| High Speed Rail (HSR) in the United States |
08-Dec-2009 |
|
| Authors:
John Frittelli; David R Peterman; William J Mallett; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
 | Congress has been interested in high speed rail (HSR) since the 1960s. Provision of $8 billion for intercity passenger rail and high speed rail projects in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA; P.L. 111-5), enacted in February 2009, has catalyzed enthusiasm for high speed rail. There are two approaches to HSR: improving existing tracks and signaling to allow trains to travel somewhat faster, typically to as much as 110 ... |
|
| War in Afghanistan: Strategy, Military Operations, and Issues for Congress |
03-Dec-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Steve Bowman; Catherine Dale; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| With a deteriorating security situation and no comprehensive political outcome yet in sight, most observers view the war in Afghanistan as open-ended. By early 2009, a growing number of Members of Congress, Administration officials, and outside experts had concluded that the effort?often called America's other war required greater national attention. For the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA), the war is both a struggle for survival and an ... |
|
| Open Government. A Progress Report to the American People |
Dec-2009 |
28 pages |
| Authors:
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT WASHINGTON DC
|
 | For too long, the American people have experienced a culture of secrecy in Washington, where information is locked up, taxpayer dollars disappear without a trace, and lobbyists wield undue influence. For Americans, business as usual in Washington has reinforced the belief that government benefits the special interests and the well connected at the expense of the American people. But President Obama committed to change the way Washington works. And he ... |
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| The Use of Empirical Studies in the Development of High End Computing Applications |
Dec-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Victor R Basili; Marvin V Zelowitz; MARYLAND UNIV COLLEGE PARK
|
| This report provides a description of the research and development activities towards learning much about the development and measurement of productivity in high performance computing environments. Many objectives were accomplished including the development of a methodology for measuring productivity in the parallel programming domain. This methodology was tested over 25 times at 8 universities across the United States and can be used to aid other researchers studying similar environments. The ... |
|
| Veterans Affairs: Basic Eligibility for Disability Benefit Programs |
25-Nov-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Douglas R Weimer; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| A broad range of benefits is offered to American veterans and to certain members of their families by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Among these benefits are various types of financial benefits and assistance, including two disability programs: disability compensation and pensions which pay monthly cash benefits to disabled veterans. Disability compensation provides a monthly benefit to veterans who are disabled as a direct result of their ... |
|
| The Global Financial Crisis: Analysis and Policy Implications |
25-Nov-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Dick K Nanto; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The world appears to be beginning to recover from the global recession that is causing widespread business contraction, increases in unemployment, and shrinking government revenues. Although the industrialized economies have stopped contracting, for many, unemployment is still rising. The United States likely hit bottom in June 2009, but numerous small banks and households still face huge problems in restoring their balance sheets, and unemployment has combined with sub-prime loans to ... |
|
| Africa: U.S. Foreign Assistance Issues |
24-Nov-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Ted Dagne; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| U.S. aid to Africa reached a peak in 1985, when global competition with the Soviet Union was at a high point. After the Cold War ended, security assistance levels for Africa began to decline. In 1995, at the outset of the 104th Congress, substantial reductions in aid to Africa had been anticipated, as many questioned the importance of Africa to U.S. national security interests in the post-Cold War era. As ... |
|
| Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments |
23-Nov-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Jonathan Medalia; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| A comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty (CTBT) is the oldest item on the nuclear arms control agenda. Three treaties currently bar all but underground tests with a maximum force equal to 150,000 tons of TNT. The Natural Resources Defense Council states the United States conducted 1,030 nuclear tests, the Soviet Union 715, the United Kingdom 45, France 210, and China 45. The last U.S. test was held in 1992; Russia claims it ... |
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| China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy |
20-Nov-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Kerry Dumbaugh; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The bilateral relationship between the U.S. and the People's Republic of China (PRC) is vitally important, touching on a wide range of areas including, among others, economic policy, security, foreign relations, and human rights. U.S. interests with China are bound together much more closely now than even a few years ago. These extensive inter-linkages have made it increasingly difficult for either government to take unilateral actions without inviting far-reaching, unintended ... |
