It was an unbelievable mission - to rebuild Iraq while the U.S. military was fighting a raging insurgency. In 2004, the soldiers and civilians of the Gulf Region Division (GRD) answered the call to duty and began the largest and most complex reconstruction project ever undertaken by our nation. They made great personal sacrifices that few of their fellow Americans would dare endure. This book tells the rest of the inspiring story - much of which was ignored by the mainstream media as "not newsworthy" or reduced to mere sound bytes. In the face of imminent danger, the GRD team braved daily car bombs, rocket attacks, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and kidnappings to rebuild thousands of projects throughout a chaotic war zone. These projects spread throughout a hostile country included schools, hospitals, police stations, oil production, electrical power and water treatment plants. Despite the odds, GRD was able to complete its critical strategic mission, and its members were awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation. A few of the amazing stories include: - A massive car bomb on author's first day in Baghdad that leveled a nearby hotel. - High speed "Mad Max" drives through the streets of Baghdad in unarmored SUVs. - The dependence on security contractors who performed with great valor while protecting American civilians. - The perilous war waged on the reconstruction mission that was largely invisible to U.S. combat forces and the American public. - The accidental rescue of an American hostage. - Living and working in Saddam's great palaces. - How a Yahoo email message was used to send an urgent plea for help. - A daring rescue mission in the Tigris River that ended in tragic loss. - The parade of Congressional Delegations that diverted precious combat resources from the war effort. - The unbelievable (but true) story of how a Yahoo email account is used to send an urgent message to the author to "PLEASE SAVE US." About the Author: Kerry Kachejian is one of the nation s most qualified soldiers and engineers, having served in and supported reconstruction operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan as well as relief operations during Hurricane Katrina. A 1982 graduate of the US Military Academy (West Point), Kachejian also holds a Master s Degree in Systems Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He is a Distinguished Graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces earning a second Master s Degree in National Resource Strategy. Kachejian has numerous military decorations, awards, and qualifications, including the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Action Badge. He was presented the Bronze de Fleury Medal by the Army Engineer Association and the Reserve Award for Leadership Excellence a national award presented annually by the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). He is Airborne and Ranger qualified. Kachejian recently retired from the Army Reserve, holding the rank of Colonel. He currently supports the U.S. defense industry. He has spoken at a number of major conferences and private events on topics, including the Reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan, the Psychology of Terrorism, Contractors on the Battlefield, and Critical Infrastructure Protection. Kerry, a native of West Chester, Pennsylvania, lives with his wife Alice and three children near Springfield, Virginia.

The gender barrier that stood for nearly two centuries at the United States Military Academy was toppled in 1976. Based on more than one hundred interviews, thousands of pages of Academy documents, and a wide array of secondary sources, this is the first comprehensive history of what the admission of women at West Point meant for the Academy, for the Army, and for the United States. The story of how West Point prepared for the precedent-setting arrival of women has never before been thoroughly told. Given the current interest in the role of women in the armed forces, and the attention focused on The Citadel and VMI when they admitted women, this is a topical story that will appeal to a general audience.

Janda explains how and why female cadets were admitted to West Point and how they responded to the challenge of confronting 175 years of all-male Academy tradition. He argues that neither feminists nor Congress forced the Academy to change standards for women, and that Academy leaders were pioneers in exploring the implications of bringing women into formerly all-male military academies. "Stronger than Custom" also examines the sacrifices made by the first women cadets at the Academy, each of whom confronted an array of personal and professional hurdles on the road to graduation. When 62 of the original 119 women who entered the Academy in 1976 graduated four years later, they did so in triumph.

War and Enlightenment in Russia explores how members of the military during the reign of Catherine II reconciled Enlightenment ideas about the equality and moral worth of all humans with the Russian reality based on serfdom, a world governed by autocracy, absolute respect for authority, and subordination to seniority. While there is a sizable literature about the impact of the Enlightenment on government, economy, manners, and literature in Russia, no analytical framework that outlines its impact on the military exists. Eugene Miakinkov's research addresses this gap and challenges the assumption that the military was an unadaptable and vertical institution. Using archival sources, military manuals, essays, memoirs, and letters, the author demonstrates how the Russian militaires philosophes operationalized the Enlightenment by turning thought into reality.

