<p> Nearly two million combat veterans are now in various stages of the process of returning from service and entering higher education using the post-9/11 GI Bill. Who is guiding and advising them in the process of this transition, and how are they doing it? To help answer this question, this qualitative phenomenological study examines the narratives of successful student veterans for ways that mentors played a role in their transition from military service to academia. The study was informed by an examination of relevant literature, including individual mentoring and group mentoring; medical and non-medical readjustment counseling for returning combat veterans; various branches of psychology, communication, social construction, and warrior mythology and storytelling. Narrative data were examined using a composite metatheoretical model drawing on domains of human experience (Shay, 2010), integral theory and the all quadrants, all levels (AQAL) model (Wilber, 2006), and the coordinated management of meaning theory of social construction in communication (Pearce, 2008). This analysis revealed patterns of multiple mentor interaction across various social worlds that helped them to make meaning from their experiences in transition, and bridge between different social contexts of home, military, and school. An unexpected but significant finding was the presence and role of traumatic experiences fitting the description of &ldquo;moral injury&rdquo; (Drescher et al., 2011) or &ldquo;psychic wounding&rdquo; (Malabou, 2012) as linked to the episodes of being mentored while making meaning of these experiences. This suggests the relationship of coordinated mentor communications to the phenomenon of posttraumatic growth, and the particular attunement of adult education (andragogy) as enabling context. Applying these findings to the composite four-quadrant model resulted in an integrated conceptual model of &ldquo;contextual mentoring,&rdquo; which provides a framework to consider the way coordinated mentor influences may act as mediating structures to support the development or transformation of returning veterans during their transition in higher education.</p><p> <i>Keywords:</i> veterans, mentoring, group mentoring, posttraumatic growth, moral injury, phenomenology, communication, coordinated management of meaning (CMM), social construction of reality, adult learning, andragogy, mediating structures.</p>

<p> This dissertation explores the obstacles for US formal military bases in Latin America. While in the past, the United States managed to establish bases in several countries in the region, despite Washington's efforts every negotiation to open new bases has failed since 2000, and older bases have been terminated, as in the case of Ecuador. Using evidence from Ecuador, Colombia, El Salvador, and other countries in the region, the dissertation finds that shifts in government preferences do not explain this failure. Instead, domestic challenges to host governments in Latin America systematically appear as blocking mechanisms that impede the establishment of foreign military bases, even when leaders support them. </p><p> The dissertation builds on the work of Alexander Cooley and others and develops a model of base politics to explain how domestic political calculations affect foreign basing negotiations. Furthermore, the dissertation finds that when formal bases have not succeeded, interested governments have worked around domestic constrains to establish alternative and informal arrangements that allow US military presence and operations in their countries. These alternative arrangements, or quasi-bases, have advanced US security interests in Latin America even in the absence of formal base leases, while at the same time their secrecy and informality protects Latin American leaders from domestic contestation.</p>

<p> Over two million military personnel will leave the service over the next decade (Cook &amp; Kim; 2009). The majority of these veterans will receive the most generous GI Bill since its inception (United States Department of Veterans Affairs [VA], 2011). Institutions will covet these students to offset discounting (Barr &amp; McClellan, 2011; Basch, 1997; Curs &amp; Singell, 2010; Parrott, 2008; United States Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee [HELP], 2012). To recruit and retain these students, military veterans must view these institutions as friendly (Bean &amp; Metzner, 1985; Radford, 2011; Vacchi, 2012). </p><p> Previous studies focused on transition and access to veteran services (Ackerman, DiRamio, &amp; Garza-Mitchell, 2009; Cook &amp; Kim; 2009; Diamond, 2012; DiRamio, Ackerman, &amp; Mitchell, 2008; Griffin &amp; Gilbert, 2012; McBain, Kim, Cook, &amp; Snead, 2012; Rumann &amp; Hamrick, 2010). They identified factors that contribute to military friendliness along dimensions of cost, culture, collaboration, convenience, caring, and characteristics; however, they did not correlate these variables with veteran perceptions of friendliness (Ackerman et al., 2009; Diamond, 2012; DiRamio et al., 2008; Rumann &amp; Hamrick, 2010). These studies were qualitative and used small samples (Ackerman et al., 2009; Diamond, 2012; DiRamio, et al., 2008; Rumann &amp; Hamrick, 2010). This study determined how military veterans ranked these variables, compared how they differed by demographics, and determined to what extent these factors explained impressions of military friendliness at their institutions. </p><p> This quantitative correlational study surveyed veteran populations (N=188) at five institutions in the New England. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to run descriptive and inferential statistics to rank military friendliness factors and compare these rankings along various demographics. Findings revealed significant differences in student perceptions based on gender, marital status, children, age, combat experience, military status, educational assistance eligibility, academic status, institution type, and college residency. Findings also determined to what extent and in what manner these factors explained respondents' perceptions of military friendliness at their own institutions. The results of this study may inform higher educational leaders how to prioritize initiatives and to provide better support to military veteran students.</p>

