Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / This study examines the factors that influence active duty Marines in their retention decisions. Data from the 1999 US Marine Corps retention survey are matched with actual retention data from personnel files and limited to Marines eligible to make a stay/leave decision within 24 months of the survey. Four subgroups are defined: enlisted first-term males, enlisted first-term females, enlisted career males and officer junior grade males. Bivariate analysis of explanatory control variables (personal characteristics and military background) and focus variables (responses to questionnaire items about civilian employment opportunities and satisfaction with aspects of military life) indicates significant associations with retention. Factor analysis is used to create seven satisfaction dimensions from the satisfaction variables. Multivariate logistic regression model results show that all the satisfaction dimensions are significant for the enlisted first term male model. Satisfaction dimensions for pay and benefits, health benefits, work equity, current job characteristics, and future career opportunities are significant in one or more of the remaining models. Searching for a civilian job is significant in all models and perceptions of civilian job opportunities are significant in most. Among control variables, the interaction of marital status, dependents, and working spouse has a significant effect on retention for first term enlisted males, the only group large enough to test. / First Lieutenant, Turkish Army

Approved for public release; distribution in unlimited. / This study examines stigma associated with mental health services counseling in the Marine Corps for the purpose of assessing areas of concern where lack of awareness or stigma exists. Marines with longstanding unresolved personal problems or more immediate emotional distress may be less effective, they may also not know where to go for help. Secondly, stigma may be associated with the fear of negative performance evaluations and decreased future promotions, which may reflect an underutilization of the available mental health services. Results of this study reflect: 1)that stigma does exist; 2)that Marines have a poor knowledge of the availability and variety of mental health services; 3)that there is little in the way of destigmatization training within the Marine Corps. By studying civilian models which may have a destigmatization component, this study presents possible methods for incorporating destigmatization training into the OSCAR program. Theoretically, the results of this study, garnered through interviews with practitioners, literature, and an OSCAR program review, can be used to further the efficacy of Marine Corps mental health services by way of education and destigmatization training. / Captain, United States Marine Corps

Master of Arts / Department of History / Michael A. Ramsay / Immediately after World War I, the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps implemented an officer education program. Called the Marine Corps Schools (MCS), the Commandant, Major General John A. Lejeune, gave the schools the mission of educating officers throughout their career. MCS struggled during its first decade of existence due to operational tempo and a poor curriculum. The direction of MCS changed greatly with the assignment of James Carson Breckinridge as the commanding officer in 1928. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the role Breckinridge, an unconventional and intellectual officer, played in reviving the MCS and turning it into the authority on Small Wars and Amphibious Operations. It will show that Breckinridge, drawing on observations made of college education systems, focused the Marine Corps Schools on the task of teaching officers to analyze problems and find solutions and not rely on memorized book answers.

