This paper examines the available research regarding the impact to soldiers of extended military deployments which include: Divorce, mental illness, substance abuse and domestic problems.
Abstract The writer of this paper details the current research which proves that longer tours of duty in the military carry with them many negative effects. Higher rates of mental illness, divorce, substance abuse and more difficult and lengthy family problems can result from extended military deployments. The writer explores the short and long term problems associated that affect the soldier, the soldier's family, the military in general and even the economy. This paper also examines the effects of the 'stop loss' program, which went into effect in 2002 and entails keeping soldiers on active duty and redeployed even beyond their anticipated discharge from the service. From the ability of the military to recruit new soldiers to the morale of the individuals, longer deployments continue to cause problems in the military services.
One major area of concern relating to longer deployments, detailed in this paper, is that of the mental health impact on the soldiers.
From the Paper "Along with the mental issues related to longer deployment, family problems also increase as deployment length increases. Studies following the Afghanistan conflict and the Iraq war showed that divorce rates among families with deployed military members increased as much as 37 to 56 percent. These high rates often come from the added stress of unknown lengths of tours. A study conducted by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and the U.S. Army Research Institute showed the "key impact on family appeared to be the length of the tour." Sixty eight percent of respondents noted that a year of active service overseas was worrisome, and would cause family difficulties. Additionally, spouses of those deployed noted that their soldiers had recently completed a lengthy deployment and were redeployed, expanding the total separation up to 24 months or more."
Abstract This paper discusses the suggestion that challenges to technological adoption have been predominantly localized and unorganized and, as a consequence, largely ineffective. It explores this idea in greater depth arguing, that the characteristics of the challenges to technological adoption are largely dependent upon the nature of the technology being implemented. It also looks at how the example of the deployment of Internet communication technologies demonstrates how a technology can itself carry the seeds of resistance to the forces of social control that are implementing its deployment.
From the Paper "In the 21st century we carry with us the social legacies of the implementation of technologies in earlier times. One of the most defining deployments lies in the introduction of mass industrial production in the early 20th century, when assembly line factories came to define the social landscapes of major industrial nations. While these were an evolution from the factories of the earlier Industrial Revolution, they were perhaps even more important because of their association with social technologies to micromanage the time and energies of large industrial workforces. "
Abstract In this article the writer discusses that separation among military families is acknowledged as a source of stress for both the deployed family member and those members who stay at home. The writer notes that advances in communications have the ability to promote increased communication between the deployed member and their family. It is hypothesized that improved accessibility in communications is believed to reduce the stresses associated with deployment.
Abstract This paper reviews psychological literature on the effects of military deployment on marriages. It discusses dual-career military marriages as well as those in which only one spouse is enlisted. It also outlines implications for further research and improvement of post-deployment counseling.
This paper uses a professional critique style to evaluate the research reported in the Trump, Brady, and Olsen's article from "Military Medicine": "Self-Rated Health and Subsequent Health Care Use among Military Personnel Returning...".
Abstract This paper explains that, although health questionnaires have been used since 1996, little evaluation has been done to determine the usefulness of this information: Trump et al. claim that the United States has endorsed the improvement of health assessments and health surveillance of military members, but there has been some question as to the value of the currently deployment health assessments. The author points out that this study is strengthened by its large sample size and the questionnaire's general assessment of self-rated health, which has been has been widely used as an independent predictor of mortality. The paper states that the limitations of the study include whether or not the items on the questionnaire actually represents information, which leads to increased risk of bad health; the possibility that these questions could be worded to suggest bias and the post-deployment questionnaire has not been widely used.
Table of Contents
Abstract
Introduction
Purpose
Problem
Consistency of Hypothesis with Purpose and Problem; Clarity of Variables
Literature review
Target Population and Sample
Method of Analysis and Findings
Discussion, Conclusions and Implications
Implications and Recommendations
From the Paper "Trump, Brady & Olsen (2004) stated that the purpose of this study "was to describe the self-rated health of military members who completed postdeployment questionnaires upon return from deployments in 1999 and to examine the associations between self-rated health and subsequent health care use and health outcomes in the six-month period after return from deployment." Although the introduction stated that since the Gulf War veteran health has been receiving more attention because of the increase in health problems, I do not see a real point in determining if self-rated health has a correlation to incidences in hospitalization and doctor's visits. I do not believe that this study answers the "so-what" question."
