Military and Veterans Studies Commons^™

Food Insecurity And Academic Self-Efficacy: Military Students And Student Veterans, Kim E. Bullington, Matthew J. Smith, William L. Nuckols, Dennis E. Gregory, Joshua L. Howell

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Food insecurity (FI) affects households worldwide and is also seen on college and university campuses with adverse effects on student success. We examine FI and academic self-efficacy levels of military students and student veterans enrolled in higher education in the United States which has not been extensively studied regarding FI. Military students and student veterans may have access to G.I. Bill funds and may not be perceived as requiring additional assistance. The results reveal that military students and student veterans have some level of FI. The qualitative analysis yielded five themes that center on FI, economic vulnerability, inequities in the …

Idea To Implementation In Social Entrepreneurship: A Case Study From A Veteran Urban Farm And Housing Initiative, Jason Thomas Phillips

Open Access Dissertations

Unaffordable housing, food insecurity, and mental health challenges are three of the most pressing issues facing many veterans in the United States. Research demonstrates that agricultural initiatives for veterans have the potential to positively impact veterans’ quality of life while also providing an accessible source of income, fresh healthy food, and community engagement. A veteran urban farm and housing initiative has the potential to create power for veterans through a community approach to entrepreneurship and business model innovation. This approach reflects both the community experience of many veterans during their military service as well as offers a path to individual …

“Remember, You Are Not A Superhuman”: The Lived Experience Of Rest, Unrest, And Leadership In Special Operations, Trey Zoda

Dissertations

U.S. special operations forces (SOF) operate in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments that demand cognitive clarity, emotional regulation, and relational presence. While previous research on SOF readiness has addressed physical fitness, resilience, and sleep, little attention has been given to the psychological dimensions of rest and their implications for leadership. The purpose of this qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of psychological rest and unrest in U.S. government SOF and the perceived influence of these states on their leadership. Guided by Moustakas’s transcendental method, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with SOF personnel. They were …

The Abuse Of Neutrality, Rebecca Ingber

Articles

Neutrality law is a musty and obsolete body of international law that nevertheless rears its creaky head now and again in dangerous ways, most recently in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The law of neutrality is a study in contradictions. It is obsolete yet remains on the books in treaties and military manuals. It purports to keep the peace and protect non-warring states yet today is invoked to expand conflict and protect aggressors. The legal benefits of neutrality have been entirely overtaken by other regimes. And yet neutrality law has not lost its luster despite losing its value. Instead of letting it …

Outcomes Of Covid-19: Posttraumatic Growth And Emotion-Focused Coping Among U.S. Veterans, Jessica Paige Wilding-Belalcazar

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Female veterans are currently the fastest growing population of veterans in the United States (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2022) and have a higher prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than male veterans (Na et al., 2021), yet there has been limited research done on this population. Females have also been found to experience more posttraumatic growth (PTG) than males (Kalaitzaki, 2021; Prieto-Ursa & Jordar, 2020; Yildiz, 2021). Furthermore, women’s use of emotion-focused coping strategies has been shown to play a role in increasing experiences of PTG during the COVID-19 pandemic (Chu-Si & Yunhwan, 2022). Yet, while research has examined …

A Pathway To Completion: Student Veterans Pursuing Engineering Degrees, Kim E. Bullington, Cynthia L. Tomovic, Anthony W. Dean, Vukica Jovanovic

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This 5‐year research project was based on an NSF S‐STEM research grant (1742118) focused on student veteran education and workforce preparation. We addressed STEM workforce and defence community needs by providing targeted scholarships and support for veteran students pursuing engineering degrees. Our aim was to enhance the workforce by improving access and success rates through financial and institutional support, while developing evidence‐based practices for recruitment, retention and graduation of student veterans. Through targeted interventions, we examined obstacles student veterans face in education and in engineering programs and increased their sense of camaraderie, career awareness, engineering identity, professional development, financial security …

