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Articles 121 - 150 of 233
Full-Text Articles in Other Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering
The Chaos Of Katrina: A Nonlinear Analysis Of Federal Logistics Support During Hurricane Katrina Relief Operations, Gerald W. Morris Jr.
The Chaos Of Katrina: A Nonlinear Analysis Of Federal Logistics Support During Hurricane Katrina Relief Operations, Gerald W. Morris Jr.
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis presents a case study of federal logistics support during Hurricane Katrina disaster relief operations. Data from federal contracts covering the first 10 weeks of Katrina are used to measure federal logistics activity. The study investigates whether chaos theory, part of complexity science, can extract information from Katrina contracting data to help managers make better logistics decisions during disaster relief operations. The study uses three analytical techniques: embedding, fitting the data to a logistic equation, and plotting the limit-cycle. Embedding and fitting a logistic equation to the data were used to test for deterministic chaos. The logistic equation and …
Analyzing The Interdiction Of Sea-Borne Threats Using Simulation Optimization, Kristen L. Cavallaro
Analyzing The Interdiction Of Sea-Borne Threats Using Simulation Optimization, Kristen L. Cavallaro
Theses and Dissertations
Worldwide, maritime trade accounts for approximately 80% of all trade by volume and is expected to double in the next twenty years. Prior to September 11, 2001, Ports, Waterways and Coastal Security (PWCS) was afforded only 1 percent of United States Coast Guard (USCG) resources. Today, it accounts for nearly 22 percent of dedicated USCG resources. Tactical assessment of resource requirements and operational limitations on the PWCS mission is necessary for more effective management of USCG assets to meet the broader range of competing missions. This research effort involves the development and validation of a discrete-event simulation model of the …
Prioritizing Satellite Payload Selection Via Optimization, Benjamin S. Kallemyn
Prioritizing Satellite Payload Selection Via Optimization, Benjamin S. Kallemyn
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis develops optimization models for prioritizing payloads for inclusion on satellite buses with volume, power, weight and budget constraints. The first model considers a single satellite launch for which the budget is uncertain and constellation requirements are not considered. Subsequently, we include constellation requirements and provide a more enhanced model. Both single-launch models provide a prioritized list of payloads to include on the launch before the budget is realized. The single-launch models are subsequently extended to a sequence of multiple launches in two cases, both of which incorporate an explicit dependence on the constellation composition at each launch epoch. …
Automatic Target Recognition User Interface Tool, David A. Kerns
Automatic Target Recognition User Interface Tool, David A. Kerns
Theses and Dissertations
A computer tool to aid in selecting the best Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) algorithm is developed. The program considers many quantifiers, accepts user-defined parameters, allows for changes in the operational environment and presents results in a meaningful way. It is written for Microsoft Excel. An ATR algorithm assigns a class label to a recognized target. General designations can include "Friend" and "Foe." The error of designating "Friend" as "Foe" as well as "Foe" as "Friend" comes with a high cost. Studying each algorithm's error can minimize this cost. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves provide only information on the probabilities given …
Patterns Of War Termination: A Statistical Approach, Paul D. Robinson Ii
Patterns Of War Termination: A Statistical Approach, Paul D. Robinson Ii
Theses and Dissertations
This research uses an advanced statistical technique to expand upon the current understanding of war termination. Specifically, this thesis addressed questions concerning the most relevant factors toward predicting both the outcomes of interstate wars and the winners of intrastate and extra-systemic wars, within the limitations of the available data. Open-source war data from the Correlates of War Project was analyzed using both binary and multinomial logistic regression techniques. While the Correlates of War Project did not necessarily focus its data collection efforts on those variables historically associated with war termination, it did provide a sufficient number of variables with which …
Hazardous Materials Transportation: A Meta-Analysis Of State Level Policy And Regulations, David J. Pastika
Hazardous Materials Transportation: A Meta-Analysis Of State Level Policy And Regulations, David J. Pastika
Theses and Dissertations
Every day, over 800,000 hazmat transactions take place across the United States. This segment of transportation is expected to grow at a modest two percent a year for the foreseeable future but differences of regulations between the state and Federal level have been a growing concern for both the government and members of the hazmat industry. A patchwork of often inconsistent permits, registration requirements, and hazmat organizational structures at the state level often create barriers to the efficient means of commerce for hazmat carriers and shippers. This thesis explores the history of hazardous regulations since de-regulation of the trucking industry …
