This research examines the United States Army’s adaptation and organizational resilience as it faces the phenomenon of what is commonly assumed to be the drastically different millennial generation of potential recruits, soldiers, and future leaders. Millennials are arguably the most unique generation to date when compared to their predecessors, mainly due to the significant technological advances of the past few decades and their ubiquitous use of technology. This study is distinctive because it addresses organizational resilience and generational gap issues from a cultural maintenance versus an adaptation and resilience viewpoint within what the author argues is presently a quasi-total, rather than total, institution. The study results refute important claims in the existing literature, which label the U.S. Army a total institution. That designation is no longer accurate because the modern U.S. Army has changed drastically. The ‘total institution’ label for the modern U.S. Army is only true during certain periods of the soldier’s experience, such as during onboarding or deployment. Thus, the label quasi-total is a better descriptor of the modern U.S. Army. Still, the U.S. Army’s need to change, so that it can recruit, train, accommodate, and retain this younger generation as an employer, must be balanced with preserving the organizational ability, culture and identity essential for the U.S. Army to function. That constant need for balance between accommodation and maintenance of core values and processes has mitigated the ‘total institution’ mindset of old. That is a major finding of this study. This study is an exploratory investigation using formal theme statements in an interview format given to the top 1% of the 1% of the U.S. Army’s leadership, as well as to lower ranking millennial soldiers. In this it is rare, if not unique. It is a problem-solving exploratory effort. In addition to a review of existing literature on related interdisciplinary topics, the study collected and analyzed empirical data in the forms of semi-structured interviews of senior grade non-millennial officers in Part 2, and, in Part 3, interviews of junior grade millennial generation soldiers who are currently serving. The study took a holistic approach to understand relevant views of different generations presently in the service and harvested the experiences and perspectives of senior leaders who have witnessed the U.S. Army’s transition firsthand. The findings indicate that several junior millennial respondents had contrary views and values to the assumptions society makes about them. Nor did they identify with the stereotypes of common views and biases about their generation. Amid signifying that not all millennials are alike, this discovery more importantly implies that assimilation to a strong organizational culture can transcend and/or alter presumed generational characteristics and norms, thereby demonstrating the U.S. Army’s resilience at the organizational level. The study showcases the uniqueness of the U.S. Army: as a ‘quasi-total institution’ it differs from others so labeled because it becomes much less total as the member spends more time in it. As an organization, the U.S. Army is different from most others because it must retain its talent since it has to grow leadership internally. Finally, its strong culture is essential to daily operations. Despite those facts that make the subject organization unique, parts of the study are relevant to many businesses globally which face similar issues of organizational adaptation versus resilience enfolding their multi-generational millennial versus non-millennial workforce. / Business Administration/Interdisciplinary

