Combat veterans often return from war with psychological as well as physical injuries. Armed service members who are bodily injured routinely go to hospitals for treatment, first at military hospitals and later in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system. But those with psychological injuries like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often go years, if not a lifetime, without treatment, in large part because the VA denies their claims with dubious justification. Veterans’ service organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the American Legion, and others, as well as state and county governments, have knowledgeable service officers whose job is to help guide veterans through the VA system and through the many appeals that are often needed to get treatment and an adequate disability rating that could result in monetary payments. This report tells the story of one VFW post in Burnet, Texas, its veterans, their families, and how their success in getting treatment for PTSD has positively affected their lives. It has also enabled them, as they recover, to help other veterans seek treatment and win compensatory disability ratings too. The report focuses on one Vietnam veteran, who four decades after his discharge from the Army came to be treated for PTSD. / text

The draining of the Iraqi Marshlands is an example of the reorganization of a linked social-ecological system (SES) following a collapse. The goal of this study was to examine the utility of resilience as a water management tool through a case study of the Marshlands. Using the Four-Step Framework by Walker et al. (2002), it analyzed the Marshlands through the metaphor of the adaptive cycle, explored three possible future scenarios, created two models to characterize the system, and reviewed the implications of the analysis for water management in the Marshlands and resilience. This study found that resilience, and the Framework, could offer new perspectives for managing complex SESs. However, resilience is not useful during times of intense violent conflict, like war. It also found that there are resilient pathways to help the Marshlands reorganize. However, the Marshlands are very vulnerable and require strong institutional support to keep them from disappearing.

Cette étude examine les représentations interculturelles chez les boursiers irakiens en mobilité académique en France afin d’analyser l’influence de ces représentations sur le processus de l’apprentissage du français. Nous avons d’abord étudié le contexte culturel et d’études en Irak pour mettre à jour les repères sur lesquels sont construites ces représentations. Nous avons ensuite présenté les différentes théories de la représentation, des sciences du langage et de l’interculturalité qui ont servi de jalons dans le cheminement de l’analyse. Ces apports ont permis d’analyser les données collectées auprès des étudiants irakiens en mobilité en France par deux enquêtes différentes, l’une quantitative, l’autre qualitative. L’analyse linguistique des discours a permis la mise à jour des différentes représentations et l’évaluation des niveaux de français. Les résultats obtenus en croisant les données ont dressé un état des lieux des différents facteurs influençant l’apprentissage du français. Ces éléments ont éclairé la nature de la motivation des étudiants boursiers irakiens. Nous avons comparé ces résultats à nos hypothèses afin de voir si celles-ci sont validées. Nous avons enfin proposé des recommandations en vue d’améliorer cet apprentissage du français par les étudiants boursiers irakiens. / This study examines the intercultural performances for Iraqi scholarship students in situation of mobility in France. To analyze the impact of these representations on the process of learning French language. We first studied the cultural context in Iraq to update landmarks on which are built these representations. We presented then the various theories of representation, sciences of language and intercultural which served as milestones or foundations in the process of analysis. These reports have analyzed data collected from Iraqi students in mobility in France by two surveys. One is quantitative and the other is qualitative.The linguistic analyses of discourse which we have made, update differentre presentations and evaluation of their French level. The results obtained by crossing data compiled an inventory of the various factors influencing learning French language. These have informed the nature of the motivation of Iraqi scholarship students. We compared these results with our assumptions to see if they are validated. We finally propose recommendations to improve learning of French language by Iraqi scholarship students

abstract: As many as one-third of OEF/OIF soldiers and combat veterans may be struggling with less visible psychological injuries. Military/veteran students may face heightened difficulties as they are not only adjusting to civilian life but also transitioning to college life. University administrators and staff have been charged to address their transitional needs and to promote their academic success. Despite significant influx in enrollment with the passing of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, research on OEF/OIF service members and veterans in higher education remains limited. Utilizing self-report measures, the current study examined the psychosocial functioning of 323 military/veteran students enrolled at Arizona State University who served at least one combat deployment as part of OEF/OIF. The study further investigated whether enlisting for educational benefits and utilizing campus programs/services were associated with more positive academic persistence decisions. Participants were also asked to rate ASU's programming for military/veteran students as well as suggest campus programs/services to promote their academic success. More PTSD symptoms, depression, anxiety, and anger/aggression were found to be associated with less cultural congruity and lower perceived social support. Cultural congruity and social support were significant predictors of academic persistence decisions. Participants who reported utilizing more campus programs/services also tended to endorse more positive persistence decisions. No significant differences in persistence decisions were found between participants who enlisted in the military for education benefits and those who enlisted for non-educational reasons. Approximately two-thirds reported utilizing academic advising services and Veteran Benefits and Certifications. Library services, financial aid services, and ASU sporting events were the next most frequently utilized. More than 91% rated ASU's programming satisfactory or better. Over 71% of participants indicated that increasing recognition of their military experience would facilitate their academic success. Nearly 40% recommended a military/veteran student lounge and improvements to VA education benefits counseling. Another 30% recommended that ASU provide professional development for faculty/staff on military/veteran readjustment issues, improve the re-enrollment process following deployment/training, offer a veteran-specific orientation, and establish a department or center for military/veteran programming. Findings are discussed in light of Tinto's interactionist model of college student attrition, and implications for university mental health providers are presented. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Counseling Psychology 2012

