emissaries of the Lord. These three forces combined to make the …