|
| Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests |
20-Nov-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Jim Nichols; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States recognized the independence of all the former Central Asian republics, supported their admission into Western organizations, and elicited regional support to counter Iranian influence in the region. Congress was at the forefront in urging the formation of coherent U.S. policies for aiding these and other Eurasian states of the former Soviet Union. Soon after the terrorist attacks on ... |
|
| Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options |
18-Nov-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Amy F Woolf; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The United States and Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 1991; it entered into force in December 1994 and is due to expire in December 2009. The United States and Russia have held several meetings to discuss options for continuing their arms control relationship. They are currently negotiating a new Treaty that would replace START. START counts each deployed ICBM, SLBM, bomber as a single delivery vehicle ... |
|
| Closing the Guantanamo Detention Center: Legal Issues |
17-Nov-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Michael J Garcia; Elizabeth B Bazan; R C Mason; Edward C Liu; Anna C Henning; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Congress passed the Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF), which granted the President the authority to use all necessary and appropriate force against those ... [who] planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks against the United States. Many persons subsequently captured during military operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere were transferred to the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for detention and possible ... |
|
| Military Base Realignments and Closures: Estimated Costs Have Increased While Savings Estimates Have Decreased Since Fiscal Year 2009 |
13-Nov-2009 |
24 pages |
| Authors:
Susan Ditto; Gregory Marchand; Charles Perdue; Laura Talbott; Vijay Barnabas; John Beauchamp; Brandon Jones; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
|
| The Department of Defense's (DOD) cost estimates to implement recommendations from the most recent Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round have steadily increased each budget year since 2005. This BRAC round is the fifth such round undertaken by DOD since 1988 and, by our assessment, it is the biggest, most complex, and costliest BRAC round ever. With this round, DOD plans to execute hundreds of BRAC actions affecting over 800 ... |
|
| Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy |
10-Nov-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Kenneth Katzman; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| Upon taking office, the Obama Administration faced a deteriorating security environment in Afghanistan, despite a build-up of U.S. forces there in preceding years. Signs of deterioration have included an expanded militant presence in some areas, increasing numbers of civilian and military deaths, Afghan and international disillusionment with corruption in the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and the ease of infiltration of Taliban militants from safe havens in Pakistan. Building ... |
|
| Joint Urban Operations |
08-Nov-2009 |
172 pages |
| Authors:
JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF WASHINGTON DC
|
| This publication provides joint doctrine for the planning, execution, and assessment of joint operations in an urban environment and explains how they differ from operations undertaken in other environments. This publication has been prepared under the direction of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It sets forth joint doctrine to govern the activities and performance of the Armed Forces of the United States in joint operations and provides ... |
|
| Terrorism Information Sharing and the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Report Initiative: Background and Issues for Congress |
05-Nov-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Mark A Randol; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The 2004 National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (the 9/11 Commission) cited breakdowns in information sharing and the failure to fuse pertinent intelligence (i.e., connecting the dots) as key factors in the failure to prevent the 9/11 attacks. Efforts undertaken since 2001 to tackle these issues include the following: Congress mandated the creation of an information-sharing environment (commonly known as the ISE? that would provide and facilitate ... |
|
| A Case Study in Security Sector Reform: Learning from Security Sector Reform/Building in Afghanistan (October 2002-September 2003) |
Nov-2009 |
89 pages |
| Authors:
Jason C Howk; ARMY WAR COLL STRATEGIC STUDIES INST CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| Security sector reform (SSR) is that set of policies, plans, programs, and activities that a government undertakes to improve the way it provides safety, security, and justice. This is a complex and involved task against which Captain Howk evaluates the early international effort to rebuild effective governance in Afghanistan. The purpose of this case study is to document the lessons learned through the development and execution of the SSR program ... |
