Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / This thesis develops a theory to determine the best execution time to conduct a hostage rescue attempt. It does so by explaining the phenomenon of a hostage crisis biorhythm and proposing four principles essential for success. The principles of hostage rescue operations presented in this thesis and used in the biorhythm model-surprise, intelligence, operator's skill, and deception-are derived from looking at numerous planning models from special operations, from personal experience, and the thorough analysis of six historical cases. The historical cases show that in every instance any one of these four principles was overlooked, the operation was doomed. These principles have been determined to be the most critical factors that change as the crisis develops throughout the hostage ordeal. A thorough understanding of this biorhythm will provide planning guidelines to assess the best windows of opportunity for a proposed rescue attempt. One main focus of this work will be an in-depth case study of the hostage rescue operation "CHAVIN DE HUANTAR". This case study will present compelling evidence to reinforce my hypothesis, and serves as a template model for successful rescue operations. The analysis of this single case will provide a wealth of information on the success of this remarkable operation. Another main focus of this thesis will be strategic thinking of a hostage crisis using game theory analysis. The findings of this thesis will enable decision-makers to plan and organize hostage rescue forces to act at the appropriate time (window of opportunity), maximizing their chances of success. Additionally, it will provide a useful planning model that can be implemented effectively and accurately, presenting a clear picture of possible outcomes throughout a hostage crisis. Furthermore, this thesis will help the reader become a better strategist during the planning, preparation, and execution of a hostage rescue operation. It will provide a thorough understanding of how these operations work, how to solve them successfully, and how to predict possible outcomes at different stages of the operation applying the principles of game theory. / Major, United States Army

Thesis (M.S. in Defense Analysis)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2004. / Thesis advisor(s): David Tucker. Includes bibliographical references (p. 189-198). Also available online.

Thesis (M.S. in Defense Analysis)--Naval Postgraduate School, Sept. 2004. / Thesis Advisor(s): Frank R. Giordano, Gordon H. McCormick. Includes bibliographical references (p. 179-189). Also available online.

The overpopulation of domestic animals has become an ongoing problem across the United States. Approximately 1.5 million animals are being euthanized in the United States every year. In fact, shelters euthanize about 23 % of the animals they take in. However, the euthanasia rate would be much greater without animal rescues, which are different than animal shelters. Animal rescues are unique from shelters because they are not government-funded, and they do not usually have a physical location. Because of these factors, animal rescues rely on volunteers to care for the animals they save and donors to fund their operations. Animal rescues heavily depend on social media to fulfill many of their needs, including fundraising and volunteer recruitment, which makes the nonprofits particularly vulnerable to failure without a social media following. This research combined a content analysis of animal rescues' Facebook posts with a survey of the rescues to determine which Facebook affordances and message frames animal rescues used online were positively related to online and offline success metrics. The content analysis focused on analyzing posts for message frames, and the survey provided information about annual success. The combination of a content analysis and a survey uncovered relationships between Facebook characteristics, online message frames, and offline success metrics.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / This thesis presents two prescriptive models for approaching challenges to special operations forces with regard to personnel recovery in an urban environment. It begins by developing a model for overt recovery methods, using McRaven's model of Special Operations as the foundation. This model is then tested against three different case studies from operations in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993. The original six principles proposed by McRaven are complimented with four newly-prescribed principles that account for the interactions of the isolated personnel. Following this analysis, a nonconventional assisted recovery model is presented for clandestine personnel recovery methods. This model borrows the relative superiority concept from McRaven's theory, but proposes six different principles. This model is evaluated using three case studies from the World War II era through Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. These cases support the idea that while the urban operational environment may vary across time and space, the principles supporting successful personnel recovery operations endure. / Major, United States Army / Major, United States Air Force

Non-traditional security has become an important issue of international security issues, and is also facing a threat to cross-strait relations. If it is the connotation of military facets of cooperation (agreement) to facilitate the development of the cross-Strait relations, it also reduces the doubts surrounding countries. Therefore, the proposal of this thesis has focused on the non-traditional security. This research has primarily focused on non-traditional security fields including disaster prevention, disease control and sea rescue to explore current cross-strait cooperation model. Further, this study discussed future research on construction of security cooperation mechanism, and analyzed the cross-strait military security in response to the law of non-traditional sources and strategies. The result of this research found that cross-strait exchange in the dispute over sovereignty is the main constraining factor. Both in response to non-traditional security threats related to resources have not yet integrated to build the mechanism of security cooperation, and play an important role in the military are cross-strait to toward the future. In addition, the conclusion of this research indicated that cross-strait should build a non-traditional security through academic exchange, channels of negotiation, friendly reciprocal visits, and joint exercises of compound disaster, and the inclusion of cross-strait military security cooperation mechanism within policy formation process.