Establishment Of A System Operating Characteristic For Autonomous Wide Area Search Vehicles, Brian A. Kish
Establishment Of A System Operating Characteristic For Autonomous Wide Area Search Vehicles, Brian A. Kish
Theses and Dissertations
The optimal employment of autonomous search and destroy vehicles is addressed. The results apply to air, land, or water vehicles with 1, k, or infinite warheads. The specific scenarios considered involve an air vehicle searching a battle space for stationary targets in the presence of false targets. Encounters are modeled with uniform, Poisson, and normal distributions. Linear and circular search patterns are examined. All relevant parameters are extracted from intelligence information, the sensor performance specification, and the air vehicle performance specification. Analytic system effectiveness measures are derived using applied probability theory. The effectiveness measures derived in this dissertation handle time-varying …
Categorizing High Energy Laser Effects For The Joint Munitions Effectiveness Manual, James A. Markham
Categorizing High Energy Laser Effects For The Joint Munitions Effectiveness Manual, James A. Markham
Theses and Dissertations
With the high risk and cost in fielding High Energy Laser (HEL) weapon systems, the development process must include computer simulation models of weapon system performance from the engineering level up to predicting the military worth of employing specific systems in a combat scenario. This research effort focuses on defining how to measure lethality for HEL weapons in an Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) scenario. In order to create an effective measure for direct comparison between the emerging laser weapon system and existing conventionally delivered weapons, lase time in seconds is presented as a measure comparable to rounds required to cause …
An Approach For Optimizing The On-Orbit Servicing Architecture For The Space-Based Radar Constellation, Michael L. Mcconnell
An Approach For Optimizing The On-Orbit Servicing Architecture For The Space-Based Radar Constellation, Michael L. Mcconnell
Theses and Dissertations
Satellite systems, once operational, are essentially a consumable item with no capacity to maintain, repair, or upgrade them while on-orbit. In order to avoid having to replace costly space assets, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) are looking to developing programs to provide an on-orbit servicing capability for future satellite systems under development, such as the Space-Based Radar (SBR) system. DARPA and AFSPC are studying on-orbit servicing using the Orbital Express platform as part of an Analysis of Alternatives for the SBR program. Like their satellite clients, on-orbit servicing assets are expected to …
Analysis Of Online-Delaunay Navigation For Time Sensitive Targeting, David Chow
Analysis Of Online-Delaunay Navigation For Time Sensitive Targeting, David Chow
Theses and Dissertations
Given the drawbacks of leaving time-sensitive targeting (TST) strictly to humans, there is value to the investigation of alternative approaches to TST operations that employ autonomous systems. This paper accomplishes five things. First, it proposes a short-hop abbreviated routing paradigm (SHARP) - based on Delaunay triangulations (DT), ad-hoc communication, and autonomous control - for recognizing and engaging TSTs that, in theory, will improve upon persistence, the volume of influence, autonomy, range, and situational awareness. Second, it analyzes the minimum timeframe need by a strike (weapons enabled) aircraft to navigate to the location of a TST under SHARP. Third, it shows …
Optimal Maintenance For Stochastically Degrading Satellite Constellations, Timothy J. Cook
Optimal Maintenance For Stochastically Degrading Satellite Constellations, Timothy J. Cook
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis develops a methodology to determine an optimal policy for maintaining a satellite constellation that degrades over time. Previous work has developed a methodology to compute an optimal replacement policy for a satellite constellation in which satellites were viewed as binary entities, either operational or failed. This research extends the previous models by developing an optimal maintenance policy for satellite constellations in which each satellite may operate in a finite number of degraded states. The constellation is assumed to consist of a finite number of satellites, each with a finite number of functions with distinct failure mechanisms. Assuming each …
Strategic Airlift En Route Analysis And Considerations To Support The Global War On Terrorism, Michael C. Sere
Strategic Airlift En Route Analysis And Considerations To Support The Global War On Terrorism, Michael C. Sere
Theses and Dissertations
The Global War on Terrorism has mandated the need for additional global en route airfields. En route airfields consist of bases that are strategically located at intermediate locations between the Continental United States and the intended theater of operations. These airfields serve as refueling, crew staging, or maintenance stops for strategic airlift aircraft flying transoceanic routes. The focus of this study is to examine concepts to meet this need and to address important aspects that should be considered in devising new en route strategies. Based on various important factors associated with potential en route airfields, a goal programming methodology was …