Abstract This paper critically examines the deployments of Canadian forces to Somalia in East Africa, to Rwanda in Central Africa and to the former Yugoslavia in the Balkans. It examines these deployments in the context of changes in Canadian policy and models of foreign policy action in the 1990s. The paper argues that while the humanitarian impulse underlying Canadian peacekeeping missions was admirable, in reality the policies justifying its expansion were flawed and the missions destined for operational failure given the inability of the Canadian government to match its rhetoric with financial support and close oversight.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Promise of Peacekeeping - The Early 1990s
The Somalia Affair
Somalia as a U.N. Peacekeeping Crisis
Soft Power - Rwanda and the Former Yugoslavia
Conclusion
From the Paper "It may be argued that this lack of interest in the details and the ground level problems of peacekeeping in the 1990s by the Canadian government - a lack of interest that was juxtaposed with the grandiose rhetoric justifying the government's repeated deployments of over-stretched Canadian forces overseas - explains much of the failures of Canadian peacekeeping during this period. As has been seen, the operational collapse of the Somalia mission was to be mirrored in the inadequacies of the UN peacekeeping response to the Rwandan genocide, and the humiliation and casualties of the Canadian peacekeeping deployment in the former Yugoslavia. In all of these cases, the disconnect between the reality on the ground and the rhetoric of the Canadian foreign policy elite was striking. Given these notable failures, it may be concluded that only when the rhetoric connects with the reality can Canadian military interventions abroad - whether peacekeeping, peacemaking or nation-building - be justified and conducted with any hope of success."
Abstract This paper discusses the roles and missions of the United States armed forces in peacetime and presents examples of MOOTW operations in Bosnia. The author concludes that the national strategy for engagement and enlargement is flawed from a foreign policy perspective. The author believes that policies should be developed and implemented that restrict the use of United States armed forces to deployments in conjunction with their primary missions unless all other options have failed.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Background
Issues Analysis
United States National Security
The Role of International Organizations
Human Rights
Regional Stability
Unilateral Versus Coalition
Policy Evaluation
National Interests
Costs
Risks
Military Readiness
Public Support in the United States
Conclusions
Recommendations
From the Paper "There is little doubt that the international political order is changing, and that in the late summer of 1999 it is significantly different from what it was in the fall of 1989. It remains difficult, however, to predict with any degree of accuracy who the major players in the developing multipolar or unipolar environment will and will not be, and which, if any, of these players will be first among equals. Although as the only current superpower, the United States frequently behaves as if it is the first among equals. In spite of the difficulties being experienced by the national government in Russia, a great leap of faith is required to assume that a major international political role will be denied to a country with an armed force as formidable as Russia's army. While morale is low within the Russian military establishment and funding is short, it remains a force that cannot be ignored."
Abstract This paper compares the Hubble Space Telescope to its potential successor, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), in terms of their cost effectiveness. The paper looks at the technology of both telescopes to see which will bring continue to bring back the most valuable information, their respective missions, the cost of deploying and maintaining them in orbit, and the cost of repairs, if any, of the telescopes to determine the cost effectiveness of the telescopes.
From the Paper "Ever since its launch in 1990, the Hubble telescope has been orbiting the Earth at 600 kilometers above, bringing valuable information and photos from space. Its history goes back to 1977, when the Congress approved the project funds. However, operations didn't take off until 1981, when the Space Telescope Science Institute was founded, designed especially for the production and research of the Hubble Space Telescope."
Abstract The writer explains the history of development of the F-22 Raptor fighter jet. The plane is compared to the existing F-15. The paper reviews the history of spending and the estimates for the cost of project completion. It recaps current arguments for and against the additional spending. The writer concludes that the additional money should be spent to complete and deploy the plane as a strong new addition to the United States' Air Force.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Brief Background of the F-22 Raptor
Current Government Spending
Pros and Cons
Conclusion
Bibliography
From the Paper "Those in favor of the continued spending on the F-22 argue that without the plane, our tactical air systems will soon be outstripped by technology being developed by potentially hostile countries. Air dominance, they say, has been an instrumental factor in every modern military victory. Without upgrading our current stock of planes, we risk losing our current air dominance.
"Yet others believe that the money is being poorly spent. The Raptor, they argue, has been troubled by design flaws and cost problems. Its development is far behind schedule. Our country's current aircraft commitments equal a meager 10 percent of the nearly 3600 planes in our existing force. The existing planes are the finest and most effective fighter planes in the world. Hence, given the current political environment, the overall spending on F-22 development is unwarranted."
Abstract This paper explains that, although there have been many studies about the mental health problems of returning Persian Gulf veterans, the problems of children of the active duty military personnel, who are being deployed to hazardous duty locations, have been ignored. The author suggests that the absence of one or both parents during a child's formative years can be devastating and the implications of a returning parent experiencing severe and potentially debilitation conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder or a battlefield injury remain largely unknown. The paper relates that the methodology for this study is a critical review of the scholarly and peer-reviewed literature and a survey of adolescents who currently have parents on active duty or are assigned to war zones.
Table of Contents
Purpose of the Study
Theoretical Implications and Relationship to Previous Work in the Area
Overview of the Study
Literature Review
Definition of Study Variables and Concepts
Adolescent
Child
Military Brat
Unresolved Grief
Background and Overview
Impact of Active Duty Parental Military Service on Children during Periods of War
Methodology
Population
Participants
Number of Participants
Selection of Participants
Instrument
Procedures
Distribution of Survey
Treatment of Collected Data
Limitations of the Study
Appendix: Sample Survey Instrument for Military Brat Research Project
From the Paper "According to Neuman (2003), surveys that receive many responses are considered more reliable than those that do not; therefore, in an effort to solicit as many responses from qualified respondents as possible, both online and paper-and-pencil versions of the survey will be made available to volunteer respondents. The online version of the survey is available through URL: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=198691949423 and a paper-and-pencil version can be emailed, mailed or hand-delivered to qualified respondents."
