Military and Veterans Studies Commons^™

The Wqw Annual Program Report -- May 2023, Kicia Sears, Keoki Spaulding, Gilly Cantor

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

In early 2021, Warriors & Quiet Waters (WQW) engaged the Evaluation and Capacity Building team at the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) to gain a clearer understanding of their program impacts, improve the participant experience, and better communicate the story of the warrior's journey to thriving. This report reflects the findings from the second year of the WQW-IVMF partnership.

The Us War In Afghanistan And The War Powers Act: A Natural Experiment, Burrell Fletcher V

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

How Can the War Powers Act of 1972 be Reformed to Increase the Chances of Winning Wars?

This paper examines the effects of the War Powers Act of 1973’s Authorisation for Use of Military Force (AUMF) system on the conduct of war, especially regarding the ongoing War on Terror. The War on Terror, began in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks when President Bush invaded Afghanistan. Congress, using the War Powers Act, passed the 2001 AUMF in the weeks after the attacks. The 2001 AUMF has been used in twenty-two countries to justify anti-terror operations thus far (Savell, …

A Public Policy Approach To Life After Service For U.S. Military Veterans: Mental Health, Homelessness, And Reintegration, Eric D. Button

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation, through a public policy lens, examines life after U.S. military service as it relates to reintegration, the ability of state-level veteran-specific mental health programs to address veterans’ mental health challenges, and states’ ability to address veteran homelessness. First, I use 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Survey data, along with various measures of state-level characteristics, to examine the influence of relevant state-level policies on veterans’ mental health outcomes. Based on multi-level modeling results, findings suggest that the presence of at least one state-level veteran specific mental health program may be a mitigating …

The Impacts Of Site Formation Processes On Excavation Methodology: The Study Of A World War Ii B-24 Crash Site In Munster, Germany, Alicia J. Lawson

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Academic partnerships between universities and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) are a recent development to provide top research universities resources to assist in recovering and identifying MIA service members since World War II. A University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL)/DPAA Partner excavation revisited a WWII B-24H crash site in Münster, Germany in the summer of 2022. B-24H [redacted] crashed into three agricultural fields on 23 March 1945. Utilizing quantitative and qualitative data collected on the incident-related and archaeological osseous remains and artifacts recovered from the fields and the fields’ land use history, this thesis focuses on analyzing the site formation processes …

China’S Future Military Capabilities, Roger Cliff

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

The 2022 National Defense Strategy of the United States of America identifies China as the “pacing challenge” for the US military. This monograph examines the process by which China’s military capabilities are developed, the capabilities China’s military is seeking to acquire in the future, and the resulting implications for the US military. To date, all the extant studies have merely described the capabilities the People’s Liberation Army is currently acquiring. This monograph goes further by drawing on the Chinese military’s publications to identify and discuss the capabilities the People’s Liberation Army seeks to acquire in the future. The monograph finds …

Book Review: Determined To Persist: General Earle Wheeler, The Joint Chiefs Of Staff, And The Military’S Foiled Pursuit Of Victory In Vietnam, Gregory L. Cantwell

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Mark A. Viney

Reviewed by Dr. Gregory L. Cantwell, professor, Center for Strategic Leadership, US Army War College

Published on April 20, 2023. How did the leadership dynamics of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), the president, and others during the height of the Vietnam War play out? Determined to Persist analyzes General Earle G. Wheeler and others and offers what the reviewer calls a fresh perspective on the topic.

Book Review: Clear, Hold, And Destroy: Pacification In Phú Yên And The American War In Vietnam, Samantha A. Taylor

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Robert J. Thompson III

Reviewed by Dr. Samantha A. Taylor, assistant professor of military and security studies, Air Command and Staff College

Published on April 20, 2023. There is no shortage of books that explore the Vietnam War and why it ended the way it did. This book does not focus on strategy or events but on the middle-level US and South Vietnamese pacification policy in the Phú Yên province and the communist strategy to counter it.

Book Review: War In The Villages: The U.S. Marine Corps Combined Action Platoons In The Vietnam War, William Thomas Allison

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Ted N. Easterling

Reviewed by Dr. William Thomas Allison, professor of history, Georgia Southern University

Published on April 20, 2023. Former Marine and Vietnam War veteran Ted Easterling evaluates the Marine Combined Action Platoons and their effectiveness, calling them an “appropriate counterinsurgency method” whose potential was squandered during the Vietnam War.

Book Review: Old & New Battlespaces: Society, Military Power, And War, Robert J. Bunker

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Authors: Jahara Matisek and Buddhika Jayamaha

Reviewed by Dr. Robert J. Bunker, director of research and analysis and managing partner, C/O Futures, LLC

Published on April 7, 2023. In Old & New Battlespaces: Society, Military Power, and War, Drs. Jahara Matisek and Buddhika Jayamaha, examine the nature of battlespace and how one can make sense of it across space, through well-known and emergent domains, and along the various levels of war, asking where one should look, how one should look, and for what one should look. Reviewer Dr. Robert J. Bunker shows how the book executes well in its modernist …

Book Review: Useful Captives: The Role Of Pows In American Military Conflicts, Michael E. Lynch

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Editors: Daniel Krebs and Lorien Foote

Reviewed by Dr. Michael E. Lynch, senior historian, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College

Published on April 7, 2023. A book of useful and thought-provoking essays, Useful Captives: The Role of POWs in American Military History explores 300 years of wars and the role POWs have played in them. Reviewer Dr. Michael Lynch walks readers through more than half of the groups featured in the book.

