<p> Problem. As demonstrated by strategic miscalculations since World War II, national security and military strategy development often do not integrate understanding of a range of possible future conditions in the national security environment. Scholarly research lacks examination of the role foreseeing plays in strategy development in the national security, or military, context. Foreseeing as a cognitive process, to include its application in sectors other than the national security establishment, is a much-discussed but not empirically researched topic within the strategy and management fields. </p><p> Research question. This study addressed one primary research question: How does the process of foreseeing possible future conditions inform development of national security strategy? </p><p> Method. This research was a case study of foreseeing, viewed as it occurred within the organizational strategy development process initiated by the commanding officer of a large U.S. military organization and key senior members of his staff. The researcher conducted interviews of the commander and his staff, observed a strategy review session, and reviewed working documents and published strategy documents produced by the organization. </p><p> Conclusions. The study resulted in three conclusions. The first and most fundamental conclusion was that foreseeing was observed in this case of strategy development through eight properties that describe the foreseeing process, and they were dynamically interrelated to generate enactive inputs to strategic decision making. Next, the data clearly illustrated that foreseeing was shaped by several factors, including individual characteristics of the participants, external environmental conditions, and internal aspects of the organization that impacted the organization&rsquo;s strategic resource allocation decisions. Finally, foreseeing and sensemaking, as described by Dr. Karl Weick and his colleagues over several years, are inextricably linked as distinct but complementary processes; foreseeing is sensemaking forward.</p>

<p> Although media attention is increasing describing the effects military commander&rsquo;s toxic leadership has on the organization and subordinate military members, few studies focus on an Army commander toxic leadership (ACTL) as experienced by an Army officer&rsquo;s wife (AOW) whose spouse is subordinate to the ACTL. Researchers have focused on the unique stressors experienced by military members and their families in an attempt to gain insight and understanding into the unique culture from a stress theory perspective. Studies report the active duty member&rsquo;s is challenged with negative interpersonal relationship problems, reduced coping skills, limited resources, and feelings of hopelessness resulting from the exposure to a commander&rsquo;s toxic leadership. The stress theory is rooted in positive psychology focusing on individual perceptions and strengths to overcome stressors from a culturally competent lens. This qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of 10 Army officer&rsquo;s wives on their journey through an Army commander&rsquo;s toxic leadership. The participants were recruited nationwide from the social media network, Facebook. Participants were interviewed using a modified, semi-structured interview guide to insure responses were related to the central research question. The results of the study confirmed the presence of non-normative stressors, coping skills, resources, and crises framed from a stress theory perspective. Themes were related to ACTL stressor description, ACTL hardships, stressor meeting resources, and outcome gains and costs. The study concluded that the experience of an ACTL is an institutional cancer with the high-propensity to metastasize, leaving a path of destruction, poison, and scars in its&rsquo; path.</p>

<p> <b>Background:</b> U.S. foreign policy is presently and extensively tied to health initiatives, many related to the use of military assets. Despite substantial resource investment by the Department of Defense (DoD) in hospital ship missions, their impact is unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify how Navy hospital ship missions are evaluated in the literature and understand how and why hospital ship missions influence partnerships. </p><p> <b>Methods:</b> The study included a systematic review of hospital ship literature and a qualitative embedded case study including key stakeholder interviews and a documentary review. The systematic literature review included peer reviewed and grey literature from eight databases representing the international community and multiple sectors. Data on the characteristics of missions related to U.S. Navy hospital ship humanitarian assistance and disaster response from 2004 to 2012 were extracted and documented. The case study used the Mercy's Pacific Partnership mission to Timor-Leste in 2008 and 2010 as cases, with embedded units of analysis consisting of the four partnership organizations: the U.S. government, partner nation, host nation, and non-governmental organizations. </p><p> <b>Results:</b> Forty-three of 1445 sources identified during the systematic literature review met the inclusion criteria. The three most significant findings were: (1) the dearth of Navy hospital ship empirical studies; (2) the scant number of sources describing partnership impact; and (3) the complete absence of diplomatic, development, and host nation primary author publications related to Navy hospital ship missions. Fifteen themes related to how and why hospital ship missions influence partnerships emerged from 37 key stakeholder interviews and the documentary review. They included: opening dialogue; developing trust, relationships, and credibility; understanding partner constraints, partner agendas, and host nation needs; developing new perspectives; sharing resources; generating innovation; achieving parent organization objectives; increasing visibility and host nation capacity; sharing leadership; and performing new activities. Factors facilitating joining the mission included partner nations seeking a regional presence, senior executive historical relationships, and word of mouth. Enablers included historical relationships, host nation receptivity, continuity of personnel, and partner integration. The primary barrier to joining was the military leading the mission. Internal constraints included the short mission duration, participant resentment, and a lack of personnel continuity. External constraints included low host nation and USAID capacity. </p><p> <b>Discussion:</b> The systematic literature review supported existing criticism of the DoDs need to more effectively measure humanitarian assistance mission impact. The embedded case study found the idea of building partnerships exists among most units of analysis. However, the results show a delay in downstream effects of the hospital ship mission on generating action and impact among the participants. Without policy, guidance, and planning documents reinforcing these constructs, achieving downstream partnership effects will remain challenging. Efforts should be made by participants to magnify the facilitators and enablers while developing mitigation strategies for the barriers and constraints identified. Doing so should increase the participants' ability to achieve the partnership goal. Now is the time in this era of global fiscal constraints and a shift toward international partnerships for actors participating in Navy hospital ship missions to objectively measure their impact. The participants and beneficiaries of these missions as well as the American taxpayers that fund them deserve nothing less.</p>