This paper researches the security related issues revolving around the urban search and rescue teams during emergency deployments such as hurricanes and earthquakes.
Abstract The paper examines the deficiencies in 'task-force force protection' (TF-FP) for the Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) division of FEMA(Federal Emergency Management Agency). The paper discusses the study that reveals that the task-force force protection deployed during disasters and crisis has been severely lacking in protection for the Urban Search and Rescue division. The paper explains how this has led to serious problems and examines the recommendations offered in the study.
Outline:
Objective
Introduction
Questions of the Research
Background of the Problem
Determinations of the Audit of the US&R Response System (2006)
Recommendations of the Audit of the US&R Response System (2006)
Scope of Task-Force Force-Protection Duties
Assessing the Problem
Expertise Necessary Identified
Phoenix Arizona Model
Discussion
Recommendations of the Study
From the Paper "The Audit of the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System (2006) report relates that: "Six of the seven task forces fell below 50 percent of the US&R System standards for operational readiness established by FEMA." Operational readiness was defined by FEMA as "the availability of a rostered complement of completely trained, exercised, qualified personnel and disaster search canines ready to deploy." A full complement for a task force roster is inclusive of: "210 members with 19 different specialties and 12 canines." (Audit of the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System, 2006) Specific deficiencies were stated to be that the task forces did not conduct exercise or either did not require team members of an adequate number for participation."
Abstract The paper looks at the emotional trauma, the practical, every-day impact and the psychological issues which emerged when soldiers were called away from their families to fight the war against terror. The paper discusses how, while they seem to handle the situation better than their families, military men and women still have to deal with the terrific strain that any deployment places upon family life.
From the Paper "To begin with, American soldiers are, first and foremost, Americans. As a result, they too must surely have felt the shock, confusion and pain that all other Americans felt throughout the morning, afternoon, and evening of September 11, 2001. However, whereas most other Americans were largely powerless to do anything about the attacks (save become more hyper-vigilant on the home front in "rooting out" possible terrorists and/or saboteurs), members of the United States Army, Air Force and Navy were uniquely equipped to take positive action. In fact, whatever reservations many of them may have had in leaving behind their loved ones, the available evidence seems to indicate that military morale was quite strong after 9/11: Amy Puckett for one writes in the Army Times that ex-soldiers began to beat a steady path to their local enlistment office in the hopes of securing a military position as the Afghanistan stage of the "War on Terror" got underway (2001)."
Tags: war, terror, soldiers, overseas, deployment, tension, communciation
Abstract This paper is a case study, which looks at an abusive young private, who habitually has acted violently towards his common-law spouse after returning home from deployment. The author describes the situation, provides a tentative "best alternative to a negotiated agreement" (BATNA) and concludes by briefly detailing where the situation appears headed.
From the Paper "The Best Alternative to a Negotiated Settlement (BATNA) would seem to be one wherein Jim agrees to attend counseling sessions for his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder while Ruth is enrolled in classes designed to help her with her drinking problem. As for the children, the parents should have alternating days where one of them is expected to "take the lead" in the household management; in the past, both parties agreed that this approach would keep each active in the rearing of their children while allowing each a respite of sorts from the burden of parenting."
Abstract The paper provides an overview of the logistical support present during Operation Iraqi Freedom to determine what obstacles and constraints were encountered by U.S. military forces and what lessons have been learned since. The paper then outlines recent doctrinal shifts that have resulted in programs intended to make the military forces a more streamlined and efficient fighting force that will require less logistical support. The paper concludes that efforts to change the U.S. military are going to require some thoughtful approaches concerning how to deploy and resupply fast-moving strategic forces in tactically meaningful ways.
Outline:
Review and Discussion
Conclusion
From the Paper "Based on the hard lessons learned by both civilian and military leaders in the United States in Vietnam, other analysts suggest that subsequent military operations from Panama to the First Persian Gulf War indicate that military leaders have sought to apply massive force in order to ensure a quick victory (Rosseau). There were some profound constraints to the application of massive force during Operation Iraqi Freedom, though, that adversely affected the logistical support provided. In fact, even though the objective of OIF was to overthrow a hostile regime through an invasion of its homeland, extensive restrictions were placed on ground force size and aerial targeting (Record)."
Abstract The paper examines the problems encountered by the management of military organizations in funding medically unexplained physical symptoms of disorders in trench warfare. The paper also looks at the literature on how military organizations have to deal with the incidence of suicide as well as the psychological effects of routine military deployments on soldiers and their families. The paper discusses the causes of these problems and their solutions.
Outline:
Background
Statement of the Problem
Analysis of the Causes
Recommendations
Conclusion
From the Paper "The physical and mental welfare of men and women in the military is a fundamental concern in its management. That welfare necessarily requires sufficient funding for these soldiers, and provision for adequate diagnostic equipment and treatment of known and unknown physical and mental health problems. These health problems include operational stress, medically unexplained physical symptoms of certain disorders, suicides and the lack of an effective tool to measure family readiness in confronting deployment stress."