政府存在的目的，在維持人民基本的生活水準，在促使民眾能在自由、安和、樂利的平等的社會環境，並透過與運用法律、道德所允許的公權力手段，以促進社會的繁榮為最高之宗旨；但在目前政府處理危機緊急應變機制計有國土安全會報、災害防救會報及全民防衛動員準備業務會報(此即政府三大緊急應變體系)等，並自2005年起推動合併運作迄今，在中央政府之作法，似已達實際聯合運作與資源整合之效益，然在實際運作情形因需涉及中央與地方間權責分工關係？各公民營事業機構等體系能否協同運作之勾聯？等問題，現有運作並非如此順暢，究其原因係政府在面對新型態的危機發生時，三大應變體系聯合運作所能回應與處理的緊急應變處置作為，不僅未能有效的解決危機與事件所引發的問題，甚者更成為危機處置的亂源與礙手礙腳始作俑者；實有再予檢視與探討空間，以期建立一個權責相符且明確的緊急應變機制。 本文試圖以運用跨域治理為出發點，謹就政府目前積極推動之國土安全、災害防救及全民防衛動員準備業務(此即政府三大緊急應變體系)上聯合運作既存的困境，究其緣由乃此三應變體系皆屬危機管理範疇，各體系內所包含之工作項目與所涉單位甚多，任務屬性與編組成員重疊度極高，甚者尚可包含公(私)營事業機構，故亦應屬跨域治理之特徵，此三者之間關係應緊密運作且具關聯性。然從自2005年起政府積極推動情形下，縱然掌握最大的緊急應變資源與能量，但從歷次處理各項災後或危機應變等工作，卻往往是成為社會與民眾所責難焦點，何以如此呢？實因在於政府的緊急應變處置的機制紛亂不一所致，況且今日台灣面臨全球化所造成的衝擊，環境的變遷導致複合式災害所形成的危機出現層出不窮、社會科技上多元技術的需求以及民眾普遍要求全面的危機管理與跨域治理，故本文主要乃是以「跨域治理」與「危機管理理論」作為基礎論點，藉由文獻探討、焦點座談及問卷調查等方式，檢視三大應變體系聯合運作政府與民間的豐沛資源，運用網際網絡之功能與跨域治理的模式，才能達到凝聚總體資源，群策群力共同處理危機。 / The primary purpose of the government existence is maintaining the integrity of the people's basic living standard, encouraging people to have freedom, peace, and equality. Furthermore, under the law and morality, by means of public power to promote social prosperity. Since 2005, the Taiwan government has amalgamated and promoted the joint operation of three urgent strain response systems which includes homeland security council, disaster council, and national defense mobilization council (these three are the urgent strain response systems of Taiwan Government). The government's approach seems to have reached the joint operation of resources integration of benefits. However, in the actual operation, the problems were emerged from the conflict involved between Central and local authorities, the responsibilities between the public and private utilities, and how to implement the operation of the system of cooperative association. To trace the causes, the joint operation of three major urgent strain response systems is incapable to respond and handle emergency disposal when facing a new state crisis. Moreover, it might cause the crisis of the source of chaos and drag initiator. Definitely, there is a need for further review and assessment to establish a consistent and clear responsibilities among these three urgent strain response systems. This article attempts to use cross-domain governance as a starting point to assess the system. The government impetus the urgent strain of government presently, the three urgent strain response systems are the part of crisis management which includes lots of work and connections with other majority organizations. Because the association constitutes various members base on the different tasks, some members may belong to different divisions. Even the enterprises which run by the local people are the members of the “cross-boundary governance” which should be closely related each other. Since 2005, the government has actively promoting circumstances, even the government has enough information and resources of handling emergency situation, this government (administration) still censured by the public. The reason is that the emergency structure of our government is out of frame and inconsistence. In addition, Taiwan is facing the high pressure of becoming globalization. The impact of changes of the environment resulted in the formation of compound disaster crises emerged, the needs of diverse technologies and social science and people generally demand comprehensive crisis management along with cross-domain administration, so this paper is based on “cross-boundary governance” and “crisis management”, by using the literature reviews, seminars and workshops, questionnaires and surveys to assess the joint operation of three urgent strain systems of Taiwan Government, and the public use of the vast resources, to apply the internet functions and cross-domain governance model, will be able to reach the overall resources and effectively integrating the common crisis management of Taiwan Government.