Edward Mallory "Ned" Almond belonged to the generation of US Army officers who came of age during World War I and went on to hold important command positions in World War II and the Korean War. His contemporaries included some of America's greatest captains such as Omar N. Bradley. While Almond is no longer a household name, he played a key role in Army history. Almond was ambitious and gave his all to everything he did. He was a careful student of his profession, a successful commander at battalion and corps level, a dedicated staff officer, something of a scholar, a paternalistic commander turned vehement racist, and a right-wing zealot. He earned his greatest accolades commanding the American troops who landed at Inchon, South Korea, on September 15, 1950, an amphibious flanking movement that temporarily transformed the nature of the Korean War. A soldier of such accomplishments and contradictions has gone too long without a scholarly biography; this dissertation will fill that void. This biography of Lt. Gen. Edward M. Almond makes a significant and original contribution to the existing historiography by examining his life in the context of the times in which he served. Almond earned tremendous respect throughout his career for his work as a commander and military administrator from his superiors, including Gen. George C. Marshall and Gen. Douglas MacArthur, but his current reputation as the US Army's most virulent racist overshadows all of these accomplishments. Almond's attitude was not unique; racism pervaded both the Army and the United States of his day. His views reflected the dominant view of the rural white South where he grew up, and did not differ much from those of his more famous peers. Almond, however, would never accept the changes his contemporaries and the Army eventually acknowledged. Almond's reactionary posture stands in sharp contrast to the rest of his career, in which he distinguished himself as an innovator open to new ideas. This dissertation will attempt to reconcile that other Almond and show that there was more to him than his bigoted command policies. Almond's career paralleled these developments in American society and changes in the US Army. His highly professional attitude yet stubborn resistance to social change typified the senior military leadership of the era. When those racial attitudes began to change, Almond represented an increasingly outdated ideology that held black men were innately incapable of becoming good soldiers. At the end of a long life and successful career, Almond was better known for his repugnant racial attitudes than for his genuine successes. First, Almond performed better as the commander of the 92nd Division than is commonly reported, despite that unit's significant difficulties in combat. This dissertation will also explore how his experiences with the 92nd Division, and the Army's later desegregation decisions, embittered him toward black soldiers. Second, both success and failure marked his command of X Corps in Korea, and his personal relationships with other officers obscured some of his accomplishments. Third, while serving as commandant of the US Army War College, Almond would tap his rich store of military experience to push the Army toward a greater commitment to joint operations. / History

Doctor of Philosophy / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Charlotte Shoup Olsen / Farrell J. Webb / Homelessness has become an enduring fixture of contemporary United States society. Female veterans face a host of unique challenges; females often carry the burden of serving in the armed forces, while balancing marriages, motherhood, and care giving responsibilities in their home lives. As the veterans return to their lives as civilians, the females who served in the military must deal with the possibility of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape while in the armed services. Female service members are twice as likely to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) than their male service members and are three to four times more likely to become homeless. Understanding this view of homelessness from the female veteran’s perspective is limited due to small sample sizes in previous research efforts. However, with the increasing numbers of homeless female veterans it is imperative to understand the risk factors. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using a modified framework for studying vulnerable populations. The study was designed to explore the meaning of homelessness from the female homeless veteran’s perspective. Second, risk factors were examined for homelessness and the services necessary for the female veteran to exit the homeless cycle. Third, the data were coded and analyzed to identify patterns and commonalities of multiple psycho social factors such as unstable family support, domestic violence, job loss, affordable housing options, substance abuse, mental and physical health issues. These factors were cited as the leading risk factors contributing to the homeless state of this sample of female veterans. The data collection consisted of ten homeless female veterans participating in a private, audio taped interview using a semi-structure interview tool. Resources listed as a necessity to end homelessness consisted of affordable housing, job security, earning a living wage income, transportation, remaining drug free, and being awarded disability. The pathway to homelessness varied for each participant, but they all demonstrated a tremendous amount of resiliency.

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.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design / Sherry J. Haar / Research about military wives has been limited. In academia, most research centers on the soldier and/or the family as a unit. When literature does address only the wife’s perspective it rarely presents a positive portrayal of her life. However, it is not just literature that shows a gap in exposing the voice of the military wife. Art-based works rarely focus on her perspective; and methodologies, such as practice-based research, rarely utilize actual voices as inspiration. The aim of the current study was to discover the voice of the military wife, examine it through a feminist lens, and then translate those voices into artwork that represented the collective, lived experience of the women interviewed. Three methodologies were utilized to analyze and translate the voices of military wives into textile art. These three methodologies: practice-based research, phenomenology, and feminist inquiry provided a suitable structure for shaping the study to fulfill the project aim. Interviews conducted with 22 military wives revealed two overarching themes: militarization and marriage; as well as multiple subthemes. Three subthemes were recognized as being the most prominent: relationships, separation, and collective experience. These themes were used as the inspiration for the creation and installation of three textile art pieces. The current study serves to fill the gaps in both the literature and the artistic process by presenting both the positive and negative aspects of the military wife’s lived experience and using that lived experience as inspiration for textile art.