In recent years, the IRI has managed to increase its influence in the Middle East. The strategic use of proxy warfare has played a central role as surrounding countries have become destabilised. However, following the positivist logic of structural IR theories, the materially inferior IRI should not be a stronger player in the region’s conflicts than the US and its Arab allies. The Iranian success in proxy warfare, therefore, provides a paradox for the explanatory framework of reductionist IR theories which rely on rational and positivist epistemologies. I argue that this is because these perspectives do not endorse an adequate comprehension of the mutual embedded relations which have served the IRI a strategic advantage in proxy warfare. In a challenge to the parsimonious reductionism of structural IR and security studies, I adopt Feklyunina’s constructivist framework for analysing soft power as a relational identity. Thereby, I switch the focus from a top-down analysis of the IRI to a focus including Iraqi insurgencies’ acceptance or rejection of the IRI’s national identity and foreign policy goals. I argue that identity matter in proxy relations. Hence, I estimate the IRI’s strength in proxy warfare based on potential Iraqi insurgencies’ compatible identities. I employ a longitudinal historical research design tracing the development of collective identities within Iraq. The study finds that the Iraqi Shi’ites share important common facets of their identity with the IRI and have subsequently been willing to fight as proxies against American and Sunni forces in Iraq. However, identity and legitimacy structures in the Middle East are complex, multifaceted, constantly changing, and dependent on context. Iraqi Shi’ites still preserve some reservations and antipathy towards the Iranian regime due to a nationalist sense of community.

Adaptive sports programs (ASPs) are important for enhancing the physical, psychological, and social aspects of life for amputee combat veterans while reducing the risk of depression and anger. Although the role of ASPs in improving quality of life (QoL) has been researched in relation to amputee combat veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, there has been limited examination of the role of ASPs in improving QoL among veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation Noble Eagle (OND). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the effects of ASPs on the QoL of amputee veterans of OEF, OIF, and OND using logistic regression as well as 3 surveys assessing QoL and life satisfaction in combat veterans who suffered traumatic amputations between 2003 and 2013. The dependent and independent variables included psychosocial and behavioral factors for those amputees who participated in an ASP versus those amputees who did not. There was a statistically significant association (ï?£2(4) = 13.44, p < 0.003) between gender and perception of overall health. Likewise, there was a statistically significant association (ï?£2(2) = 15.63, p < 0.000) between enjoying life and having a meaningful life and participation in an ASP. The findings indicate that participation in ASPs may help improve QoL and overall health for amputee veterans. Public health programs and policies aimed at improving the overall health and wellbeing of amputee veterans should consider ASPs as essential therapeutic interventions for promoting health in amputee veteran populations.

No description available.

The fact that military logistics should be studied more is mentioned by many, but the problem still seems to persist year after year. To be able to study war from a logistical perspective, theories and theoretical frameworks need to be developed. The systems and terms for operational logistics are not as clear as the terms used for the strategic and tactical level. Moshe Kress has developed properties to explain the operational logistics. This thesis examines if the properties can explain the operational logistics, through a theory-testing comparative case study of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The results shows that Kress's properties can explain the operational logistics during the operations. The analysis of Operation Enduring Freedom shows that all four properties was fulfilled. Operation Iraqi Freedom, which had clear logistical shortcomings during the operation, however, only shows fulfillment of one property, partial fulfillment of two properties and that one property was not fulfilled at all.

Учитель языка использует коммуникацию в качестве подхода к обучению для повышения коммуникативной компетентности учащихся. Педагогическое обоснование использования коммуникативного подхода на уроках иностранного языка частично зависит от утверждения, что они помогут развить коммуникативные навыки учащихся, и частично от утверждения, что они будут способствовать их языковому развитию. В связи с этим основной целью исследования было изучение контекстуального подхода к преподаванию грамматики в иракской начальной школе. Это исследование было проведено аналитически и после серии заранее определенных шагов, в ходе которых оно наблюдало, критически наблюдало и анализировало явление. Результаты этого исследования показывают, что отношение иракских учителей к коммуникативной деятельности и коммуникативному подходу к преподаванию грамматики является положительным. Иракские учителя были заинтересованы в этом подходе, потому что они нашли его очень полезным для учащихся, они считают, что этот метод дает учащимся возможность взаимодействовать и взаимодействовать со своими друзьями и учителем в классе. Многие учителя также сообщили, что из-за акцента на общении коммуникативный метод необходим для изучения грамматики английского языка в классе, и приняли его. / The language teacher uses communication as a teaching approach to enhance students’ communicative competence. The pedagogical rationale for the use of communicative approach in a language teaching class depends in part on the claim that they will help develop learners’ communicative skills and in part on a claim that they will contribute incidentally to their linguistic development. In this regard, the main goal of the study was to investigate a contextual approach for the teaching of grammar in Iraqi primary school. This research was carried out analytically and following a series of predetermined steps, during which it observed, critically observed and analyzed the phenomenon. The findings of this study indicate that Iraqi teachers' attitudes toward communication activities and the communication approach to grammar teaching are positive. The Iraqi teachers were interested in this approach because they found it very useful for the students, they believe that this method provides students with an opportunity to interact and interact with their friends and the teacher in the classroom. Many teachers also reported that because of the emphasis on communication, the communicative method is essential for learning English grammar in the classroom and accepted it.

Modern conflicts once again move towards interstate wars that requires extensive logistical capabilities that enables offensive military operations with conventional forces. As force composition and technical systems becomes more complex, logistical flexibility becomes an attribute necessary to supply high tempo campaigns. The study conducts a comparative case study that investigates the logistical flexibility’s effect on logistical vacuum in past operations. The result display that logistical flexibility is an important factor for successfully supplying offensive military operations at the operational level and the mitigation of the logistic vacuum. The study combines and evaluates logistical factors on the macro and micro level to measure the logistical vacuum present and how it occurs in some cases and is avoided in others. The work contributes to the knowledge of logistical flexibility and how it could affect future force structure and appearance of logistics.