Exemplary Senior Navy Female Leadership: A Study Of How Navy Female Leaders Use The Grit Characteristics Courage, Conscientiousness, Long-Term Goals, Resilience, And Excellence Versus Perfection To Create Extraordinary Results Within Their Organizations, Cache' Hapner

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe how exemplary senior Navy female leaders used five principles associated with grit (courage, conscientiousness, long-term goals, resilience, and excellence versus perfection) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological method to describe how eight senior Navy female leaders use five characteristics of grit to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations. Respondents were purposively chosen. The researcher collected data through interviews, transcripts, and artifacts that were triangulated and coded for themes using NVivo software.

Findings: Exemplary senior Navy female leaders use …

Impacts Of Stigma On Female Service Members, Alisha Weatherly-Kershaw

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

There are a variety of factors that prevent people from seeking mental health treatment. The stigma associated with mental health disorders or seeking treatment is a primary deterrent. This stigma is particularly impactful within the armed forces when they are assessed for fitness for duty. Because most research examines stigma’s impact on male military members, this study aims to identify the type of stigma that creates the most significant barrier to female service members seeking mental health treatment. Results indicate that stigmatizing perceptions of service members significantly impact female service members holding negative views towards seeking treatment.

A New Christmas Eve: Match Day Eve, Gehan A. Pendlebury

be Still

The transition of medical student to resident physician represents the student becoming the teacher -- a teacher that will continue to evolve over time. Residents teach medical students, yet residents are taught by their attending physicians. In many ways, Match Day is a milestone marking the beginning of that incremental learning process. The word "doctor" derives from the Latin word “docere” meaning "to teach" as doctors should be teaching their patients good health in their practice of medicine. Likewise, it is an inherent responsibility of all physicians to pass on their knowledge and skills for the betterment of the next …

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: March 2023, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Veteran employment trends and statistics among various demographics during March 2023

U.S. Government Information Resources For Accountability On U.S. Assistance To Ukraine, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Provides detailed coverage of U.S. Government information resources documenting accountability for U.S. civilian and military assistance to Ukraine. Includes U.S. laws, agencies involved in U.S. arms export policy, Defense Department resources and data, Defense Dept. Inspector General reports, Government Accountability Office reports, congressional committee hearings, a letter from a congressional committee to the Secretaries of Defense and State and U.S. Agency for International Development administrator, congressional debate, and congressional recorded votes.

Comparison Of General Population Vs. U.S. Military Veterans Eating Disorder Prevalence, Micah Callahan

University Honors Theses

Eating disorders disrupt the psychological wellbeing, work ability and daily functioning of many individuals. There is currently no data to compare the prevalence of eating disorders in the general public compared to the military population. The hypothesis was that the military population would be significantly higher in prevalence compared to the general population within the general eating disorder, subcategories of eating disorders and between sex. To analyze the data collected from two studies, sixteen two-proportion Z tests were conducted to determine if the proportions of DSM-V eating disorders differed within and between sex for total incidence and sub-category incidence for …

2022 National Survey Of Military-Affiliated Entrepreneurs: Veteran Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, Rosalinda V. Maury, Adam Pritchard, Mirza Tihic

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This research brief summarizes findings from the 2022 National Survey of Military-Affiliated Entrepreneurs (NSMAE) focusing on the entrepreneurial ecosystem surrounding veteran business owners. This report provides insights into the business ecosystem, barriers and challenges, the experience of military transition into entrepreneurship, and resources supporting veteran-owned businesses.

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: February 2023, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Veteran employment trends and statistics among various demographics during February 2023

Potential Chemical Risks From Tattoos And Their Relevance To Military Health Policy In The United States, James D. Blando, Blas A. Guigni

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

We summarize and consolidate disparate sources of information about the practice of tattooing and its potential implications for military population health and policy. Each branch of the United States military has policies about tattoos for service members, but these have varied over time and do not cover health protection. The number of veterans receiving disability payments and the cost of those payments has been rising over time; the broad category of skin conditions accounts for 11% of disability claims. Any additional factor, such as tattoos that may increase the occurrence of adverse skin reactions, can substantially impact veteran benefit expenses …

Ddr, Cassandra Jagroop

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) has been a facet of post-conflict resolution since the 1980s. DDR seeks to address a wide range of issues varying from security to human rights, law, elections, and governance. One of the major issues arising from a conflict region are armed groups involved in the fighting and how to handle them. These armed groups represent the deep insecurity and lack of faith the population has in the state mechanism (Rondeau 2011, 654), thus in order to move ahead in the post-conflict situation the issue of armed groups needs to be tackled. The evolution of warfare …

Choices For U.S. Contributions To Nato: Stability Policing In The Age Of Multi-Domain Operations, Nathan M. Colvin