Futures Assessment Of The Russo-Ukrainian War, Jonathon O'Brien

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report discusses and explores a series of scenarios regarding the end of the Russo-Ukrainian war, which began in February 2022. The three scenarios are a continued stalemate, where neither side gains an upper hand in the conflict, a Ukrainian victory, and a Russian victory. Each scenario also explores several factors that could impact their likelihood, including international support, battlefield prowess, etc. This paper aims to provide readers with the necessary context to understand the situation in Ukraine and the likely outcomes of the conflict. Research for this project was conducted between March and April 2025, with findings representing an …

From Tricare To Medicaid: Dental Insurance Disparities Among U.S. Veterans And Active Duty Service Members, Madeline K. Mcnutt Ms

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Oral health plays a critical role in systemic well-being, yet dental care access in the United States remains deeply unequal, particularly among low-income and historically marginalized populations. Among those significantly affected are military veterans, who frequently experience barriers to oral healthcare due to eligibility restrictions within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system. This study offers a comparative analysis of dental insurance satisfaction between recipients of Medicaid and the TRICARE Active Duty Dental Program (ADDP), two federally funded programs that reflect the divide between civilian and military healthcare access. While TRICARE ADDP provides comprehensive and uniform coverage for Active Duty …

Nexus Of Fear, Deterrence, And Prestige: The Role Of Russia's Exotic Nuclear Toolkit, Ryan Christenson

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This thesis examines Russia’s development of “exotic” nuclear weapon systems, specifically the Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedo, the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, the Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile, and the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile, to determine how and why Russia diverged from traditional nuclear platforms. Drawing on open-source data and comparative analysis against the standard nuclear triad, it investigates the doctrinal, technical, and political motivations driving Moscow’s nuclear modernization, including paranoia over U.S. missile defense, aspirations for great-power status, and domestic economic influences. Scenario-based assessments illustrate the potential destabilizing effects of these systems, which compress decision-making time and raise risks of inadvertent …

Experiences Of Civilian Mental Health Providers Who Work With Military Clients: A Dissertation, Lydia P. Perry

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Using a qualitative survey design, this study sought to understand the experiences of fully civilian providers who had achieved self-perceived military cultural competence when working with military or veteran clients or their families. This study also sought a better understanding of what pathways fully civilian providers took in this process, as well as their perceptions of how to better equip other fully civilian providers for work with military and veteran clients and their families. The results of this study yield recommendations for changes in graduate training programs; for example, through more inclusion of the military as a culture in cross …

Embracing The Suck: Overcoming Moral Injury-Related Attachment Trauma Through Outdoor Adventure, Emerald D. Ralston

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Moral injury is increasingly recognized as a distinct and debilitating consequence of military service, arising when individuals engage in, witness, or are unable to prevent actions that transgress their deeply held moral beliefs. In this dissertation, I argue that this form of trauma can be experienced as an attachment rupture, particularly when the military—functioning as an institutional attachment figure—betrays the servicemember’s trust. Such experiences compromise internal working models (IWMs) of self, others, and the world, and may result in complex trauma symptoms, including dissociation, depersonalization, and profound relational disconnection. These injuries are frequently stored in the body, rendering traditional cognitive …

Preparing Spiritually Resilient Warriors In The Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, Vic Morris

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Morris, Victor E. “Preparing Spiritually Resilient Warriors in the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2024. 285 pp.