Esta tese de doutoramento compara o Centro de Altos Estudos Militares (CAEM) do Peru e a Escola Superior de Guerra (ESG) do Brasil desde suas fundações (fim da década de 1940) até os golpes militares nos dois países (1968 e 1964 respectivamente). O objetivo é compreender diferenças e semelhanças nas doutrinas de segurança elaboradas nestas escolas que reuniram militares e civis, com o argumento de estudarem temas relativos à segurança nacional e ao desenvolvimento de seus países. A partir da comparação de como os temas da segurança nacional e do desenvolvimento foram abordados nas duas escolas verificamos como militares brasileiros e peruanos propuseram soluções diferentes para um problema comum aos militares dos dois países: a subversão comunista. Enquanto no Peru a doutrina de segurança integral difundiu o desenvolvimento sob a direção do Estado com vistas à distribuir renda e assim desacreditar as ideias comunistas como solução dos problemas da população; a doutrina de segurança nacional promovida no Brasil, denunciava as liberdades democráticas como um entrave ao combate às ideias subversivas, mas não vinculou tão diretamente quanto à doutrina peruana, combate ao comunismo e medidas de distribuição de renda. / This doctoral thesis compares the Advanced Military Studies Center of Peru (CAEM) and the Superior School of War (ESG) of Brazil from its fundations (end of the 1940\'s ) to the the military coups in the both countries (1968 and 1964 respectively). The aim is comprehend differences and similarities in security doctrines developed in these schools that met military and civilian , on the grounds studying issues related to national security and the development of their countries. From the comparison of how the national security and development issues were discussed at the two schools we verify how Brazilian and Peruvian military have proposed different solutions to a common problem to the military of both countries: a \"communist subversion\". While in Peru the doctrine of \" integral security\" spread development under the direction of the State in order to distribute income and so discredit the communist ideas as a solution to population problems; the doctrine of \"national security\" promoted in Brazil, denounced the democratics freedom as a obstacle to the fight against subversive ideas, but not linked as directly as the Peruvian doctrine, anti- communism and income distribution measures.

Esta tese de doutoramento compara o Centro de Altos Estudos Militares (CAEM) do Peru e a Escola Superior de Guerra (ESG) do Brasil desde suas fundações (fim da década de 1940) até os golpes militares nos dois países (1968 e 1964 respectivamente). O objetivo é compreender diferenças e semelhanças nas doutrinas de segurança elaboradas nestas escolas que reuniram militares e civis, com o argumento de estudarem temas relativos à segurança nacional e ao desenvolvimento de seus países. A partir da comparação de como os temas da segurança nacional e do desenvolvimento foram abordados nas duas escolas verificamos como militares brasileiros e peruanos propuseram soluções diferentes para um problema comum aos militares dos dois países: a subversão comunista. Enquanto no Peru a doutrina de segurança integral difundiu o desenvolvimento sob a direção do Estado com vistas à distribuir renda e assim desacreditar as ideias comunistas como solução dos problemas da população; a doutrina de segurança nacional promovida no Brasil, denunciava as liberdades democráticas como um entrave ao combate às ideias subversivas, mas não vinculou tão diretamente quanto à doutrina peruana, combate ao comunismo e medidas de distribuição de renda. / This doctoral thesis compares the Advanced Military Studies Center of Peru (CAEM) and the Superior School of War (ESG) of Brazil from its fundations (end of the 1940\'s ) to the the military coups in the both countries (1968 and 1964 respectively). The aim is comprehend differences and similarities in security doctrines developed in these schools that met military and civilian , on the grounds studying issues related to national security and the development of their countries. From the comparison of how the national security and development issues were discussed at the two schools we verify how Brazilian and Peruvian military have proposed different solutions to a common problem to the military of both countries: a \"communist subversion\". While in Peru the doctrine of \" integral security\" spread development under the direction of the State in order to distribute income and so discredit the communist ideas as a solution to population problems; the doctrine of \"national security\" promoted in Brazil, denounced the democratics freedom as a obstacle to the fight against subversive ideas, but not linked as directly as the Peruvian doctrine, anti- communism and income distribution measures.