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

The United States Army claims they are a “force out of position” and must transform for large-scale combat operations (LSCO). The current narrative toward LSCO warfighting comes at the expense of lessons hard-won over decades of small wars and stability operations. The focus on LSCO is an oversimplification of the complexity and ambiguity of the future operating environment. The Army is trading clarity of narrative at the expense of a force balanced for both LSCO and non-LSCO operations. LSCO perspective assumes a worst-case scenario of war over more likely scenarios of continuous disruptions across a spectrum of conflict, which may …

Russia-Ukrainian War 2022: Battle Of Hostomel, Arthur Borsuk

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation began the active phase of a full-scale invasion of the territory of sovereign Ukraine. This invasion was preceded by the recognition of the independence of the quasi-republics in the occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions (located in the east of Ukraine) and the introduction of a large group of troops into their territory. The invasion began with a massive missile and air strike against critical infrastructure, military units, civilian facilities and air defense positions. At the same time, the ground troops of the Russian Federation crossed the border in all border …

Pla Logistics And Sustainment: Pla Conference 2022, George R. Shatzer, Roger D. Cliff, Kenneth W. Allen, Joshua Arostegui, Justin Boggess, Travis Dolney, Matthew P. Funaiole, Brian Hart, Lonnie D. Henley, Bonny Lin, Erin Richter, Benjamin Rosen, James R. (J. R.) Sessions, Eli Tirk, Joel Wuthnow, Christopher D. Yung

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

The US Army War College People’s Liberation Army Conference (PLA) Conference was held March 31 to April 2, 2022, at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.

The conference focused on PLA logistics and sustainment. As the PLA continues to build and modernize its combat forces, it is important to examine if the capabilities meant to support combat operations are also being developed.

Specific topics included: 1) China’s national-level logistics, including how China mobilizes national resources for the military and how it provides joint logistics support to the PLA Theater Commands; 2) the logistics capabilities of the different PLA services, especially the Army, Navy, …

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: January 2023, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Veteran employment trends and statistics among various demographics during January 2023

Food Insecurity Is A Common Problem For Military Service Members And Their Families, Colleen Heflin, Gabriella Alphonso

Population Health Research Brief Series

Food insecurity has negative effects on military service members and their families, including their work performance, professional success, and health and wellness. A recent memorandum released by the U.S. Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness shows that in 2020, nearly 1 in 4 U.S. active-duty service members experienced food insecurity and that participation in benefits such as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) is low. This brief summarizes the key findings from the memorandum and discusses what can be done to improve food security among active-duty military members and their families.

Exploring Associations Between Military Identity And Well-Being Outcomes Among Post-9/11 Veterans After Separation, James David Lee

Dissertations and Theses

Approximately 200,000 service members exit the military each year; as of 2016, there were 19 million veterans in the U.S. As service members transition out of the military and acclimate to civilian life, they face a multitude of stressors. For example, estimates vary from 44 to 72% of veterans reportedly experience increased stress during their transition which often entails securing civilian employment, navigating interpersonal difficulties, and adapting to the challenges of civilian life. These stressors have harmful consequences and have been linked to physical and mental health, and suicide risk. Despite these findings, research examining the well-being of veterans following …

Veteran Access To Mental Health Services And How It Contributes To The Rates Of Suicide, Kameron R. Grigsby

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

This essay is an exploration of the access Veterans have to mental health services and how such access or lack thereof contributes to the rates of suicide among the Veteran population. The purpose of this essay is to examine various factors that influence Veteran access to mental health care and how these factors can be improved or eliminated. By analyzing such factors, healthcare professionals may begin to further implement provisions and practices to decrease the rising rate of suicides among Veterans.

A Retrospective Review Of A Local Healthcare Process Designed To Improve Understandability, Actionability, And Readability Of Written Documents For Veterans, Erica Wilson

College of Health Sciences Posters

Preventable chronic diseases are plaguing our veterans. Health literacy is an important component of prevention and chronic disease self-management. People need health literacy skills to read and understand information. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) calls the Veterans Health Education and Information (VHEI) Committee for a review process to improve the understandability, actionability, and readability of VHEI resources.

This retrospective review of a local evidence-based process improvement is being implemented at the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center (DCVAMC) to satisfy a VHA directive to improve the understandability, actionability, and readability of written materials. The local process improvement involves a robust …

Will Networks In Military Life Influence Veteran’S Entrepreneurial Intention? Institutional Impacts On Transitional Entrepreneurship, Jamil Kreugel, Timiry R. Tian, Nicklous Salzman, Jing Zhang

College of Business (Strome) Posters

This research studies how military and civilian networks influence military veteran’s perceived resource acquisition and consequently their entrepreneurial intention (EI). Building on social network theory and institutional theory, we argue that the effects of a network consisting of military ties may be more limited than its civilian counterpart in increasing veteran’s EI. The institutional gap between military and civilian life increases the difficulty of making the transition and therefore disconnects the link between one’s military network and their EI via resource acquisition. Using questionnaire survey data collected from 261 veteran students in a public university in the US, we found …

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: December 2022, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Veteran employment trends and statistics among various demographics during December 2022