Analysis of strike data is critical to determine the true economic costs of bird strikes, determine the magnitude of safety issues, and develop preventive measures. Analysis of USAF bird-strike data identified trends and indicated suggested relationships among factors contributing to damaging strikes. From FY 1988 through FY 1997, the annual mean was 2,668 bird strikes with peaks evident in fall and spring. Daylight and dusk were hazardous for bird strikes. More bird strikes occurred during airfield operations - aircraft are at low altitudes and soaring birds are more numerous. Aircraft speed, phase of flight, taxonomic group, bird mass and aircraft group were the strongest predictors of damaging bird strikes. Bird strike rates were calculated for USAF aircraft and selected USAF airfields. Bomber aircraft had the highest strike rate; these aircraft frequently fly long missions at low altitudes where they are likely to encounter birds. Logistic regression analyses estimated odds of occurrence for damaging bird strikes during airfield operations. General statistics, odds for a damaging airfield strike, and airfield strike rates, were used to identify USAF airfields with higher bird strike risks. Howard AFB, Panama, had a higher number and rate of bird strikes, and greater odds for a damaging bird strike than other airfields analyzed. This study allows recommendations for improving reporting of bird strikes and data management. Results will enable USAF to better estimate bird strike risks aircraft, better focus research on preventing bird strikes, and assess the effectiveness of bird management programs. / Master of Science

Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) is an established psychological construct that represents work behavior that is not required but contributes to improved organizational performance. This study examined the relationship of cognitive job satisfaction and OCB in a military organization. Several demographic variables previous identified to be related to OCB were also measured. Cognitive Job Satisfaction was significantly related to both self and supervisor ratings of OCB. The magnitude of correlations of pay and job cognitions with altruism and conscientiousness dovetailed with previous research results in field studies with much larger sample sizes. Government service civilians had significantly higher mean self-rated OCB than military personnel. Age and tenure were significant moderator variables in this relationship, but did not have significant main effects. Tenure was significantly correlated with self-rated OCB and both its factors, altruism and conscientiousness. Insufficient statistical power due to few respondents and range restriction due to pre-selection limited the ability to find significant group differences.

The overall purpose of this thesis is to question the value of the use of models regarding decision-making as it effectively operates within the environment of US armaments procurements. For example, conceptual framework models such as bureaucratic politics, organisational outputs, incrementalism, and others are far too simplistic in their application to this subject - they only tend to distort reality. The thesis argues that the process is far too complex with decisional centres shifting throughout the life of any one given system, thus necessitating a more realistic conceptual approach. Evidence of this is provided throughout the discussion of the organisational processes and the roles of those involved in the procurement process. Moreover, it becomes apparent that those in the highest positions of decision-making (for example, Presidents, Secretaries of Defense, etc.) are at times least likely to be involved in decisions, dependent on the stage of development of the weapon system. Further, other groups (for example, Congress, Joint Chiefs, etc.) commonly perceived as the decisional centres have little, if any involvement during the earlier stages in the life of a weapon system. The possibility of their involvement increases as the system enters what the author refers to as the hardware phase, when monies must be appropriated. In other words, the system becomes politicised and the expertise of those in higher positions becomes salient, because they are chosen for their political and managerial skills - not their expertise in detailed defence matters. Even the weight of their decisions during the hardware phase is questionable due to the fact that lower level "experts", referred to as DoD Components, with longer periods of tenure, are consistently directing upwards their appraisals of new systems requirements, threats, etc., thus setting the parameters for the higher positioned decision maker. Following the description of the organisational processes and the roles of those involved, the discussion turns to the case study of the F-16 to validate these points. The purpose is not to research a case study and then attempt to extrapolate from it axioms of weapons procurement. The exercise is intended to yield credence to the points referred to above.

This study was designed to develop a rating instrument to measure the effectiveness of the first phase of management education for an Air Force officer, An officer's ability to lead, the first objective of management training, is intrinsically related to the ability to write, speak, and solve problems. These were behaviorally stated in a 60 item survey. Supervisors (N = 174) were asked to rate the frequency of occurrence of these behaviors for a subordinate. The survey was administered on two occasions to supervisors of officers eligible for training. Item analysis of the results reflected a strong favorable response bias with usable variability. Data indicated the instrument was a unidimensional internally consistent scale.

Work measurement systems are widely used by American manufacturers in establishing labor standards as inputs for budgeting, estimating, planning, evaluating, and managing production. These systems are used by defense related and non-defense related contractors alike. However in 1987, their use was required in United States Air Force major procurement contracts through Military Standard 1567A.