The Canadian Armed Forces has outcomes and expectations for warriors to be spiritually resilient but does not have a training program that has been researched, tested, and validated to achieve this. This study investigates how chaplains can prepare spiritually resilient warriors in CANSOFCOM. A chaplain-led spiritual resilience course was created and delivered to CANSOFCOM members. The course was aligned with the holistic wellness strategy of OPF2, and designed as an inductive, experiential learning experience. An …

The Abusive Effects Of Trauma On Leadership Styles And Performance, Robert Kraft

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

This Doctor of Ministry (DMin) Major Applied Project (MAP) investigates the relationship between toxic leadership in the military and trauma, particular how trauma can have negative, abusive effects on leadership style and performance. Most research in this area addresses trauma in postvention. This MAP addresses trauma’s potential effect on leadership style and explores the use of a pre-emptive, preventative training. Leadership theory is explored as well as trauma in the form of mental disorders, such as PTSD and narcissism. The author’s experience as an ordained pastor of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, serving as an Army Chaplain, revealed the value of …

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: November 2024, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

In November, employment increased by 227,000, with the unemployment rate remaining steady at 4.2%. Veteran unemployment showed mixed trends, with post-9/11 veteran unemployment slightly decreasing to 3.1% and significant variations across different age and demographic groups. Notably, the unemployment rate for Black or African American veterans decreased significantly, while the rate for veterans aged 18-24 increased.

Organizational Toxicity: Exploring Factors That Cultivate Toxicity In Air Force Maintenance Organizations And Their Impact On Enlisted Airmen, Bryan Keith Wong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Workplace toxicity negatively impacts organizations and harms employees within those organizations. However, each organization is subject to various influences and contexts, and understanding toxicity within specific contexts provides practitioners with the knowledge of its origin, influential factors, and how to respond. The U.S. Air Force is rich in culture and subcultures; it is also subject to toxicity, which is affected by several military-unique factors. Yet, toxicity in the military has been primarily explored through the leadership lens with limited insights into other influential elements, such as followers and the workplace environment. Additionally, little attention has been placed on the effects …

Veteran Certification: Debunking Myths And Streamlining Processes, Misty Stutsman-Fox, Barbara Carson, John Perez, Rosalinda V. Maury

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This paper affirms the continued intent of the IVMF and CVOB to demystify and help streamline the VOB certification process by advocating for the establishment of either one nationally recognized certification, or a unified verification process where all certifying bodies work together towards a reciprocal solution.

Ua94/6/1 Pershing Rifles & Rebelettes Reunion Photo Album, Stewart Wade

Student/Alumni Personal Papers

Digital photograph album created from Pershing Rifles & Rebelettes reunion photos.

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: October 2024, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

In October 2024, U.S. employment grew modestly by 12,000, and the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.1%. Veteran unemployment slightly increased to 2.8%, with post-9/11 veteran unemployment rising to 3.2%, though trends varied across different age and demographic groups. Notably, the unemployment rate for younger veterans (18-24) dropped significantly, while Black or African American veterans saw a sharp rise, and Hispanic veterans experienced a decline.

Veteran Health Equity: Reflecting On Patient Experiences And Unmet Health Needs Among Veterans Of Color, Mariah Brennan, Jeanette Harvie, Deborah Bradbard, Rosalinda V. Maury

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Research has consistently demonstrated the presence and severity of racial health disparities in the U.S., particularly for Black Americans. Many of the root causes of these disparities are complex and are associated with various forms of structural discrimination. This study examines the health experiences of veterans of color, particularly their interactions in the VA and Military Health system to better understand racial/ethnic disparities across disease burden, mortality, and indicators of patient healthcare experiences. This mixed-methods study included an online survey (n=219) and virtual focus groups and one-on-one interviews (n=17). Overall, a majority of study participants had positive patient experiences from …

Research Review: "Military Service And Political Participation In The United States: Institutional Experience And The Vote", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This research review highlights findings from a study of U.S. veteran voting participation. This study finds that military service is associated with greater voter participation. Holding socioeconomic and demographic characteristics constant, veterans are more likely to vote than non-veterans. Non-Hispanic white and African American veterans are more likely to vote than their non-veteran peers and Hispanic veterans with lower educational attainment are more likely to vote than Hispanic non-veterans but the effect of military service on the propensity to vote decreases as educational attainment increases. The effect of military service on increasing voter participation is strongest among those with less …