Army Barracks Research Articles

Barrack-Building, Mapping, and Settlement in Eighteenth-Century Ireland

The history of residential army barracks in Ireland has in recent years become a focus for more concerted study. 1 While a number of works focused upon individual barracks have been published over the years since the 1970s, 2 the first substantive consideration as to why a permanent country-wide network of barracks was built in Ireland in the late 1690s and early eighteenth century was first published in 2012. This work assessed why these barracks were built, how they were paid for, and ultimately what purposes they served. 3 Since then, additional work has been undertaken with regard to a more comprehensive identification and inventorying of over 360 such barracks built between 1690 and 1922. 4 However, while some consideration has been given to the impact of the building of a country-wide network of barracks upon cartographic practice, 5 there has been little to no assessment of the impact that such residential army barracks had upon patterns of settlement. It is the aim of this article to assess these interlinked elements of barrack-building, mapping, and settlement patterns in relation to each other in an eighteenth-century context, with a particular focus upon barracks built in County Armagh. 6

It's better to die before dishonour: Linguistic creativity and the negotiation of meaning in the Nigerian Army community of practice

This article investigates emblematic language use and the negotiation of meaning with particular emphasis on generative mechanisms like jargon and slang in two Nigerian Army barracks in Calabar municipality, Cross River State, south-eastern Nigeria. The study is anchored in a linguistic ideology framework which is grounded in beliefs and values people have towards explicit and implicit language use in a particular communicative context. Drawing on qualitative ethnographic data sourced through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 30 participants who were purposively sampled, the authors argue that jargon and slang are indexical linguistic resources that enable military personnel to create diverse new meanings in the informal linguistic ecology of the army. We conclude that beyond helping to create a new linguistic convention in the barracks, jargon and slang also facilitate the construction of professional identity, enact inclusion/exclusion and sustain dominant values and professional ethos. The study focuses on ways of interpreting the specificity of the military world and the reality of dominance through the prism of these linguistic specimens. Jargon and slang, therefore, offer a firmer lens to appreciate the army's social universe and subjectivities, and more broadly to enhance an understanding of contextually embedded social practices in the military.

Post- Civil War Developments in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and the Establishment of NATSINTA Army Barracks, Katsina, 1970-2020

The paper examines the post-Nigerian Civil War developments that led to the establishment of Natsinta Army Barracks, Katsina. Prior to 1966, the total strength of the Nigerian Army was merely 10,000. However, at the end of the war, the figure had risen to 250,000. This posed a serious challenge because the available barracks could not contain more than 10% of the personnel. In view of this, the Nigerian Army instructed the soldiers to leave the East because the region was saturated with artificial barracks. On the May 1, 1970 the 82-battalion arrived Katsina from Uli-Ahiala. They were accommodated at Sabongida, Gidan Kwakwa, Kayalwa, GRA and some hotels, as well as rented apartments in the city. By 1977, the project for a permanent barracks was completed at Natsinta Village. The barracks housed the 82 battalion and in 1996 the 35 battalion replaced them. The scope of the paper is 1970-2020 because it was in 1970 that 82 battalion arrived Katsina. The year 2020 is the terminal end of the paper because it was in that year that residential quarters for the personnel of 17 brigade was constructed in the barracks. The paper argues that the establishment of the barrack was a landmark in the history of modern Katsina metropolis. Natsinta had impacts on the socio-economic and security aspect of Katsina. Primary and secondary sources of historical research were used in writing this paper. Keywords: Natsinta, Sabongida, Katsina, Army Barracks, Battalion, Civil war.