This study was a simple "before" and "after" attitude measurement experiment using an experimental group and a control group. The attitude measurements were made before and after the subjects in the experimental group were presented an informational briefing about the Air Force ROTC training program. Both the experimental group and the control group were subject to exposure to the Air Force mass communication advertising during the two-month study period. The results indicate that the increased knowledge gained by the experimental group through its exposure to the informational briefing caused a negative change of attitude within the group. However, the control group had no significant change of attitude during the study period even though more than 87 percent of those subjects were exposed to some form of Air Force advertising.

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of vitamin E supplementation on lipid peroxidation, muscle damage, muscle soreness and physical performance following repeated bouts of whole body resistance exercise. Eighteen active males were randomly assigned to receive either vitamin E (1200 IU per day) or placebo for 31 days. Following 21 days of supplementation, subjects engaged in 3 resistance exercise sessions, separated by 3 days rest (EX-1, EX-2 and EX-3 on days 22, 25 and 28, respectively). Plasma malondialdehyde concentrations did not peak until the morning prior to EX-3 in the vitamin E (VE) group (10.0 ± 0.6 µmol/L) and the day following EX3 in the placebo (P) group (9.6 ± 0.9 µmol/L), with no significant differences between groups. Creatine kinase activity was significantly elevated the day following EX-1 in both groups. The VE group had a near 2-fold greater CK peak as compared to the P group the day following EX-1 (404 ± 49 and 214 ± 60 U/L, respectively), but the two groups had similar CK values by day 31 (113 ± 35 and 107 ± 36 U/L, respectively). Muscle soreness was significantly increased for each group the day after EX-1 with no significant differences between groups.Furthermore, there were no significant differences between groups in muscle strength, power or endurance. The results of the present study do not indicate any positive effect of vitamin E supplementation against lipid peroxidation, muscle damage or muscle soreness as a result of repeated days of resistance exercise. In addition, vitamin E did not have an effect on muscular performance. / Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) of first-term Air Force medical service corps (MSC) officers and their initial occupational placement matches (OCUPLACE MATCH), and, if so, whether this could it predict job satisfaction. The population consisted of 116 first-term Air Force MSC officers already assigned and working at their initial occupational placement. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS®) computer software program was used for the statistical computation. Several techniques were used, including, frequency distribution, the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, and regression analyses, among others. Results showed a statistical significant correlation between the MBTI type of the first-term MSC officer matches and their initial occupational placement (OCUPLACE MATCH, r = .440, p < .01). Furthermore, results of a regression analysis showed no statistical significance for predication on job satisfaction (r = 492, F = .887, p < .05). Based on this study, the Air Force Personnel Center can match first-term MSC officers' personality type to an initial occupation placement; however, based on the second part of the hypothesis, prediction of job satisfaction may not be yield on less other aspects of the group are considered such as time in service, source of recruitment, initial occupation's location, etc.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of History / Donald J. Mrozek / This dissertation examines the development of the professional military studies curriculum at the United States Air Force Academy. The study explores the rationale behind establishing an Air Force Academy, along the lines similar to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point or the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. The quest for an additional academy emphasized the need for specialized training of air force cadets and creating a common bond for its future officer corps, rather than recognizing the necessity to equip them with a professional military education regarding warfare and how air power influences war, for example. This trend continued in the two main studies used to justify the Air Force Academy, as well as the development of the initial curriculum, where an integrated academic curriculum, one that emphasized both the sciences and engineering as well as the social sciences and humanities, placed any discussion of professional military studies on the back burner. The challenge of the Academy’s general academic curriculum on the cadet’s time left little room for the development of a strong, rigorous professional military studies program. However, the confluence of a cheating scandal at West Point and the resulting report, as well as a reflection during the 25th anniversary of the Academy’s founding in 1979, which developed questions on the professional military studies program within the curriculum, led to the establishment of a Permanent Professor within the Deputy Commandant for Military Instruction, and resulted in drastic changes to the curriculum for the cadets, specifically involving professional military studies. Today, the United States Air Force Academy has a Department of Military and Strategic Studies under the overall authority of the Dean of Faculty. This department has as its charter the role to provide “the study of the context, theory, and application of military power”—with special emphasis on the role of airpower to the art and science of war. The document that helps define the duty of the department also states that this necessary study for officer candidates constitutes “the essence of a military academy education” and, most certainly, the central core of a professional military studies program.

The problem of this study was to determine the relationships between a number of mental factors, reading factors, aptitudes, situational factors, and training achievement in four Air Force civil engineering technical courses, and to determine which combination of factors was most reliable for forecasting training achievement in each of the courses.