Women and Gender Perspectives in the Military compares the integration of women, gender perspectives, and the women, peace, and security agenda into the armed forces of eight countries plus NATO and United Nations peacekeeping operations. This book brings a much-needed crossnational analysis of how militaries have or have not improved gender balance, what has worked and what has not, and who have been the agents for change. The country cases examined are Sweden, the Netherlands, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Australia, and South Africa. Despite increased opportunities for women in the militaries of many countries and wider recognition of the value of including gender perspectives to enhance operational effectiveness, progress has encountered roadblocks even nearly twenty years after United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 kicked off the women, peace, and security agenda. Robert Egnell, Mayesha Alam, and the contributors to this volume conclude that there is no single model for change that can be applied to every country, but the comparative findings reveal many policy-relevant lessons while advancing scholarship about women and gendered perspectives in the military.

This book presents oral histories from the last surviving UK veterans of the Korean War. With the help of the UK National Army Museum and the British Korean Society, this book collects nearly twenty testimonials of UK veterans of the Korean War. Many only teenagers when mobilized, these veterans attempt to put words to the violence and trauma they experienced. They recall the landscape and people of Korea, the political backdrop, and touching moments in unlikely situations. Like other oral histories of war, their stories recount friendship, hardship, the loss of innocence, and the perseverance of humanity in the face of cruelty. The testimonies were taken by academics and students from the University of Roehampton, and supported by the National Army Museum and the British Korean Society. Through their memories we learn a great deal about the conflict in macro and micro scales.

He was Born in New Jersey in 1933 and only dreamed of being a military man. Marrying shortly after high school, he joined the army in 1956 and was dispatched to Vietnam in 1963 when America still seemed innocent. Jim Thompson would have led a perfectly ordinary, undistinguished life had he not been captured four months later, becoming the first American prisoner in Vietnam and, ultimately, the longest-held prisoner of war in American history. Forgotten Soldier is Thompson's epic story, a remarkable reconstruction of one man's life and a searing account that questions who is a real American hero. Examining the lives of Thompson's family on the home front, as well as his brutal treatment and five escape attempts in Vietnam, military journalist Tom Philpott weaves an extraordinary tale, showing how the American government intentionally suppressed Thompson's story.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the U.S. Navy had a total of 111 submarines. However, this fleet was not nearly as impressive as the number suggests. It was mostly a collection of ageing boats from the late teens and early twenties, with only a few of the newer, more modern Gato-class boats. Fortunately, with the war in Europe already two years old and friction with Japan ever-increasing, help from what would become known as the Silent Service in the Pacific was on the way: there were 73 of the new fleet submarines under construction. The Silent Service in World War II tells the story of America's intrepid underwater warriors in the words of the men who lived the war in the Pacific against Japan. The enemy had already begun to deploy advanced boats, but the U.S. was soon able to match them. By 1943 the new Gato-class boats were making a difference, carrying the war not just to the Japanese Imperial Navy, but to the vital merchant fleet that carried the vast array of material needed to keep the land of the Rising Sun afloat. As the war progressed, American success in the Solomons, starting with Guadalcanal, began to constrict the Japanese sea lanes, and operating singly or in wolfpacks they were able to press their attacks on convoys operating beyond the range of U.S. airpower, making daring forays even into the home waters of Japan itself in the quest for ever more elusive targets. Also taking on Japanese warships, as well as rescuing downed airmen (such as the grateful first President Bush), U.S. submarines made an enormous contribution to our war against Japan. This book takes you through the war as you learn what it was like to serve on submarines in combat, the exhilaration of a successful attack, and the terror of being depth-charged. And aside from enemy action, the sea itself could prove to be an extremely hostile environment as many of these stories attest. From early war patrols in obsolescent, unreliable S-boats to new, modern fleet submarines roving the Pacific, the forty-six stories in this anthology give you a full understanding of what it was like to be a U.S. Navy submariner in combat.

Teenage years can be difficult, but military-connected adolescents have added obstacles growing up within the military culture. They are essentially conscripted into serving their county - whether they want to or not - from the moment they are born. For the youth of this generation, who have known nothing but a world consistently engaged in global conflict capable of ripping their loved ones away from them, the path they travel can be arduous, lonely, and hidden from the world. Schools are one of the few places that adolescents could receive support, nurturing, and acceptance outside of the home. Yet military students and their needs remain unacknowledged, making them an invisible minority in education. With more than four million military-connected children in the nation, over 80% enrolled in public schools, these students deserve to have a light shined on their lives. Forgotten Conscripts: Understanding the Needs of Military-Connected Adolescents looks deeper into the perceptions, beliefs, and experiences of military-connected adolescents to better inform teaching and learning among members of this culture so they might no longer be forgotten.