The overall scope of naval missions has remained largely unchanged despite the loss of more than 8,000 naval personnel each year since 2002. The downsized naval workforce experienced an overload in work assignments and an increase of health-related issues resulting in lowered morale, motivation, job satisfaction, and productivity. Maslow's theory of hierarchy of needs links personal satisfaction to work productivity, which is critical for naval personnel to protect national security, provide humanitarian services, and respond to international crises effectively. This phenomenological study included semi-structured interviews with military and civilian leaders at naval bases located in San Diego and El Centro, CA. Participants reflected on their lived experiences, feelings, and interactions concerning the downsizing phenomenon. Primary themes, generated by a modified van Kaam technique, were related to the change of personal values, Navy readiness and balance force, and leadership's effectiveness and efficiency. The primary finding was the need for naval leaders to communicate downsizing decisions effectively. Additional research is needed to expound on the perceived unfairness in the implementation of downsizing decisions. Social change may occur for naval personnel, community members, and other external stakeholders through the improvement of downsizing communication practices that might reduce health risk factors, economic deflation, and population migration.

The U.S. Army conducts extensive training on its core values beginning with initial entry training (IET), commonly referred to as basic training, in order to shape soldiers' behavior and decision making in combat and noncombat situations. This mixed methods study addressed the problem of limited empirical research on the effects of U.S. Army IET on soldiers' moral and character development. The purpose was to explore the effects of Military Police (MP) IET on soldiers in training through a mixed methods quantitative and qualitative model. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Rest's four component model (FCM) of moral development, Hart's model of moral identity, the schemas of the Defining Issues Test (DIT), and the U.S. Army's moral code consisting of the Army values, the Soldiers Creed, and the Warrior Ethos. The DIT was administered at the beginning and conclusion of MP IET to determine change in soldiers' moral judgment. Focus groups of MP IET soldiers identified perceptions of change in moral development. Data analysis using ANOVA and matched pair t tests of DIT scores revealed no significant changes in overall scores, no differences among age groups, and limited differences among genders and educational levels. Results showed significant decline in personal interest scores among females. Focus group results using qualitative content analysis revealed the relationship with drill sergeants as having a significant impact on moral development. This study provides feedback to trainers and leaders on designing effective moral and character education. Soldiers influence societies at home and abroad. This research shows that positive social change is more likely as soldiers receive moral and character education which focuses on developing moral expertise, not just memorization of rules, and which results in moral and trustworthy behavior.

The percentage of qualified African American senior military leaders is significantly lower than the percentage of African Americans serving in the enlisted ranks. With the changing demographics of the 21st century, increasing the number of African American Army officers is a practical as well a moral issue. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to understand African American cadets' perception of the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Leadership Program and the impact of ROTC on their lives. The theoretical basis for this study is Sternberg's theory of intelligence and Woodman, Sawyer, and Griffin's theory of organizational creativity. The research problem explored the relationship between African American college student retention and their success in ROTC programs. A random sample of 23 junior and senior ROTC cadets at a Historically Black College and University completed a self-administered survey; 12 cadets later participated in an unstructured focus group interview. A statistical analysis revealed positive correlations between African American college student retention and the level of support offered by institutions, families, and peers. Qualitative analysis using the phenomenological approach resulted in data that supported the statistical findings. Results of this study may lead to positive social change through the identification of student influences that promote academic and military achievement, as well as effective retention strategies for African American Army ROTC cadets. Understanding the perceptions of African American cadets about ROTC programs can enhance recruitment and retention efforts of administrators and instructors in both ROTC and higher institutions of learning.