Former military barracks as places for informal placemaking in Italy. An inventory for new insights

ABSTRACT This paper seeks to extend research on the role of informal placemaking practices in spatial planning and community development through an examination of their role in accommodating alternative or innovative uses in contrast to profit-driven projects. The research does so through the study of unauthorized interventions in derelict army barracks, which have been the subject of little research to date in Italy. This work addresses this lack of knowledge by providing a taxonomy of barracks that have been subjected to informal placemaking, such as arts and cultural activities. The exploration of each of the categories resulting from the taxonomy can be crucial in triggering new insights into informal practices. Drawing on interviews with key actors, literature review, and fieldwork from the period 2019–2022, the research identifies key dynamics that may transform barracks into spaces for social reproduction, reversing original intentions to create new profit-driven spaces.

A Health Survey Revealing Prevalence of Vector-Borne Diseases and Tuberculosis in Papua New Guinea Defence Force Personnel and Families.

The Papua New Guinean Defence Force (PNGDF) and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) work and train closely. Infectious diseases pose a health threat to both forces, but recent knowledge about the risk at military bases in Papua New Guinea is limited. To improve understanding, a collaborative cross-sectional survey was conducted (March-April 2019) at Lombrum Naval base (Manus province) and Moem Army barracks (Wewak, East Sepik province) plus its Vanimo outpost (Sandaun province). Clinical data, venous blood, and sputum were collected from PNGDF personnel (DF) from the three sites, with point-of-care testing conducted for malaria (microscopy and rapid diagnostic test [RDT]), lymphatic filariasis (RDT), glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency (RDT), tuberculosis (GeneXpert), and hemoglobin level. Finger prick blood collected from family members residing at the Wewak base was tested for malaria and hemoglobin level. Overall, 235 DF and 793 family members completed the survey. Microscopy revealed malaria prevalence as 0.4% Plasmodium falciparum and 3.1% Plasmodium vivax among DF and 3.5% P. falciparum, 14.3% P. vivax, and 0.3% mixed P. falciparum/P. vivax among family members. Among DF, 3.9% were G6PD deficient and none tested positive for tuberculosis or for lymphatic filariasis antigen. Anemia was present in 6.5% of DF and 47.3% of family members, predominantly females. Results suggest ongoing exposure to malaria, particularly P. vivax, at study sites, whereas infections of lymphatic filariasis and tuberculosis were not detected. Survey results will inform the PNGDF and the ADF regarding vector-borne disease risk for future sustainable health and disease control interventions.

Seeger Lecture, Society for Ethnomusicology Virtual Meeting 2021

Seeger Lecture, Society for Ethnomusicology Virtual Meeting 2021

Research on the Construction of the Performance Evaluation Index System of the Engineering Agency Construction in the Army Barracks

<p>Based on the understanding of engineering construction management and military agency construction mode, this paper proposes performance evaluation indicators based on the principle of balanced scorecard, uses Delphi method and statistical analysis method to screen indicators, and finally establishes the evaluation indicator system. The construction of this system not only provides a reliable statistical tool for the quantitative evaluation of performance, but also has important practical significance for promoting the healthy development of the military agency construction model.</p>

Accessibility to Potable Water Supply and Satisfaction in Lokoja, Kogi State-Nigeria

This study examines household accessibility to domestic water supply in Lokoja, North Central Nigeria. Both primary and secondary data were obtained for this research. A systematic random sampling technique was adopted to gather relevant information from two hundred and ten households on their sources of water supply, frequency of trips to water collection points and their perception of quality of domestic water available to them. Relevant information was obtained from archival materials. Tables were employed to analyse the socio-economic composition of the respondents and the sources of water supply in their neighbourhoods. Likerts scale model was used to evaluate the perception of satisfaction on quality and adequacy of domestic water supply in the city. Analysis of Variance was also used to determine the level of satisfaction on the quantity and quality of domestic water supply across various residential areas in Lokoja. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to determine the strength of the relationship between domestic water supply on the one hand and income level, education profile and residential characteristics of households on the other hand. Findings reveal that more than 70% of households residing at Zango Daji and Army Barracks areas rely on borehole for their regular water supply. Well water and water from vendors are the principal sources of water for residents of Felele area and these constituted 48.1% and 25.9% respectively. Approximately 100%, 57.7% and 34.6% of urban households that reside at Old Poly Quarters, Lokongoma Phase 1 & 11 and Kabawa areas respectively indicated that they rely on irregular and unpredictable public tap water supply provided by the Kogi State Water Management Board.Urban households perceived and rated the availability and quality of domestic water supply as dissatisfied. There was a positive correlation between sources of domestic water supply and urban households income level as well as education profile, which was statistically significant (r = .196, n = 189, p = .01) and (r = .282, n = 189, p = .01). The study recommends the provision of potable water to urban households in order to reduce the vulnerability of urban residents to water borne diseases in Lokoja and environs.