<p> Research on subordinate-supervisor communication has revealed that employees in civilian organizations often stay silent about workplace problems. Comfort levels between subordinates and supervisors, was a major factor to this silence. Currently, there exists very little literature on upward communication from subordinate to supervisor amongst U.S. Naval Officers. The purpose of this thesis was to explore Junior Officer (JO) feelings and perceived obstacles about communicating up the chain of command with senior officers. Interview questions from a previous study (Milliken, Morrison, &amp; Hewlin, 2003) on subordinate-supervisor communication were adapted for an electronic survey and used to explore JO feelings and perceived obstacles when communicating workplace problems with senior officers. Results answered the research question, revealing that while JOs are generally comfortable when communicating with their senior officers, the hierarchy does negatively affect their communication upward. Other major reasons to remain silent were attributed to feelings of futility and fear of being perceived negatively by others.</p><p> <i>Keywords:</i> communicative action, deck-plate leadership, effectiveness, interagency, junior officer, participation, subordinate-supervisor communication</p>

<p>Combat Veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represent a vulnerable population that requires effective psychotherapeutic interventions. However, not all established treatments are universally effective for the estimated 20% of Veterans diagnosed with PTSD. A need for innovative approaches to manage symptoms of combat-related PTSD has been suggested in order to support traditional psychotherapeutic methods. Consequently, therapists have embraced complementary and alternative interventions for Veterans that include equine facilitated/assisted psychotherapy (EFP/EAP). Therapists who include EFP/EAP have agreed that interacting with horses in a therapeutic environment can have a positive impact on the health and behavior of individuals experiencing symptoms of PTSD. This descriptive phenomenological study, pursued through a common factors lens, explored the lived experiences of five licensed/credentialed mental health professionals who included EFP/EAP with Veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with participants selected from the East and West Coasts of the United States. The research questions addressed why therapists chose to include the EFP/EAP intervention, how they conceived the EFP/EAP treatment as efficacious for Veterans, and how the common factors of the client, therapist, and collaborative relationship, in addition to specific factors, were reflected and involved in the EFP/EAP therapeutic process. Therapists' descriptions revealed seven major themes: "The horse-human relationship," "Building trust," "It engages people both mentally and physically," "From the beginning," "Nonverbal communication," "Emotional safety," and "A faster vehicle." Additionally, therapists' descriptions supported the common factors paradigm in psychotherapy. Findings indicated that therapists in this study chose EFP/EAP as a treatment option for Veterans diagnosed with PTSD because qualities of the horse evoked positive past subjective experiences in the therapists, the EFP/EAP intervention supported their primary theoretical orientations as psychotherapists, and the horse and its environment can address treatment goals relevant to behavioral and psychosocial difficulties in Veterans' lives. A recommendation for future research is for larger, international studies that explore the viewpoints of therapists who practice equine therapies in other countries in order to expand the knowledge base and address the competency and standards discussion in the EFP/EAP field. </p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to write a grant to fund a program to provide individual Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) to female veterans diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at the Long Beach Veterans Administration Medical Center (LBVAMC) in Long Beach, California. An extensive review of the literature included a review of current treatment modalities endorsed and utilized by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In this literature review, IPT was identified as a promising treatment modality with positive outcomes in smaller sample sizes, and among different populations diagnosed with PTSD. The grant writer then designed a treatment program and wrote a grant to support a program to deliver IPT to female veterans diagnosed with PTSD. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of this project.</p>