An innovative addition to the literature of military studies, this exploration of the issues of legitimacy and commitment in the military focuses on the contemporary military situation, critically analyzing current "fault lines" and future trends in this area. The editors, Thomas C. Wyatt and Reuven Gal, contend that post-World War II wars are "different" from the two wars preceding them, that the nontraditional wars in Algeria, Vietnam, Pakistan, Lebanon, the Falkland Islands, and Grenada, among others, can be characterized by issues of "national concensus" and "home support," political debates, moral argumentations and counterargumentations, demonstrations and alienation, and conscientious objectors. In such wars, weapons systems, training, and tactics become secondary to issues of legitimacy and commitment. Military organizations, too, are different in that they are now prepared not only for wars but also for peace and peace-keeping missions that consist of police-type or constabulary tasks. Also, the "volunteer army" has largely replaced the army composed mainly of conscripts, and these better-educated soldiers are different in that they will examine carefully the sources of military legitimation before furnishing the unconditional commitment that is the backbone of the military fighting spirit. The volume's eleven chapters were contributed by an international group of leading behavioral scientists who write from the perspectives of a wide scope of disciplines, including psychology, sociology, history, philosophy, anthropology, and military studies. The work is divided into three main parts that focus on some of the theoretical puzzles inherent in the combination of military ethicsand moral values; assess sources of legitimacy and commitment; and detail the manifestation and measurement of commitment and legitimacy in a variety of nations and organizations. The subjects of conscientious objection, educational benefits, the Army Reserve, and the Vietnamese, U.S., Soviet, and Israeli armies are a few of the intriguing topics scrutinized here. As a whole, Legitimacy and Commitment in the Military provides an essential collection for the military student, the scholar, the soldier, and military professionals who aspire to leadership. The various individual chapters offer unique insights for students and researchers in the fields of ethics, history, anthropology, and the behavioral sciences.

A finalist for the Los Angeles Times Science & Technology Book Prize 'The most entertaining writer in science' - The Times, Books of the Year War. Mention it and most of us think of history, of conflicts on foreign soil, of heroism and compromise, of strategy and weapons. But there's a whole other side to the gruesome business of the battlefield. In Grunt, the inimitable Mary Roach explores the science of keeping human beings intact, awake, sane, uninfected and uninfested in the bizarre and extreme circumstances of war. Setting about her task with infectious enthusiasm, she sniffs World War II stink bombs, tests earplugs in a simulated war zone and burns the midnight oil with the crew of a nuclear submarine. Speaking to the scientists and the soldiers, she learns about everything from life-changing medical procedures to innovations as esoteric as firing dead chickens at fighter jets. Engrossing, insightful and laugh-out-loud funny, this is an irresistible ride to the wilder shores of modern military life.

The Royal Marines pride themselves on their professionalism, teamwork and the desire to succeed. This insider's guide has been created in conjunction with current serving Royal Marines recruitment staff and is designed to show you how to successfully pass the Commando selection process.

Written in a lively and readable style by the world's leading authority on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and US-European relations, Defense of the West is the history of a transatlantic security relationship that has endured for over seventy years. This latest edition of a classic work looks at how developments inside NATO and European Union member states affect their ability to defend against external threats while preserving Western values, in the era of Trump and Brexit. Sloan frankly addresses the failures and shortcomings of Western institutions and member states. But the book emphasizes the continuing importance of value-based transatlantic security cooperation as a vital element of the defense and foreign policies of NATO and EU member states. At a time of heightened tension and political turmoil, at home and abroad, Stan Sloan's lucid and far-sighted analysis is more necessary than ever. -- .