Review: Modern Architecture, Empire, and Race in Fascist Italy

Review: <i>Modern Architecture, Empire, and Race in Fascist Italy</i>

Sculptors–soldiers’ monuments gracing Yugoslav People’s Army barracks in Slovenia

The contribution presents monumental sculptures produced by artistically talented conscripts of the Yugoslav People’s Army while performing military service in barracks across Slovenia. In the past, armies would often engage sculptors in monument building, and the Yugoslav People’s Army, too, enabled its recruits to engage in artistic productivity during military service. On their own initiative or the initiative of their commanding officers, sculptors–soldiers, many coming from other Yugoslav republics, built statues honouring national heroes that gave names to respective barracks, e.g., Josip Broz Tito and prominent figures from earlier military history. In the fifteen years’ period between the end of the 1960s and the early 1980s, at least fifteen such monuments were erected in barracks across Slovenia. Based on newspaper articles, the contribution presents the backgrounds of erecting and unveiling individual monuments as well as their fate after 1991.

Analisis Cerita Pendek “Der Tänzer Malige” Karya Johannes Bobrowski

The type of this research is descriptive qualitative. The purpose of this research is to describing theme, characters, plor, setting, message, and point of view in the short story “Der Tänzer Malige” by Johannes Bobrowski. The data in this study were obtained from reading the short story “Der Tänzer Malige” by Johannes Bobrowski. Data collection using library techniques, which are in the from of reading and notes technique on the object of research. The results of this study are as follws, a description of the theme elements: soldiers, character elements: main characters and extras, plot elements: mixed plot, background elements: place setting (village and army barracks) and time setting (August 1939 at the end of the season. Heat), the element of mandate: a high social spirit, the element of perspective: the third person point of view (Er).the interrelationship between the intrinsic elements of the short story, where the theme, character, plot, space and time setting, mandate, and point of view, shows a structure that influences one another. These elements cannot be separated from one another.

Vojnový Album: Dr. Jenő Lesskó–Belehrad 1915–1916. Ratni Album: Dr. Jenő Lesskó–Beograd 1915–1916

Vojnový Album: Dr. Jenő Lesskó–Belehrad 1915–1916. Ratni Album: Dr. Jenő Lesskó–Beograd 1915–1916

A Sanctuary of Impunity: Wartime El Salvador in the Fiction of Mario Bencastro

This analysis stems from a renewed sense of urgency to understand the roots of violence in Central America deemed critical by late globalization and migration. More specifically, this article utilizes the concept of impunity not merely as an element of culture but rather as a defining structure of everyday human interactions in wartime El Salvador, as presented by Mario Bencastro's Árbol de la Vida: Historias de la guerra civil (1993) and Disparo en la catedral (1990). As a cornerstone of these literary representations, I argue, impunity presents such ostensibly disparate locations as the office of the Human Rights Commission, army barracks, and a chapel as an interconnected web of lawlessness. Thus, Bencastro's fiction offers a holistic view of wartime El Salvador, in which the characters must negotiate the impunity that characterizes the social imaginary.

Cross sectional investigation of a COVID-19 outbreak at a London Army barracks: Neutralising antibodies and virus isolation.

