Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / The Department of Defense is continuously trying to improve the product development effort for its weapon systems. As the complexity of those systems increases, so does the importance of the test and evaluation process. All Services have been victims of poor performance in the independent Operational Evaluation of their respective weapon systems. With the drive to deliver products rapidly to the Warfighter, the prospect for success in Operational Test is reduced. Years of neglect and funding reductions have resulted in a decaying test infrastructure. The acquisition community's failure to consistently apply lessons learned and best business practices ensures repeating the mistakes. The US Navy is embarking on an aggressive six-year development effort to retrofit the aging High speed Anti-Radiation Missile with advanced technology and net-centric enabling systems. This Sea Power 21 weapon will require a test strategy that can effectively verify and evaluate product maturity before independent operational testing. Applying best business practices, lessons learned, and understanding the current state of affairs with respect to the range infrastructure, the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile Test and Evaluation Integrated Product Team can develop a test approach to mitigate the risk of operational test failure.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. / This study examines the significant issues relative to Ecommerce and how it has resulted in protests, disputes and litigations in the Federal acquisition process. How Ecommerce has evolved since the mandate in October 1993 by former President Clinton and in particularly how it relates to the Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce. It specifically addresses the traditional acquisition process versus the contemporary as it relates to Electronic Commerce and the tools utilized by the Acquisition Workforce to accomplish their buying activities. / Civilian, PEO Aviation / Civilian, US Army Aviation and Missile Command Acquisition Center

CHDS State/Local / Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. / This thesis describes how existing capabilities in the National Guard Counterdrug (NG CD) Support Program can be leveraged for use in Homeland Security (HLS) missions and explains what the implications are for organizing a NG HLS Support Program. National Guard CD assets should be made dual-use for HLS activities and additional missions should be added to the CD mission, leveraging existing resources for HLS prevention. The Governors will have the flexibility of having highly trained and equipped soldiers that can be utilized for HLS activities according to the needs of the state and the current threat level. An already established integrated program in West Virginia provided a suitable model for conducting a case study to determine additional missions to supplement the NG CD Support Program in other states. Examples of additional CD-HLS missions include CD intelligence analysts tracking suspicious activities and CD ground reconnaissance teams cross-trained to assist with the FSIVA mission for the protection of critical infrastructure. Potential challenges of integration identified include funding and personnel shortages along with legal restrictions. Solutions include developing stabilized and fenced funding with cross-leveling up to a designated threshold, adding more dual-use personnel and HLS core staffing, and amending the CD statute. / Major, Army National Guard

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. / This study examined individual Midshipman's First Class (Senior Year) leadership positions, academic and military grade point averages, course of study, prior- enlisted Marine status, family affiliation with the Marine Corps, and status as a Varsity Letter recipient as predictors of assignment to the United States Marine Corps upon graduation from the United States Naval Academy. A review of the Service Assignment process and Marine Corps selection criteria is provided as a historical background. Nine cohorts of subjects were studied from the period 1995-2003 to derive the most prevalent characteristics synonymous with Marine Corps selection. Results of a series of binary logistic regressions showed that the variables measuring Marine Corps enculturation (i.e., prior-enlisted Marine status and legacy status) serve as the best predictors of an assignment to the Marine Corps. For the population of Midshipmen that were neither prior-enlisted Marines nor legacies, the variables measuring leadership experience serve as the best predictors. This investigation also includes a synopsis of the Marine selection panel's proceedings to educate Naval Academy faculty, Company Officers, and Midshipmen who aspire to become Marine Corps officers as to the process the selection panel uses in selecting its Midshipmen. / Major, United States Marine Corps

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / In the ongoing attempt to deliver quality goods and services in less time and cost to the Government, the concept of "Best Value " contracting has been explored. One element of best value contracting is to consider factors along with price in the source selection process to achieve a perceived best value to the Government. Past performance measurement and its use in best value procurements has been developed since the early 1990s. This thesis explores the past performance guidance within DoD in its use as a source selection factor. Automated tools for tracking past performance will be examined as well as their effectiveness and problems associated with data collection and use. Several steps must occur prior to past performance playing the role that it was envisioned with its inclusion as a factor along with price in the source selection process. So that past performance data can be used more effectively, this thesis recommends that contracting personnel and contractors establish a process that standardizes the method of measurement, automates its collection, and allows for viewing across the spectrum of past performance data. Furthermore, past performance data should be used within a risk management framework that assesses a contractor's capability risk to perform on the current procurement. / Civilian, GS-14, Department of Army