Thesis (Master of Military Studies)-Marine Corps Command and Staff College, 2008. / Title from title page of PDF document (viewed on: Feb 2, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Master of Military Studies)-Marine Corps Command and Staff College, 2008. / Title from title page of PDF document (viewed on: Feb 2, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Master of Arts / Department of History / Michael A. Ramsay / In 1989, the United States Marine Corps published the document Fleet Marine Force Manual 1, Warfighting. Its appearance signaled the official adoption of maneuver warfare as the Corps's organizational philosophy and the basis of its doctrine for preparing and conducting operations. The decade of debate and experimentation that preceded the publication of Warfighting has not received detailed examination, but merits such for the insights it can provide to understanding intellectual change and military reform. Beginning in 1979, Marine Corps officers engaged in an intraservice debate over the issue of maneuver warfare, a new concept that began to circulate among military reformers in the latter half of the 1970s. A group of Marine officers known as "maneuverists" began meeting in unofficial seminars to study, refine, and promote the idea. Maneuverists believed that maneuver warfare was a more fluid and dynamic way of fighting because it stressed flexibility, creativity, and a focus on enemy behavior. They also thought the new idea offered a more effective alternative for fighting war than contemporary practices, which they thought focused too much on rigid application of standardized procedures and methods of existing manuals. The intellectual transformation of the Marine Corps involved three main mechanisms. The first was a theoretical mechanism centered on public debate in the pages of Marine Corps Gazette to introduce and defend maneuver warfare to Marine audience. The second was a functional/practical mechanism that involved educational and training initiatives at the Amphibious Warfare School and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The third mechanism was the use of institutional authority made possible with the appointment of General Alfred M. Gray, a senior and vocal maneuver warfare champion, to the position Commandant of the Marine Corps. Using the authority of his office, Gray directed the writing of a doctrinal manual encapsulating the ideas of maneuver warfare to provide the Corps organizational focus and direction. The resulting manual FMFM 1, Warfighting, officially adopted maneuver warfare as service doctrine and organizational warfighting philosophy.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether the post-deployment screening instrument currently utilized to assess active-duty Marines for symptoms of PTSD upon their return from a combat deployment can be solely relied upon to accurately assess for PTSD. Additionally, this study sought to compare the number of Marines who have sought trauma-related mental health treatment based on their answers on the Post-Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA) to the number who have sought trauma-related mental health treatment based on their answers on their PTSD Checklist â?? Military Version (PCL-M). The participants in this study were comprised of a sample of active-duty Marines that had recently returned from a combat deployment. A quantitative secondary data analysis used Item Response Theory (IRT) to examine the answers provided by the participants on both the PDHA and PCL-M. Both instruments proved to be effective when assessing symptoms of PTSD and the participants identified as having symptoms of PTSD were referred for mental health services as required. According to the results, more Marines were identified as having symptoms of PTSD using both assessment instruments (PDHA and PCL-M) compared to those identified using just the PDHA. The result was a better understanding of predictors of Marines who may later develop PTSD. The results of this study can also assist the Marine Corps with its post-deployment screening for symptoms of PTSD which in turn can provide appropriate mental health referrals for Marines if deemed appropriate.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / The Marine Corps is fielding the MTVR Truck as a replacement for its aging fleet of five-ton cargo trucks. The MTVR is an Acquisition Category II program that was a multi-service Army-Marine Corps program. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the effectiveness of having an Army Product Office execute a Marine Corps Program. The study analyzes the effectiveness of the timing of the program's transition from the Army to the Marine Corps. A detailed literature search, as well as information gathered from attending various IPRs and conducting interviews with program officials and contractors, provided the basis for the in-depth background study presented. Analysis of the data gathered led to a justification for multi-service managed programs, as well as to recommendations on the timing of the MTVR program transition. / Civilian, United States Army

I am a draftsman, painter and printmaker. This first person statement is a written extension of the art that constitutes my thesis. It discusses the links between my work and the Enlightenment, Humanism, Catholicism, ethics and the Western canon as well as my use of perspective and other classical techniques in relation to history, language, high art, popular culture, propaganda, contemporary upheavals, Christian and Islamic Fundamentalism, globalization and the digital revolution. Furthermore, the main arguments draw upon my Cuban origin and European ancestry, the Cuban Revolution, my Belgian early education and eventual American hybrid identity. The overriding theme, however, concerns the continuing relevance of drawing, high art and history. As such, it forms a personal art theory and critique of contemporary culture. Supporting sources include history, art history, art theory, philosophy, science, religion and politics.

The military has an important role in peace and development work. Having skilled, experienced and knowledgeable personnel on peace-promoting missions abroad is crucial to ensure the missions success. A consequence of attrition is that military organizations lose valuable skills, experiences and qualities of service members. Preventing attrition is essential to maintain readiness, morale and knowledge. It also has a positive impact on peacekeeping missions, humanitarian relief and interactions with civil society. Current research on attrition has focused on early attrition; separation that occurs before a full term of service. It has focused on pre-enlistment factors of individuals that would make them less suitable to remain in the military. Current research has looked at attrition among all branches of the United States military. The focus of this thesis is to identify the main reasons for attrition among enlisted United States Marines. Focus is on the effect dissatisfaction of service and civilian opportunities has on attrition. It will also identify areas in need of improvement to prevent attrition. This research is a qualitative field study taken with an abductive approach. The main method of data collection was in-depth semi-structured interviews with active and retired U.S Marines, on site in North Carolina. The theory used to analyze the results is the Rational Choice-Theory, an individualistic theory that focus on individual’s actions and the values and beliefs shaping the action. Dissatisfaction because of bad leadership, military structures, long days of work and lack of motivation affected attrition. Civilian opportunities such as college and spending more time with family also played a part in the decision-making regarding reenlistment. Among the Marines, dissatisfaction arising from long-term issues was the factor that affected attrition the most. Civilian opportunities were in some cases the last pull needed to leave service. The findings can assist in making changes that will have a positive effect on the Marines. It can encourage Marines to pursue a longer military career, and hence keep valuable skills and experiences. These Marines can then continue to do important work within the peace and development field.