The aim of this thesis was to investigate whether higher quality troops would perform better in civilian protection within UN-peacekeeping missions. The appropriate method to answer this question was through a Structured Focused Comparison and the most similar system design. The theory suggested that higher quality peacekeepers would be more effective in combating armed groups and directly protecting civilians during civil wars. However, the case comparison did not fully answer the given hypothesis. Instead, it showcased another dilemma that high-quality troops exhibit. These peacekeeping troops seemed reluctant to utilize their high-quality equipment and assets effectively for the mission. Instead, they displayed risk-aversive behaviour and difficulty to cooperate with other troop contributing nations. These findings have important implications for policy making.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / This study shows the importance of decision-making skills in a military leader. Different models of decision-making are examined, and effective ways to teach decision making are presented. If, as the literature shows, decision making is an important skill for an officer, one would assume that the United States Naval Academy (USNA) would have a well-defined, clearlyarticulated program that ensures its graduates are, in fact, well-trained in decision making; this study tests that assumption. It presents what the Naval Academy's senior leadership's goals and priorities are for developing midshipmen as decision makers. The study also determines the value placed on decision-making abilities by those primarily responsible for midshipmen's professional development, and how well they believe the Naval Academy prepares midshipmen for the decision-making responsibilities they will face as officers. Opportunities for midshipmen to make decisions are identified, and midshipmen were asked how well they think the Naval Academy prepares them to be decision makers. The findings of this study assess the extent to which the Naval Academy presently develops decision-making skills in its midshipmen. / Major, United States Marine Corps

Excerpt: Despite the great success of the Civil War epic Glory, the story of the black troops during and after the War is not well known. This lack of exposure to popular familiarity is especially true of the Buffalo Soldiers who served on the frontier in the late 19th century, chiefly but not exclusively in the Indian Wars.

Using Facebook from a theater of war provides a particularly unique vantage point from which to study the broader shift in our communication environment. While many communication technologies began in warzones for mission purposes--connecting planes to the ground, connecting and coordinating strikes and ambushes, reporting needs for medics, and so on, warzones are not known for connecting the war front and the home front. Thus the culture of perpetual contact ushered in by social media technologies like Facebook collides with a situation quintessentially associated with a lack of contact. Surprisingly this point has received little scholarly attention. This dissertation examines the way US troops use Facebook from a theater of war to narrate their experiences to their civilian network members, to each other, and to themselves. The project explores how US troops define and are defined by existing discourses of war; how they shape and are shaped by technological advancements, and how all these relationships are changing what "war" means in this millennium. Data include 20 semi-structured in-person interviews, which took place on active bases in Okinawa, Japan and Camp Pendleton, California. Data also include the field notes from those visits as well as field notes and screen captures of Facebook observations.

This thesis is a case study of educational process in the leadership development program of the Australian Defence Force Academy. The intention is to determine the relative emphasis in educational process on the conventional command and managerial compliance (Type A) style and the emergent contingent and creative (Type B) style of leadership. The Type A style is theorised as emphasizing hierarchy and control, whereas the emphasis in a Type B style is on adaptive and entrepreneurial behaviour. This study looks at the learning process in a cultural and structural context rather than focus on curriculum and instructional design. Research in this wider context is intended to enable development processes to successfully bridge a gap between theory and practice, implicit in studies that identify theories 'in-operation' as different from the theories 'espoused' (Argyris 1992, Savage 1996). In terms of espoused and in-use theory, the study seeks to produce a valid and reliable result to the question: what is the relative emphasis on the two leadership styles in the operation of the three educational mechanisms of curriculum, pedagogy (teaching practice) and assessment? The quantitative analysis of results (n = 114) draws attention to both leadership styles in terms of two and three-way relationships of style, cadet or work group and service type. The data shows that both Type A and Type B leadership styles are evident in the general conversation of the organisation. This trend is present as espoused theory in the curriculum of the Defence Academy. However, the data also confirm a clear and strong emphasis towards command and managerial compliance as theory-in-use, particularly by cadets. This emphasis is noticeably evident in the teaching and assessment practice of the Defence Academy. Other research outcomes include the observation that: Contextually, while studies show it is difficult to isolate skills from their cultural and biographical context (Watkins, 1991:15), this study suggests that it is equally difficult to isolate skills development from this context. There is a strong task or instrumental link identified by cadet responses in terms of content and development process at the Defence Academy, in contrast to the wider developmental emphasis in general literature and senior officer interviews. There is a lack of awareness of teaching strategies and development activity consistent with espoused Type B leadership theory and curriculum content. This gap is compounded by the use in the Defence Academy of personnel without teaching expertise or suitable developmental experience. The socialisation of cadets into the military workplace is the primary purpose of training. This purpose appears taken for granted by all concerned - staff, cadets and senior officers. Defence Academy development processes appear to be faced with a dilemma. Arguably, training and learning from experience are limited approaches to development. Training, which involves learning by replication, and learning from experience, which is largely imitative, are both of little use when people are faced with novel and ambiguous situations. This study suggests that in order to support the development of capabilities that go beyond training based competence a learning and development approach is needed. This more expansive approach requires educational planners to consider the cultural and social context that can inadvertently promote the status quo in practice over espoused outcomes.

Summary Here are different Governing strategy to the border area in China's history, It relates to environmental factor under different space-time, The system of having garrison troops open up wasteland and grow food grain of successive dynasties is a kind of strategy that response too. After China builds in 1949, replied the complicated environment of Xinjiang, Nationality's historical background and stability of Xinjiang both need a unique organization with development, So the China has managed the policy of Xinjiang and situation at that time and offered and set up this condition of organization. The production and construction of Xinjiang accomplishing the task of stationing troops for opening up wasteland and guarding the frontier,The formation is the special organization that Its particularity has unique functions in such five respects as economy, the military, politics, culture, society,etc. So formation's special function, Have formed formation's special system, special institutional framework is while fulfilling formation's function, Have become the formation's own contradiction instead, These contradictions have caused the question which the formation develops. One present formation's subject, Just facing this incongruous place of organization and market-based mechanism, Key to formation's future development, Handle the relation between the special system and market mechanism well. Up to the environmental changes of era, Formation's key task is different, But the present situation of Xinjiang, Still there is space of development in the formation; So can expect, This unique organization of the formation is within some time of future, Still have a necessity of existence. The Research twill look over formation in the China¡¦s governing strategy toward Xinjiang , Probe into the internal and external environment that the formation establishes, How to finish the multi-functional task and impact on situation of Xinjiang; Analyse the place that the formation and market function are incongruous, How to answer in the future; In the new governing strategy of the China after the incident of the Seventh- Five event, The formation consolidates the role that acted of strategy of key interests in the China, It will be another stage task.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of West Florida, 2009. / Submitted to the Dept. of Professional and Community Leadership. Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 149 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Abstract not available. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, [2008].

Zugl.: Kiel, Univ., Diss., 2007

Thesis (M.S.)--Naval Postgraduate School, 1997. / Cover title. "March, 1997." AD-A331 466. Includes bibliographical references.