Published as a tribute to the late Stanley Sadie, these eleven essays look at compositional and performance matters, consider new archival research and provide an overview of work since the bicentenary in 1991. Words About Mozart is published as a tribute to the late Stanley Sadie, musicologist, critic and editor of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Of the eleven essays presented here, three focus on compositional matters: Julian Rushton examines the dramatic meaning of a recurring motif in Idomeneo; Elaine Sisman sifts through the facts surrounding the genesis of Mozart's 'Haydn' quartets; and Simon Keefe matches up pairs of piano sonatas and concertos on the basis of their common compositional features. Cliff Eisen considers some problems of performing practice posed by the solo keyboard parts in Mozart's concertos, and Robert Philip surveys tempo fluctuations in a selection of historical recordings. Felicity Baker's detailed analysis of aspects of the Don Giovanni libretto is a welcome contribution from the field of literary criticism. Three studies offer new archivalresearch: Neal Zaslaw uncovers the background to one of Mozart's nonsense compositions; Dorothea Link examines the Viennese Hofkapelle and creates a new context for understanding Mozart's court appointment; and Theodore Albrecht proposes a candidate for Mozart's Zauberfloetist. Christina Bashford considers an aspect of Mozart reception in 19th-century England connected with John Ella, and Peter Branscombe presents a comprehensive overview of research published since the bicentenary in 1991. The volume includes a full bibliography of Stanley Sadie's publications and broadcasts. Contributors: THEODORE ALBRECHT, FELICITY BAKER, CHRISTINA BASHFORD, PETER BRANSCOMBE, CLIFF EISEN, SIMON P. KEEFE, LEANNE LANGLEY, DOROTHEA LINK, ANDREW PORTER, ROBERT PHILIP, JULIAN RUSHTON, ELAINE SISMAN, NEAL ZASLAW

A penetrating analysis of the changing and interacting worlds of work and family life in the U.S. military, this volume extends the concept of the organization man to focus on the organization family. Based on the most recent literature and research on work and family dynamics in the military services today, the contributors examine such issues as the special problems of dual career couples and single parents, the challenge of rebuilding military communities, and the influence of family factors on the workplace. Taken together, their essays advance our understanding of the nature and dynamics of the work/family interface. This work also presents some significant policy implications for military leadership and family life professionals interested in forging a more productive partnership between the military organization and the military family.

The book is divided into three major sections, each of which addresses a key aspect of work and family life: work and family linkages, the problems of special population groups, and the organizational response to family-level issues in the workplace. Each chapter provides a theoretical and/or historical perspective on the topic under study as well as presenting the latest empirical research in the area. Throughout, the contributors draw relevant comparisons between the military and civilian employment sectors, making the book invaluable for advanced students of military and family sociology, contemporary family patterns and issues, and public policy.

The process of military change management must be as well planned and as well led as any other military operation. This book considers the complex and challenging area of change management within military organizations. While the military can learn a lot from the wealth of existing civilian management literature, the unique circumstances of most military organizations often require different approaches. With an understanding of the important factors involved, military planners can approach change through a means that allows them to harness the inevitability and power of change to achieve their own ends.

The management of change within a military organization is neither a fire and forget process nor one that military leaders should avoid. In many respects it is like other operations. Leaders must first understand the nature and shape of the change battlefield that they are facing. On this battlefield they must dispatch their forces against those who will seek to oppose change. Through examination of various processes of change within the military, civilian managers will learn how change has succeeded or failed in organizations whose bottom-line is the physical safety and security of the countries and the people that they protect.

Die reis op soek na antwoorde begin in Augustus 2018 met 'n toer deur Angola. Die ongenaakbare terrein en taal hindernisse in Angola, maak toerlede aangewese op mekaar. Ek begin soldate kameradrie verstaan.

In Angola het die nasionale parke sonder diere, armoede, die nuwe kolonialiseerders van Afrika en die sigbare sowel as die onsigbare littekens van oorloe, 'n groot indruk op my gemaak.

Die deure na die gebeure in die verlede moes oopgesluit word. Soldate se wedervarings moet gedeel word.

Large data sets arriving at every increasing speeds require a new set of efficient data analysis techniques. Data analytics are becoming an essential component for every organization and technologies such as health care, financial trading, Internet of Things, Smart Cities or Cyber Physical Systems. However, these diverse application domains give rise to new research challenges. In this context, the book provides a broad picture on the concepts, techniques, applications, and open research directions in this area. In addition, it serves as a single source of reference for acquiring the knowledge on emerging Big Data Analytics technologies.