<p> In order to facilitate and evaluate physical readiness, active duty personnel of all branches of the U.S. military are required to pass periodic fitness assessments. United States Air Force (USAF) personnel must pass a fitness assessment in order to earn satisfactory performance evaluations and be eligible for special duty assignments and promotion. Prior research suggests that fitness levels in women decrease after pregnancy and childbirth and that most women have not achieved pre-pregnancy fitness levels by 6 months postpartum. Furthermore, women can be particularly vulnerable to mental and physical health problems during the postpartum period. Therefore, some women may struggle in preparing for and passing the 6-month postpartum fitness assessment. It is unknown how training for the fitness assessment during this time of vulnerability may impact health. </p><p> The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of active duty women as they prepare for their fitness assessment after childbirth. The aim of this study was to describe and interpret the experience of active duty women who train for the Air Force fitness assessment taken at 6 months postpartum. A Heideggerian hermeneutic approach was used to interpret meaning in the experiences of these women in order to develop a better understanding about this phenomenon. Two overarching patterns emerged from this analysis:<i> Striving to Perform under Pressure through Profound Life Transitions of Childbirth </i> and <i>Seeking Understanding from Others.</i> These results provide insight into the challenges women face in regaining optimal fitness after childbirth and can be used by healthcare providers and USAF leaders to facilitate active duty postpartum women in returning to optimal fitness and well-being.</p>

<p> Newly commissioned officers in the U.S. Army are taught to lead their soldiers from the front and to voluntarily make personal sacrifices in the service of the nation. Although this facet of military culture is seen as critical to the integrity of the force, there are few research studies describing the impact of leader self-sacrifice in the U.S. Army. Research evolving from the transformational leadership literature indicates that civilian leaders who engage in self-sacrificial behavior are viewed as more charismatic than their counterparts and that this perception is particularly pronounced in crisis situations. The current study extended this research to a military population utilizing a quantitative experimental research design. Respondents were randomly assigned to written vignettes that manipulated leader self-sacrifice and the combat environment and then provided assessments of the company grade officer's attributed charisma. Currently serving enlisted and commissioned officers in the California Army National Guard (<i>n</i> = 218) took part in the research, and ANOVA test results indicated that both self-sacrifice and the experience of combat significantly increase perceptions of a company grade officer's attributed charisma. No significant interaction was found between leader self-sacrifice and combat. This study indicated that the self-sacrificial leadership model may have broad applicability across organizations and provides strong support for the Army's emphasis on selfless service. This research can spur positive social change by fostering a more aspirational form of leadership within the Army that builds the psychological resilience of soldiers and results in stronger teams. </p>

It has been almost 200 years since Carl von Clausewitz wrote On War. Clausewitz’s discussion of war explores four distinct, but related aspects of war: reasons for war (politics), the theory of war (absolute war), war in reality, and the conduct of war. Using his experience as a soldier in the Napoleonic and other wars of the 1700s and 1800s, Clausewitz’s major academic work seeks to provide a comprehensive theory of war. While war has changed dramatically since Clausewitz’s time, war involving states is still a part of everyday life. In this context, this thesis examines the contemporary relevance of Clausewitz with regard to modern interstate warfare, specifically analyzing whether Clausewitz would recognize modern interstate warfare. This was achieved by analyzing whether there was symmetry between the reasons for war and conduct of war variables, as explained in On War, with modern interstate wars waged between 1990 and 2012. The data revealed that both the wars of Clausewitz’s time and the wars of the modern era were varied in the their reasons for war and conduct of war, but that wars from Clausewitz’s time and the modern era still share similar characteristics. Despite the vast differences between Clausewitz’s time and the modern era this study found that Clausewitz’s wars and modern interstate wars do share common variables, making On War still relevant for the study of modern interstate warfare.

<p> Anonymizing Internet technologies present unique challenges to law enforcement and intelligence organizations. Tor is an anonymity technology that has received extensive media coverage after a virtual black market hidden by its network was seized by the FBI in 2013. Anonymizing technologies have legitimate purposes, and as states increasingly employ sophisticated Internet censorship and surveillance techniques, they are becoming increasingly relevant. This study examines the creation of the modern Internet, explores the drastic changes that have taken place, and takes an in-depth look at intended and unintended uses of anonymizing technologies.</p>