|
| Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Quarterly Report to the United States Congress |
30-Oct-2009 |
215 pages |
| Authors:
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL ARLINGTON VA SPECIAL INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION
|
| The next six months will see a substantial reduction in the size of the U.S. military presence in Iraq, a continuing reorganization of the U.S. Embassy's reconstruction management, and the election of a new Iraqi parliament. Among other things, this Quarterly Report--SIGIR's 23rd--analyzes three key issues that will shape the continuing U.S. effort in Iraq: the transfer of police training from the Department of Defense to the Department of State; ... |
|
| The United Arab Emirates Nuclear Program and Proposed U.S. Nuclear Cooperation |
28-Oct-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Christopher M Blanchard; Paul K Kerr; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has embarked on a program to build civilian nuclear power plants and is seeking cooperation and technical assistance from the United States and others. During 2008 and early 2009, the Bush Administration and the UAE government negotiated and signed a memorandum of understanding and a proposed bilateral agreement on peaceful nuclear cooperation pursuant to Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act (AEA) of 1954. Then-U.S. ... |
|
| U.S. Fossil Fuel Resources: Terminology, Reporting, and Summary |
28-Oct-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Carol Glover; Gene Whitney; Carl E Behrens; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| Discussions of U.S. and global energy supply refer to oil, natural gas, and coal using several terms that may be unfamiliar to some. The terms used to describe different types of fossil fuels have technically precise definitions, and misunderstanding or misuse of these terms may lead to errors and confusion in estimating energy available or making comparisons among fuels, regions, or nations. Fossil fuels are categorized, classified, and named using ... |
|
| The Clock is Ticking |
21-Oct-2009 |
28 pages |
| Authors:
COMMISSION ON THE PREVENTION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION PROLIFERATION AND TERRORISM WASHINGTON DC
|
| This was the somber conclusion of the bipartisan, congressionally mandated Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism in its report, World at Risk, released in December 2008. On December 2, 2008, the Director of National Intelligence publicly agreed with this assessment. Today, 323 days since the release of that report, the clock continues ticking and we are now closer to a possible attack. The U.S. ... |
|
| Terrorism in Southeast Asia |
16-Oct-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Bruce Vaughn; Emma Chanlett-Avery; Larry A Niksch; Mark E Manyin; Michael F Martin; Ben Dolven; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| Since September 2001, the United States has increased focus on radical Islamist and terrorist groups in Southeast Asia, particularly those in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. Southeast Asia has been a base for terrorist operations. Al Qaeda penetrated the region by establishing local cells, training Southeast Asians in its camps in Afghanistan, and by financing and cooperating with indigenous radical Islamist groups. Indonesia and the southern Philippines have ... |
|
| Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options |
09-Oct-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Amy F Woolf; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The United States and Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 1991; it entered into force in December 1994 and is due to expire in December 2009. The United States and Russia have held several meetings to discuss options for continuing their arms control relationship. They are currently negotiating a new Treaty that would replace START. START counts each deployed ICBM, SLBM, bomber as a single delivery vehicle ... |
|
| China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy |
08-Oct-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Kerry Dumbaugh; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The bilateral relationship between the U.S. and the People's Republic of China (PRC) is vitally important, touching on a wide range of areas including, among others, economic policy, security, foreign relations, and human rights. U.S. interests with China are bound together much more closely now than even a few years ago. These extensive inter-linkages have made it increasingly difficult for either government to take unilateral actions without inviting far-reaching, unintended ... |
|
| Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy |
06-Oct-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Kenneth Katzman; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| Upon taking office, the Obama Administration faced a deteriorating security environment in Afghanistan, despite a build-up of U.S. forces there in preceding years, including an expanding militant presence in some areas, increasing numbers of civilian and military deaths, Afghan and international disillusionment with corruption in the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and the infiltration of Taliban militants from safe havens in Pakistan. Building on assessments completed in the latter ... |
|
| DEFENSE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: Actions Needed to Improve the Identificaiton and Management of Electrical Power Risks and Vulnerabilities to DOD Critical Assets |
Oct-2009 |
92 pages |
| Authors:
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
