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American Military Contractors and the Neoliberal Way of War explores the historical patterns of modern military contracting and its place in the political economy of American war. During the post-September 11 wars, contractors have played a prominent role, comprising over half the US total force. While the participation of contractors in major US contingency operations is not new, the scale and scope of contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan is without precedent. The study emerges from a puzzling historical development: during the Vietnam War, contractors constituted about 10 percent of the US footprint. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the figure climbs to 53 percent. What accounts for this change? The answer turns on one ideational and one institutional condition. Institutionally, the transition began with the US military’s shift from a mixed volunteer and draftee force to the All-Volunteer Force in 1973. Doing so removed personnel procurement from a statist framework through the introduction of the logic of the labour market. This institutional change was a necessary precondition for the gradual incursion of neoliberal market logic into military personnel policy. A series of reforms in subsequent decades initiated path dependent processes of military neoliberalization that eventually yielded the troop-contractor ratios of the post-September 11 wars. The dissertation develops a theoretical framework drawn from traditions in critical International Political Economy that conceptualizes five decades of uneven neoliberalization in the Department of Defense. Empirically, it undertakes a comparative study of US contracting practices during the Vietnam and post-September 11 wars, tracing gradual institutional change in the Department of Defense from the 1970s to the present. / Thesis (Ph.D, Political Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-09-30 14:31:32.216

<p> Smartphones, now so ubiquitous that almost every American adult carries one, bring major changes not just to the way people gather and exchange information but also to the way in which they interact with one another and with the organizations to which they belong. A variety of research indicates that while it unleashes remarkable creativity and productivity, this complex, entangled phenomenon also has subtle, worrying implications. This study focused on those dynamics in one unit of the United States Army. Scharmer's Theory U as well as the systems theory espoused by Gharajedaghi and Ackoff guided this research. The research question asked, <i>What are the most important aspects of the holistic smartphone user experience in an Army work environment? </i> This phenomenological study was based on interviews with 28 military personnel of a variety of ages, ranks, and duty positions. While the findings were generally consistent with other research into smartphone use in society, it is clear that smartphone use is inextricably linked to a number of complex challenges for the leaders of the military unit studied. In particular, the paradoxical aspects of smartphone use which, while clearly beneficial, also foster tension, complexity, stress, and anxiety. More concerning is the finding that smartphone use jeopardizes the development of the traditional interactive and collaborative culture of the unit. Finally, current policies related to the use of smartphones inadequately address the issues and concerns expressed by respondents. The results of the study, therefore, serve as a call to action for unit leaders. They offer a compelling case for transformative change and leader attention and intention so that smartphone use can continue to enhance creativity and productivity while optimizing organizational development in the emerging future.</p>

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Soldiers for hire are not a new phenomenon of the twenty-first century; they are as old as war itself. However, in the present day these modern day soldiers for hire are part of well-organized and competently run Private Military Companies (PMC). These companies have proven themselves to be both highly effective and economically efficient. The purpose of this thesis is to identify any functions the Government could outsource to PMC's. This thesis finds that the best types of operation in which to use PMC's are in support of security operations, in small-scale conflicts, and in situations where human rights violations are occurring, yet the rest of the world decides not to intervene. This outsourcing would allow the government to realize cost savings and allow the military to focus on what it does best, its core competencies. Additionally, this thesis outlines potential problems that arise with privatizing warfare and offers proposals to overcome those shortfalls. Finally, this thesis finds that the best way to structure a contract between the United States Government and a PMC is to have built-in incentives to ensure that a PMC not only completes the mission quickly, but also controls costs to the maximum extent possible.