<p> Military personnel and first responders operate in complex operational environments, and must be able to perform under physical, psychological, and emotional stress. Research suggests that resiliency assuages stress and improves the performance of military personnel and first responders. However, there are no studies examining the effects of resiliency on military first responders in training. The purpose of this research was to determine whether the dispositional hardiness traits of commitment, control and challenge displayed by Marine aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) specialist trainees correlated to success in classroom performance, success during practical exercises, higher graduation rates. The theoretical foundation for this ex post facto quantitative study was psychological and organizational resiliency, as represented by Kobasa's hardiness theory. The convenience sample consisted of 60 Marine ARFF specialists trainees using self-report surveys during 2013. Independent samples t tests and hierarchical regression analyses revealed no statistical significance between higher hardiness levels and academic and practical application performance, although physical injury and other factors not measured by the hardiness construct were found to impact graduation rates negatively. The implications for positive social change include expanding organizational conceptions of resilience to measure dispositional factors not assessed by hardiness. This study may also offer insights into improving Marine Corps and first responder selection, training, and educational programs, as well as their performance and quality of life.</p>

<p> The U.S. DoD budget has grown to over a half trillion dollars annually. Unfortunately, the majority of these acquisitions do not satisfy their initial performance objectives in terms of cost, schedule, and technical performance. The U.S. DoD attributes these shortfalls in part to the use of immature technologies within these programs. The U.S. DoD endorsed and later mandated the use of Technology Readiness Assessments (TRAs) and knowledge-based practices in the early 2000's to be used as a tool in the management of program acquisition risk. Unfortunately, the expense of implementing TRAs can be significant, especially when programs include knowledge-based practices such as prototyping, performance specifications, test plans, and technology maturity plans. What has been the economic impact of these TRA practices on the acquisition performance of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force? The conundrum that exists today is there is no commonly accepted approach used to determine the economic value of TRAs. This study provides a model for the valuation of TRAs in assessing the risk of technical maturity. It provides a framework to evaluate the economic benefits of performing Technology Readiness Assessments on acquisition performance using cost and technology maturity risks to derive economic benefits, which can then be input into valuation techniques such as benefit/cost ratio, return on investment percentage, net present value, and real options analysis. </p><p> (Keywords: TRA, Knowledge-Based Acquisition, B/CR, ROI%, NPV, ROA).</p>

<p> This study examined three different instructional delivery modalities in order to identify the best practices for training and education of military personnel from the Department of Defense (DOD) in preparation for supporting civilian authorities during emergencies, disasters, and catastrophic events. This quantitative research sought to identify the best practices for military education recognizing the instructional delivery that results in the highest student academic performance and the highest level of personal learning satisfaction in order to identify program effectiveness and maximize the use of educational budget for DOD.</p><p> The population for this research study consisted of nine hundred students (n=900), divided into three groups of 300 students who graduated from the US Army North (USARNORTH) training program for Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA) course level II, conducted from 2012 to 2014. Each group was composed of five courses of 60 students each who have completed the Defense Support to Civilian Authorities (DSCA) program via one of the three instructional delivery methods: face-to-face instruction, n=300; digital instruction, n=300; or web-based instruction, n=300. This study used secondary data collected from 2012 to 2014 from students&rsquo; academic final grades and satisfaction survey feedback to identify the best instructional methodology. The finding after conducting all statistical analyses reveled that in fact the overall, type of instruction significantly affected participants&rsquo; reported course satisfaction and course success, even when controlling for educational level, branch of service, gender, and instructor teaching experience. Based upon the findings, participants who received face to face instruction had higher course success (final grades) than did participants who had web-based and digital instruction. Participants who had face-to-face instruction also reported higher course satisfaction than did participants who had web-based and digital instruction. When examining the differences between digital and web-based instruction, parametric and nonparametric findings suggests that when controlling for demographic covariates, participants who had web-based instruction were more likely to report higher satisfaction responses than were participants who had digital instruction. However, the results were mixed between webbased and digital instruction for course success. Finally, the results of this study provide a better understanding of the most effective instructional approach and practical contributions that could improve current military education modalities and enhance instruction delivery by supporting face to face education as the instructional method that provides a higher level of students &lsquo;success and satisfaction which can be used to justify allocation of funds and resources for educational programs for DOD which is currently impacted by a ten-year cut in spending due to caps instituted by the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011 (Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR2014). xviii</p>