|
| The Department of Defense (DOD) relies on a global network of defense critical infrastructure so essential that the incapacitation, exploitation, or destruction of an asset within this network could severely affect DOD's ability to deploy, support, and sustain its forces and operations worldwide and to implement its core missions, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as its homeland defense and strategic missions. In October 2008, DOD identified its ... |
|
| Impacts of Climate Change on Colombia's National and Regional Security |
Oct-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Ralph H Espach; David M Jr; Catarious; CENTER FOR NAVAL ANALYSES ALEXANDRIA VA
|
| This study examines the projected impacts of climate change on the nation of Colombia and explores their implications for its future national and regional security. It argues that many of Colombia's existing security threats, which stem from internal problems of poverty, social inequality, and persistent levels of organized violence, will likely continue in the future and be affected by climate change. The most likely climate-driven effects with security implications are ... |
|
| 10th International Meeting on Cholinesterases |
Oct-2009 |
11 pages |
| Authors:
Terrone L Rosenberry; MAYO CLINIC JACKSONVILLE FL
|
| The 10th International Meeting on Cholinesterases was organised jointly by the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health and the Croatian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The meeting venue was in Sibenik, Croatia. The meeting gathered about 200 participants including 50 participants from USA. The scientific program comprised 2 plenary lectures, 86 oral and 102 poster presentations grouped under six sessions, and a 3D-session. All presentations were about cholinesterase ... |
|
| Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990 |
24-Sep-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Shirley A Kan; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| This report, updated as warranted, discusses U.S. security assistance to Taiwan, or Republic of China (ROC), including policy issues for Congress and legislation. Congress has oversight of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), P.L. 96-8, which has governed arms sales to Taiwan since 1979, when the United States recognized the People's Republic of China (PRC) instead of the ROC. Two other relevant parts of the one China policy are the August ... |
|
| Department of Defense Fuel Spending, Supply, Acquisition, and Policy |
22-Sep-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Anthony Andrews; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| Department of Defense (DOD) fuel consumption varies from year to year in response to changes in mission and the tempo of operations. DOD may consume upwards of 1% of the petroleum products refined in the United States annually. Petroleum products purchased and consumed overseas may double DOD's consumption. The majority of DOD's bulk fuel purchases are for jet fuel, which has ranged as high as 101 million barrels annually in ... |
|
| Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests |
21-Sep-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Jim Nichol; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States recognized the independence of all the former Central Asian republics, supported their admission into Western organizations, and elicited regional support to counter Iranian influence in the region. Congress was at the forefront in urging the formation of coherent U.S. policies for aiding these and other Eurasian states of the former Soviet Union. Soon after the terrorist attacks on ... |
|
| Closing the Guantanamo Detention Center: Legal Issues |
14-Sep-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Michael J Garcia; Elizabeth B Bazan; R C Mason; Edward C Liu; Anna C Henning; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Congress passed the Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF), which granted the President the authority to use all necessary and appropriate force against those ... [who] planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks against the United States. Many persons subsequently captured during military operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere were transferred to the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for detention and possible ... |
|
| Honduran-U.S. Relations |
10-Sep-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Peter J Meyer; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| On June 28, 2009, the Honduran military detained President Manuel Zelaya and flew him to exile in Costa Rica, ending 27 years of uninterrupted democratic, constitutional governance. The move was backed by the Honduran Supreme Court and National Congress, which selected Roberto Micheletti, the head of Congress, to fulfill the rest of Zelaya's term. Zelaya's removal was brought on by the ousted president's insistence in pushing ahead with a referendum ... |
|
| F-16 Ventral Fin Buffet Alleviation Using Piezoelectric Actuators |
Sep-2009 |
122 pages |
| Authors:
Joseph S Browning; AIR FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH DEPT OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS
|
| Buffet-induced vibrations can have a disastrous impact on aircraft structures. Early attempts at combating buffet vibrations included passive methods such as structural enhancements and leading edge fences. Active methods have shown greater promise, including active airflow control, control surface modulation, and active structural control using piezoelectric actuators. Surface mounted piezoelectric actuators impart directional strain reducing the negative effects associated with harmful vibration. The Block-15 F-16 ventral fin represents an aircraft ... |