CHDS State/Local / Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / Since 9/11 there have been many demands for robust intelligence efforts and information sharing in the context of Homeland Security. This thesis focuses on the critical need for the inclusion of local and state intelligence collection efforts into the broader intelligence community and describes a model for states to follow when creating a statewide Information Sharing and Analysis Center. Key organizational and relationship principles are examined. Establishing state ISACs and including them as partners in fight against terrorism benefits all levels of government at the strategic and tactical intelligence levels. Requirements for successful state level ISACs are identified through numerous cases studies focusing on the Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center. / Director of Operations, Georgia Emergency Management Agency author.

This thesis examined the effect of the Summer Training Program on the vocational development of midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy. Data from 355 First Class midshipmen were analyzed to examine the impact of the Summer Training Program on United States Naval Academy Midshipmen career choices. It was hypothesized that the Summer Training Program would have a significant impact on career selection after controlling for the effects of demographic, academic and military factors. Results of hierarchical regression analyses indicate that the Summer Training Program had a differential impact on Midshipmen's career choice. Specifically, it was found that participating in career relevant training had a significant impact on both tentative career choice and final career choice. All of the Summer Training Programs were found to be significant in the study. The results suggest that the greatest impact for career choice was on those midshipmen that participated in Leatherneck Summer Training Program

This thesis examines factors that influence the retention desires of spouses of US Navy junior enlisted personnel. Data were obtained from the 1999 Survey of Spouses of Active Duty Personnel on spouses who resided with the military member, whose significant other was in paygrades E1 to E4, and had between 9 months and 4 years of active duty service. Logistic regression is utilized to measure the influence of various demographic, military, and attitudinal variables on spouse's desire that the significant other stay on active duty. Significant positive influences include: spouse a member of a race/ethnic group other than White, Hispanic, or Black; service member an E4 rather than E-1 to E-3; and spouse perceives own education opportunities and healthcare benefits better in military life than in civilian world. Significant negative influences include: spouse is male; service member on sea duty; and number of PCS moves. Further research is recommended to identify policy changes that would influence spouses to more strongly desire that their significant other remain on active duty.

This study examines junior officers at the United States Naval Academy, and their commitment to mentor midshipmen. Survey data are reported from 148 Navy Lieutenants and Lieutenant Commanders and Marine Corps Captains and Majors, stationed on the Naval Academy yard. The purpose of this study was to better understand the mentoring experiences, dispositions, and motivations among junior officers at the Naval Academy and identify how previous mentorship experience, prosocial behaviors, and personal (versus instrumental) motives relate to junior officer willingness to mentor Naval Academy midshipmen. The study concludes that helping others and benefiting the organization appear to be the distinguishing sources of motivation for junior officers who choose to mentor. Additionally, it finds that a junior officer's willingness to mentor and their levels of other-oriented empathy are associated with whether or not they chose to mentor. Lastly, this study reports that junior officers who were familiar with mentorship, and had previously been mentored in the fleet chose to mentor midshipmen at a much higher rate than their peers who were never proteÌ geÌ s to a mentor.

The possibility of realizing savings to modernize and recapitalize the US Navy is of great importance to the Department of the Navy (DON). Sea Enterprise is the vehicle for this effort. The DON operates in an increasingly smaller, dangerous, and rapidly changing world. Hence, the Navy and Marine Corps are attempting to change, adapt and transform to meet new threats to the United States in the twenty-first century. This thesis examines the Sea Enterprise Program from its inception in June 2002 to May 2005. A number of common business, public service, and management concepts are extracted and used to analyze the effort as a whole. The goals and objectives, structures, responsibilities, processes, and results to date of Sea Enterprise are documented and recommendations are provided that may aid the acceleration of the effort. The results of this thesis reveal some identifiable challenges and issues that have inhibited the DON's ability to realize the vision of Sea Power 21, and thus realize savings. Cultural resistance to change, onerous bureaucratic frameworks, lack of accountability, and disincentives to save are a few examples of barriers the Navy must overcome. To realize savings, recapitalize the fleet, and meet the twenty-first century threat (principally, the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT)), the Navy must address and surmount such barriers.