A Qualitative Study Of Industry And Air Force Commodity Council Processes, Robert J. Irvine
A Qualitative Study Of Industry And Air Force Commodity Council Processes, Robert J. Irvine
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this research was to compare industry and Air Force commodity council processes. More specifically, this research used a survey to gather strategic sourcing philosophies and procedures (with respect to small business participation in procurement strategies) from successful industry firms. Industry source selection documentation, applicable government contracting guidelines, and a literature review of strategic sourcing materials were also reviewed. The current Air Force commodity council process and associated historical documents were then studied using a business process modeling tool. It was determined that the Air Force process differs from industry in how small business participation is addressed, the …
Decision Analysis Using Value-Focused Thinking To Select Renewable Alternative Fuels, Eric A. Queddeng
Decision Analysis Using Value-Focused Thinking To Select Renewable Alternative Fuels, Eric A. Queddeng
Theses and Dissertations
The United States relies on imported oil as a result of domestic petroleum consumption rates greatly exceeding production rates. Alternative fuels are a major force in the effort to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation industry. The transportation industry also accounts for 1/3 of all greenhouse gas emissions and nearly half of all cancers attributed to outdoor sources of pollutants. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the economic and environmental feasibility of renewable alternative fuels and associated blends (ethanol, methanol, 100% biodiesel (B100), 20% biodiesel (B20) and e-diesel) compared to non-renewable alternative fuels (compressed natural gas and propane) …
Barriers To Electronic Records Management (Erm): An Exploratory Case Study Investigating Erm In The Deployed Environment During Operations Enduring Freedom And Iraqi Freedom, Brian G. Hobbs
Theses and Dissertations
Corporate and government organizations can use electronic records as an important strategic resource, if the records are managed properly. In addition to meeting legal requirements, electronic records can play a vital role in the management and operation of an organization's activities. Corporate America is facing challenges in managing electronic records, and so too is the U.S. Air Force (USAF). The deployed environment is particularly problematic for electronic records management (ERM). This research, thus, investigates ERM in the deployed environment to identify and characterize the barriers faced by USAF personnel who deployed to locations supporting Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. …
Passwords: A Survey On Usage And Policy, Kurt W. Martinson
Passwords: A Survey On Usage And Policy, Kurt W. Martinson
Theses and Dissertations
Computer password use is on the rise. Passwords have become one of the primary authentication methods used today. It is because of their high use that organizations have started to place parameters on passwords. Are password restrictions a nuisance? What are some of the consequences that result as organizations place the burden of their computer security on passwords? This thesis analyzes the results of a survey instrument that was used to determine if individuals are using similar techniques or patterns when choosing or remembering their passwords. It also looks at how individuals feel about using passwords. In addition, the authors …
The Feasibility Of The U.S. Air Force Mandating The Exclusive Use And Purchase Of Forest Stewardship Council Certified Wood And Paper Containing 100% Post Consumer Content, Silinda Johnson
Theses and Dissertations
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act required federal agencies to purchase products with the highest recovered content (or post-consumer content in the case of paper) as practicable. The Office of Federal Procurement Policy required all executive agencies to give preference in their procurement programs to products that conserve natural resources and protect the environment. These requirements necessitate that the Air Force consider purchasing 100% post-consumer content (PCC) paper and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood because of their environmentally preferable attributes. This study compared the availability, performance standards, and prices of 100% PCC paper to 30% PCC paper and FSC-certified …
Performance Based Service Acquisition: A Quantitative Evaluation Of Implementation Goals And Performance In The United States Air Force, Dylan D. Pope
Performance Based Service Acquisition: A Quantitative Evaluation Of Implementation Goals And Performance In The United States Air Force, Dylan D. Pope
Theses and Dissertations
In an attempt to maximize cost savings in the rapidly growing services sector, the DoD established a Performance Based Service Acquisition (PBSA) strategy that focuses on evaluating contractor performance based on their ability to meet desired outcomes rather than the means to which the outcomes are obtained. In April 2000, Dr. Gansler, then Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, mandated that 50 percent of all eligible service acquisitions be awarded using PBSA methods by FY 2005. Since then very little research has been focused on USAF implementation of PBSA and the progress and attainment of the PBSA …