<p> This qualitative study identified the challenges, supports, and services that a diverse sample of veterans with disabilities utilized as undergraduate students at universities across the United States. The study sample consisted of ten veterans with disabilities who were currently enrolled in, or had graduated within five years from, a four-year postsecondary institution. The participants attended ten different universities and were a diverse sample in terms of disabilities, branch of service, combat exposure, area of study, and gender. The veterans participated in semi-structured interviews that examined their transition, academic, and social experiences in college. </p><p> Generally, the participants struggled during the transition to school and received a limited number of supports from their postsecondary institutions. The majority also faced a number of academic challenges, although they did not seek formal assistance. There was a severe lapse in Disability Support Services (DSS) as none of the participants registered with the DSS office and more than half were unaware that these supports were available to them. The veterans had limited social experiences on campus and none of them opted to join student veterans' organizations and other social groups, though they felt most comfortable around other veterans. These findings suggest the need for additional research on veterans with disabilities, specifically between those who are receiving DSS and those who are not. There is also a clear need for improved transition services, including methods of identifying veterans with disabilities, and academic supports at four-year institutions. Furthermore, these results indicate that it is may be more effective to connect veterans to each other through channels outside of traditional on-campus veterans' organizations.</p>

<p>U.S. Army Regulations require soldiers to be fit, as excessive weight negatively impacts their readiness, health, and morale. A quantitative study examined if personal, behavioral, and/or environmental factors predict a soldier&rsquo;s self-efficacy and body mass index. Data were obtained from 117 soldiers on 6 scales: the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, the Army Physical Fitness Test, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Stress Management Questionnaire, the Lifestyle Assessment Inventory, and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine if personal (intellectual capabilities and physical fitness), behavioral (lifestyle and stress management), and/or environmental (supervisor leadership) factors predict self-efficacy and body mass index in a convenience sample of battalion personnel. The analysis showed that lifestyle and stress management behavioral factors predict self-efficacy, whereas physical fitness predicts body mass index. In addition, there were significant correlations between self-efficacy, personal factors, and behavioral factors; between personal factors, behavioral factors, and body mass index; and between behavioral and environmental factors. Positive social change implications include the U.S. Army using these findings to promote healthy lifestyles, reduce stress, and increase physical fitness among soldiers to achieve higher self-efficacy and a lower body mass index. These findings also suggest that the military services would see better physical readiness by considering personal, behavioral, and environmental factors to meet standards. </p>

<p> The purpose of this dissertation is to compare and assess the national-level determinants of military airpower diffusion in the early and late 20^th century. To do so I look at the invention of military airpower, its initial adoption patterns, and the intensity of adoption over time. I find that there are two principal determinants of airpower diffusion. The first, and most consistent, determinant is resources, specifically national levels of military power. States with high levels of military capability, as determined by the Composite Index of National Capability (CINC) score, are more likely to adopt airpower earlier and with greater intensity. The second determinant, national status, has had a more complex effect on airpower diffusion. In the early 20^th century national status, or a desire to adhere to the norm of technological modernity, increased the speed and intensity with which states adopted airpower. In the late 20^th century, though, pressure to acquire airpower capabilities for status purposes no longer held. Instead, it appears that states concerned about their relative levels of status became slightly less likely to pursue airpower. </p><p> I also find that external threats are an important underlying cause for increasing airpower adoption intensity, that population constraints affected airpower adoption in the late 20^th century, and that among the very earliest airpower adopters the presence of public advocacy groups in favor of aviation increased the rate of airpower adoption. In both the early and late 20^th century the airpower diffusion process was facilitated by diplomatic communication channels which allowed for the rapid dissemination of information on aircraft performance and capabilities. These findings are synthesized into two proposed models of airpower diffusion in the final chapter. These models are intended to guide future research into military innovation diffusion.</p>

<p> Previous literature substantiates that military spouses have a direct impact on reenlistment decisions of active duty service members. Studies state that life satisfaction and family support are interrelated, and a military spouse&rsquo;s life satisfaction with the military is conceded as the key predictor in reenlistment decisions. Previous research on military spouses focuses on the female spouse population and there is a lack of research concerning the growing male spouse population. This dissertation research study utilized a quantitative experimental design with the primary goal of investigating the relationship between civilian male military spouses&rsquo; life satisfaction, sense of community, social support, and utilization of U.S. Air Force overseas base agency support and community services. Data was collected from 81 completed surveys through an online format using SurveyMonkey using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, &amp; Griffin, 1985), Sense of Community Index-2 (SCI-2) (Chavis, Lee, &amp; Acosta, 2008), Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) social support survey (Sherbourne &amp; Stewart, 1991), and a dichotomous survey. The gathered data was subsequently analyzed utilizing simple linear regression and ANOVA. No statistically significant correlation between participating in base community services and life satisfaction was found. Sense of community and social support were found as statistically significant predictors of life satisfaction. There was no statistically significant correlation in life satisfaction, between those that do actively utilizing base agency services compared to those that do not. Military leadership can use the knowledge gained from the findings of this study to identify and construct support services and programs to adequately support the male spouse population. </p>