An examination of the Royal Navy's Victualling Board, the body responsible for supplying the fleet. During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, the Royal Navy increased its manpower from fewer than 20,000 to more than 147,000 men, with a concomitant increase in the quantities of food and drink required to sustain them.The organisation responsible for this, the Victualling Board, performed its tasks using techniques and systems which it had developed over the previous 110 years. In terms of actually delivering supplies to warships, troopships and army garrisons abroad, the Victualling Board performed well given the constraints of long-distance communications and intermittent difficulties in obtaining supplies. However, its other areas of responsibility showed poor performance, as evidenced by the reports of several Parliamentary enquiries. This book examines in detail the processes by which the Victualling Board performed its core and non-core tasks, identifying the areas of competence and incompetence, and establishing the underlying causes of the incompetencies. JANET MACDONALD, author of the highly acclaimed Feeding Nelson's Navy (Chatham, 2004), has recently completed a thesis at King's College London. After a business career, and running an equestrian organisation, she spent ten years as a freelance writer, publishing more than thirty books.

This book examines the historic role of professional and demanding military customers in industrial development. Particular emphasis is paid to public procurement of military equipment as a catalyst for innovation; and the civilian commercialization of military technologies (from gunpowder and cannons to submarines, missiles and aircraft) is documented by many case illustrations that show how macro-level productivity advance has been generated. A complementary volume to Advancing Public Procurement as Industrial Policy (2010), which focused on the spillover effects of the Swedish combat aircraft, Gripen, in this book Gunnar Eliasson widens the perspective to cover product development across the Swedish defense industry, with an emphasis on regional economic development and macro-economics, inter alia through the involvement of Saab (aircraft) and Kockums (submarines) in partnership ventures in Australia, Norway and Brazil. The volume is organized into four parts. Part one examines the historical transformation of the Swedish economy over the past three centuries from agriculture and raw materials to an advanced industrial economy. Part two presents detailed case studies to illustrate the spillover effects of procurement projects and military-industrial partnerships. Part three explains the spillover phenomenon theoretically within a dynamic micro- to macro-economic perspective. Particular emphasis is placed on the empirical credibility of model-based economy-wide and dynamic cost-benefit calculations. The book concludes with a section on fostering industrial development through public procurement. The result is a book that will appeal to economists in the industrial economics and management fields; to technical, marketing and purchasing executives in business; and to policy makers in public procurement concerned with innovation and long-run industrial development.

Volume 16 of Research in Occupational Stress and Well Being is focused on how stress and well-being shape the experiences of military personnel both in and out of the combat zone. The book examines the connections between life in or after the military and employee stress, health, and well being. Chapters in this volume include veterans' transitions into the workplace, work-family issues for military couples as well as children of parents in the military, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychopathy and emotion, the role of stress and well-being on performance in the military, resilience and stress interventions in military organizations and the use of drugs by soldiers and veterans as a coping mechanism for chronic pain. The book showcases the work of the best researchers and theorists contributing to this field to provide a multidisciplinary and international collection that gives a thorough and critical assessment of knowledge, and major gaps in knowledge, on occupational stress and well being with a view to shaping future research both in military and civilian research literatures.

Sure to be found controversial by some, compelling by all, this is the only available book-length examination of the way the U.S. Army and Department of Defense have tried to create the capabilities promised by the high-tech Revolution in Military Affairs. Of more immediate concern, it is also the only in-depth account of the effect RMA and transformation concepts had on the American operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many of the problems in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Adams argues, arose from the DoD's implacable desire to implement RMA-driven transformation concepts-whether they were appropriate or not. What we need to do, he maintains, is to fight the war we have, not the war we want. Over the last several decades, military theorists and others began to believe that new technologies were generating a "revolution in military affairs" (RMA), capabilities so revolutionary that they would redefine warfare. Spurred by these beliefs, and led by President George W. Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the Department of Defense (DoD) set out to transform the U.S. armed forces by adopting RMA concepts-and spending billions to make the hypothetical capabilities real. The entire structure of the armed forces changed as a result. This vision, however, was totally dependent on a set of unproven suppositions and often nonexistent capabilities, especially a network of information technologies. Moreover, the services, the media, Congress, and industry each had its own agenda, all of which continue to come into play in the development of RMA strategies. The interplay of politics, technology and military reality offers a fascinating narrative.