Minimizing Security Forces Response Times Through The Use Of Facility Location Methodologies, Michael C. Dawson
Minimizing Security Forces Response Times Through The Use Of Facility Location Methodologies, Michael C. Dawson
Theses and Dissertations
Since the events of September 11, 2001, security for the nation's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile force has become a prominent concern for personnel in the highest levels of government. This has resulted in many physical security upgrades and new methods to counter hostile activities. This research seeks to find the optimal placement for one layer of the security net protecting these crucial assets, the daily-deployed security forces Fire Teams. The problem of finding the optimal placement for these forces is modeled as a facility location problem. Three of the methods of locating facilities available in the literature are selected to solve …
Comparing Management Approaches For Automatic Test Systems: A Strategic Missile Case Study, William C. Ford
Comparing Management Approaches For Automatic Test Systems: A Strategic Missile Case Study, William C. Ford
Theses and Dissertations
From 1980 to 1992, the DoD spent over $50 billion acquiring Automatic Test Systems (ATS) used to test weapon systems. At that time, procuring unique ATS to support single weapon systems was the norm. In 1994, the DoD made a dramatic change to their ATS acquisition policy; common ATS that supported multiple weapon systems was preferred over ATS tailored to support a single weapon system. Expected benefits of this new policy included: more reliable equipment, increased supportability, decreased cost, smaller logistics footprint, and decreased manning. To date, the common ATS initiative has garnered little support AF-wide due to lack of …
Air Force Jp-8 Fuel Distribution System: A Statistical Analysis To Determine Where And When To Sample, Eric J. Heath
Air Force Jp-8 Fuel Distribution System: A Statistical Analysis To Determine Where And When To Sample, Eric J. Heath
Theses and Dissertations
The Air Force Petroleum Office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio collects JP-8 sampling data, but this data doesn't undergo analysis to determine the health of the base-level JP-8 fuel distribution system. Commanders possess no known confidence level when assessing base-level fuel health. Therefore, the objective of this research is to assess Air Force base-level fuel sampling data to determine the base-level sampling point that ensures a quality and healthy product at the aircraft. Also, this research seeks to identify how often correlation sampling should take place. Sample test pass rates are analyzed from three locations, receipt, storage, and vehicles/aircraft, …
Output Analysis And Comparison Of Deployment Models With Varying Fidelity, Matthew M. Gill
Output Analysis And Comparison Of Deployment Models With Varying Fidelity, Matthew M. Gill
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis explores the changes in insights that result from using different types of models to assess the capability of deploying the Stryker Brigade within specific timeline goals. The thesis uses as its primary base a study conducted in 2002 by USTRANSCOM to evaluate the ability of Stryker to meet stated deployment timeline goals. Specifically, the author compares the outputs from four different models as they change over three different deployment scenarios and 10 different routes. The study investigates the relationships among the outputs of spreadsheet models, spreadsheet models with elements of variability added, and low- and high-level discrete-event simulations. …
Decision Factors For Cooperative Multiple Warhead Uav Target Classification And Attack With Control Applications, Douglas D. Decker
Decision Factors For Cooperative Multiple Warhead Uav Target Classification And Attack With Control Applications, Douglas D. Decker
Theses and Dissertations
Autonomous wide area search, classification and attack using Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs) is considered. The wide area search and attack scenario is modeled, capturing important problem parameters related to environment, seeker, and munitions. Probabilistic analysis is used to formulate and analytically solve for various probabilities, including the probability of mission success. Two methods are utilized. The first examines the sub-events required for various events to occur. The second utilizes a Markov chain approach. General expressions are first obtained that are applicable to any assumed a priori distributions of targets and false targets. These expressions are subsequently applied to a …
Investigating The Optimal Management Strategy For A Healthcare Facility Maintenance Program, Daria J. Gaillard
Investigating The Optimal Management Strategy For A Healthcare Facility Maintenance Program, Daria J. Gaillard
Theses and Dissertations
Reacting to the need to transform and the increasing pressure to outsource all non-core activities, Air Force Material Command Surgeon General discontinued its previous use of full service contracts with original equipment manufacturers and adopted a relatively new maintenance outsourcing strategy: strategic partnering with an equipment management firm. The objective of this study is to create a decision-model for selecting the optimal management strategy for a healthcare organization's facility maintenance program. This study used personal interviews with facility management personnel from MAJCOMs to collect and analyze data. This study offers a re-conceptualized framework for viewing and understanding the various maintenance …