|
| Alternative Methods to Standby Gain Scheduling Following Air Data System Failure |
Sep-2009 |
261 pages |
| Authors:
Matthew W Coldsnow; AIR FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH DEPT OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS
|
| The United States Air Force has advanced fighter aircraft that lose the ability to operate in a large portion of their operating flight envelope when an air data system failure is experienced. These aircraft are reverted to a fixed set of standby-gains that limit their maneuverability, degrade handling qualities, and increase susceptibility to departure. The purpose of this research was to determine if three alternative methods of standby-gain-scheduling could provide ... |
|
| Russian Elite Image of Iran: From the Late Soviet Era to the Present |
Sep-2009 |
99 pages |
| Authors:
Dmitry Shlapentokh; ARMY WAR COLL STRATEGIC STUDIES INST CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| The evolution of the Russian elite?s view of Iran is traced over the past 20 years of post-Soviet history. The major thesis and outcome are as follows. 1. During most of the late Soviet and post-Soviet period, two major trends in the approach to Iran have dominated the Russian elite. The first emphasizes the strategic importance of Russia's rapprochement with Iran and is mostly supported by Russian Imperial Nationalists, notably ... |
|
| Dealing with Political Ferment in Latin America: The Populist Revival, the Emergence of the Center, and Implications for U.S. Policy |
Sep-2009 |
85 pages |
| Authors:
Hal Brands; ARMY WAR COLL STRATEGIC STUDIES INST CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| Over the past decade, Latin America has experienced considerable political upheaval. Persistent poverty, corruption, and public insecurity have produced profound popular dissatisfaction and caused widespread ideological ferment. While the electoral results of this ferment are frequently described as a lurch to the left, such descriptions are misleading. Latin America is not experiencing a uniform shift to the left; it is witnessing a competition between two very different political trends. The ... |
|
| A Comprehensive Approach to Improving U.S. Security Force Assistance Efforts |
Sep-2009 |
63 pages |
| Authors:
Theresa Baginski; Curt A Walle; Sean P Van De Swindell; Simon D Roach; Richard A Lacquement; John S Kolasheski; Karma Job; Francis Donovan; Brian J Clark; Michael J McMahon; ARMY WAR COLL STRATEGIC STUDIES INST CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| Current operations, demands of persistent conflict, and enduring U.S. national security interests underscore the immediate and continuing need to improve U.S. Security Force Assistance (SFA) efforts. The frequency and importance of such activities throughout U.S. history demonstrate that the current requirements are not anomalies. Since September 11, 2001, the United States has been challenged to accomplish key national security goals due to a lack of capability and capacity to effectively ... |
|
| A Comparison of the Democratic Security Policy in Colombia and Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq |
Sep-2009 |
74 pages |
| Authors:
James A Walker; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA DEPT OF NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS
|
| The issue of security and democratic development in Colombia and Iraq are important for them as nations as well as for the international community. For Colombia, the Democratic Security Policy is a mechanism to establish government presence throughout the country, reclaim territory and the population from insurgent, paramilitary, and other criminal groups, and so end practically 60 years of internal conflict. Colombia's chronic instability not only creates tensions in the ... |
|
| Learning From Our Past: How a Vietnam-Era Pacification Program Can Help Us Win in Afghanistan |
Sep-2009 |
117 pages |
| Authors:
Amy S Bumgarner; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA CENTER FOR STABILIZATION AND RECONSTRUCTION STUDIES
|
| Weak, failing, failed and post-conflict states pose one of the greatest national and international security challenges of our day. The stabilization and development of faltering states is in both the short- and long-term interests of the United States because stable states pose fewer security challenges. Afghanistan is a failed state that presents security challenges on a global scale as well as a classic case study on insurgency that needs a ... |
|
| Detecting Age in Online Chat |
Sep-2009 |
147 pages |
| Authors:
Jenny K Tam; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA DEPT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
|
| Over 90 % of teens in the United States use the Internet, and many use it for social interaction. Due to the faceless nature of digital communication, criminals can easily pose as legitimate users to build friendship and trust with potential victims. Even though fewer youths are going to chat rooms and talking to people they do not know, the number of youths receiving aggressive solicitations for offline contact has ... |
|
| How to Prepare the National Guard's Leadership for Successful Venture in Homeland Security |
Sep-2009 |
115 pages |
| Authors:
Randy J Amundson; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
|
| The National Guard (NG) will be the first military force on disaster scenes in the United States. If the NG is to respond as efficiently as possible, the NG leadership must be educated on preparation for and response to disasters. Research questions used were: how to overcome the gap in disaster-response knowledge, and what are the topics on which the Department of Defense (DoD) should specifically educate the NG leadership? ... |