Keys To Successful Implementation And Sustainment Of Managed Maintenance For Healthcare Facilities, Elizabeth A. Waggoner
Keys To Successful Implementation And Sustainment Of Managed Maintenance For Healthcare Facilities, Elizabeth A. Waggoner
Theses and Dissertations
Health care providers are faced with two critical issues in today's evolving marketplace: lowering operational costs and achieving more efficient, cost-effective methods to deliver high quality patient care. The rising costs of healthcare and decreasing budgets have placed additional strain on the United States Air Force Medical Service to aggressively lower its facilities' costs. With fewer funds and less personnel, the Air Force medical service is re-evaluating its current maintenance outsourcing implementation practices and reexamining how these strategies might be implemented and sustained more successfully. This research offers some of the foundational needs for designing, implementing and sustaining any type …
Phase-Type Approximations For Wear Processes In A Semi-Markov Environment, Christopher J. Solo
Phase-Type Approximations For Wear Processes In A Semi-Markov Environment, Christopher J. Solo
Theses and Dissertations
The reliability of a single-unit system experiencing degradation (wear) due to the influence of a general, observable environment process is considered. In particular, the failure time distribution is evaluated using only observations of the unit's current operating environment which is characterized as a finite semi-Markov process (SMP). In order to impose the Markov property, generally distributed environment state sojourn times are approximated as phase-type (PH) random variables using observations of state holding times and transition rates. The use of PH distributions facilitates the use of existing analytical results for reliability evaluation of units subject to an environment process that evolves …
Compare And Complexity - When Is Compare Not Enough?, Chris E. Greiman
Compare And Complexity - When Is Compare Not Enough?, Chris E. Greiman
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this case study research is to determine the utility of COMPARE, the DoD approved software for conducting A-76 competitions, in the more complex world of public-private competition. COMPARE serves as the baseline for establishing cost factors, while two Air Force Depots are used as a basis of comparison. Research questions answered are: 1. What are the baseline cost comparison factors established in COMPARE? 2. What are the common cost factors found in the Air Force Depot public-private competitions? 3. What are the similarities and differences between the cost factors established in COMPARE and those used in the …
An Evaluation Of Public And Private Sector Housing Alternatives For Military Families, Lawrence P. Kokocha Jr.
An Evaluation Of Public And Private Sector Housing Alternatives For Military Families, Lawrence P. Kokocha Jr.
Theses and Dissertations
This study explored the three primary housing alternatives along with their associated benefits and costs for military members at Robins Air Force Base. Using a case study methodology, qualitative and quantitative data were collected from contract documents, cost records, statements and testimonies to Congress, literature, census data, and interviews with civil engineering, contracting, financial management and legal professionals. This data was analyzed to determine which housing alternative seems to provide the best benefits at the lowest costs for military members and the government. The results of the study indicated that private sector alternatives are less expensive than government provided housing. …
Spectrum Management And The Global Positioning System: A Case Study In Interagency Coordination, John A. Enis
Spectrum Management And The Global Positioning System: A Case Study In Interagency Coordination, John A. Enis
Theses and Dissertations
At the 2000 World Radio Conference (WRC), a European initiative resulted in the approval of resolutions 605 and 606 (agenda item 1.15), which the United States opposed. These resolutions established provisional power flux density (PFD) limits on the L2 and L5 frequencies of the Global Positioning System. These limits will negatively affect the $1.2B GPS modernization. The United States will have to present its positions and rationale regarding the PFD limits to international meetings, including the 2003 World Radio Conference, to persuade the international community to adopt that U.S. view. Developing the U.S. view and conducting the supporting technical work …
How Can The Air Force Maximize The Value Of Reverse Auctioning As A Pricing Technique?, Cynthia L. Marion-Mullins
How Can The Air Force Maximize The Value Of Reverse Auctioning As A Pricing Technique?, Cynthia L. Marion-Mullins
Theses and Dissertations
This research examines the pricing tool reverse auctioning. In a reverse auction buyers state the item they wish to buy and the sellers compete with each other for the sale, driving the price steadily down until no seller is willing to go any lower. Darleen A. Druyun, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition and Management, Washington, D.C., launched the Air Force acquisition reform "Lightning Bolts" initiatives. These initiatives jump-start acquisition reform to find processes leading towards a better, faster, and cheaper way of conducting business. A reverse auction is one of these processes. A review of …