|
| An Assessment of Vulnerabilities for Ship-based Control Systems |
Sep-2009 |
193 pages |
| Authors:
Richard Bensing; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
|
| Growing asymmetric threats, such as international terrorism, have replaced the hostile nation-state as the adversary of choice. As embodied by the September 11 attacks, the United States now faces enemies that seek to create havoc and disruption in nontraditional ways. This new adversarial paradigm makes the protection of the critical infrastructure of the nation even more important than ever. Unfortunately, this is the nation's soft underbelly. Computer-based control systems form ... |
|
| Finding the Sweet Spot for Catastrophic Incident Search and Rescue |
Sep-2009 |
164 pages |
| Authors:
Eric M Bleakney; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA CENTER FOR HOMELAND DEFENSE AND SECURITY
|
| This thesis examines the national preparedness to conduct catastrophic incident search and rescue (SAR) using organization-specific doctrine, concept plans, congressional research reports and testimonies, after action reviews, periodicals, federal government plans, interviews, a focus group and two benchmark studies. The research indicates that individual organizations conduct SAR activities well, but combined, joint and interagency catastrophic search and rescue preparations are lacking. Should another catastrophic incident occur tomorrow, the SAR results ... |
|
| Understanding and Predicting Urban Propagation Losses |
Sep-2009 |
105 pages |
| Authors:
Mark R Alexander; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA DEPT OF INFORMATION SCIENCES
|
| Modern day warfare has presented the United States with a more technically savvy opponent in conflicts that have moved away from the traditional battlefield to the populated environment of the big city. Battle space dominance no longer refers simply to the physical nature of war, but now also encompasses a digital environment with a greater influence on Information Warfare. One of the keys to successfully maintaining open wireless lines of ... |
|
| BioWatch: Case for Change of Traditional Leadership to Improve Performance |
Sep-2009 |
83 pages |
| Authors:
Nancy S Bush; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
|
| An air monitoring system, Program BioWatch, was introduced in the civilian United States (U.S.) in 2003 to detect an intentional release of a biological agent in a major metropolitan area. As an ambient air program, BioWatch was assigned to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to administer at the local level though the state equivalent of the U.S. EPA. Since the BioWatch Program is testing for biological agents that can ... |
|
| Route Survey Periodicity for Mine Warfare |
Sep-2009 |
73 pages |
| Authors:
Coke; Hartwell F V; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
|
| One of the Navy's most long standing challenges has been conquering the mine warfare threat. As mines and mine warfare techniques evolve and become more sophisticated, so does the United States' ability to counter the threat. The United States newest technique for countering a potential mined harbor, or route, is a process known as change detection. This concept uses previous side scan sonar images of the area prior to a ... |
|
| An Exploratory Analysis of the U.S. System of Major Defense Acquisition Utilizing the CLIOS Process |
Sep-2009 |
103 pages |
| Authors:
Jennifer Foil; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
|
| For decades, the United States' major defense acquisition system has been under scrutiny and undergone much reform. Groups have researched the issues, publishing hundreds of reports identifying various problems and solutions. Yet, many major weapon systems continue to be well over budget and schedule. Major weapon systems are increasing in size, scope, and complexity. Technology is rapidly changing. Customer expectations are rising. Societal concerns, such as workforce and economic development, ... |
|
| The Effects of the Joint Multi-Mission Electro-Optical System on Littoral Maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operations |
Sep-2009 |
164 pages |
| Authors:
Bronchae M Brown; Brian L Schulz; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA DEPT OF INFORMATION SCIENCES
|
| The United States Department of Defense finds itself in a period of reduced resources and growing requirements. In the field of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), there have been calls for both manpower and system cuts, while collection requirements continue to increase. One proposed method for maximizing ISR collection efforts is the development of multi-mission capable collection equipment. In support of this concept, BAE Systems has developed the Joint Multi-Mission ... |
|
| Telecommunications Growth in Latin America: A Comparative Analysis, the Development and Policy of Technologies in Emerging Markets |
Sep-2009 |
156 pages |
| Authors:
Westley N Simancas; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA DEPT OF INFORMATION SCIENCES
|
| This thesis will focus on the area of telecommunications technologies and its policies as developed and adopted in Latin America. Though the whole of Latin America would provide a great area of research interest, this thesis will delve into the countries of Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. These three countries play vital roles in the development of Latin America and retain unique relationships with the United States as allies and trade ... |
|
Reports by Keyword(s)
UNITED STATES