BackgroundMilitary personnel in enclosed societies are at increased risk of respiratory infections. We investigated an outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in a London Army barracks early in the pandemic.MethodsArmy personnel, their families and civilians had nasal and throat swabs for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by reverse transcriptase -polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), virus isolation and whole genome sequencing, along with blood samples for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. All tests were repeated 36 days later.FindingsDuring the first visit, 304 (254 Army personnel, 10 family members, 36 civilians, 4 not stated) participated and 24/304 (8%) were SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive. Infectious virus was isolated from 7/24 (29%). Of the 285 who provided a blood sample, 7% (19/285) were antibody positive and 63% (12/19) had neutralising antibodies. Twenty-two (22/34, 64%) individuals with laboratory-confirmed infection were asymptomatic. Nine SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive participants were also antibody positive but those who had neutralising antibodies did not have infectious virus. At the second visit, no new infections were detected, and 13% (25/193) were seropositive, including 52% (13/25) with neutralising antibodies. Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity included contact with a confirmed case (RR 25.2; 95% CI 14–45), being female (RR 2.5; 95% CI 1.0–6.0) and two-person shared bathroom (RR 2.6; 95% CI 1.1–6.4).InterpretationWe identified high rates of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Public Health control measures can mitigate spread but virus re-introduction from asymptomatic individuals remains a risk. Most seropositive individuals had neutralising antibodies and infectious virus was not recovered from anyone with neutralising antibodies.FundingPHE

Profiling the public health risk of canine rabies transmission in Kogi state, Nigeria

Recently reports have emerged of rabies outbreaks in townships close to the city of Lokoja, the capital city of Kogi State in Nigeria. Areas in Lokoja are known to have high rates of dog bites and dogs are frequently butchered for human consumption, both of which may constitute risk factors for rabies transmission. However, data on the relative importance of these factors on canine rabies exposure in the densely populated capital of Kogi State is scarce.To understand the risk for public health two separate observational cross-sectional studies were conducted in Lokoja. Firstly, a retrospective study was performed to investigate the human profile of dog bite injuries and quantify the vaccination coverage of offending dogs. Information on dog bite cases and vaccination records covering of 11 years (2003−2013) were obtained from the largest public veterinary clinic (i.e. State Veterinary Clinic) and a private veterinary clinic in Lokoja. Then, an investigation of the presence of rabies antigen in the brain tissues of dogs slaughtered for human consumption in Lokoja was performed. A total of 208 canine brain samples from five slaughter points within the army barracks (the main venue in Lokoja where dogs are slaughtered for human consumption) were examined by fluorescent antibody technique.Out of 95 human dog bite cases, 46 (48.4%) were in persons between 10 and 19 years of age and 57 (60%) were males. There was a statistically significant association between gender of victims and their age, with a greater proportion of bites in males <10 years of age compared to other age groups (P < .001). Our results indicated a higher frequency of dog bites on the legs (51%) than other parts of the body; vaccination rates of offending dogs were lower compared to the general population of dogs presenting to clinics in Lokoja (25% vs 31%, respectively). Rabies antigen was detected in 11/203 (5.3%) brain samples from dogs slaughtered for human consumption.Paediatric dog bites and dog slaughtering practices represent a significant public health risk to residents of Lokoja in the context of rabies exposure. In order to minimize the risk of rabies outbreaks in children and people butchering, handling and consuming dog meat, dog vaccination and health promotion and education should be prioritized to these high risk groups.

Discipline, punishment and defiance: guerrillas in the new South African National Defence Forces

ABSTRACT In post-apartheid South Africa, on military integration, the new South African National Defence Forces (SANDF) faced numerous social and political challenges on integration, including former guerrillas absenting themselves from work without official leave. The paper examines the ways in which the Azania Peoples Liberation Army (APLA), an armed wing of the Pan Africanist Congress understood the ‘new’ army barracks as racialised and dominated by white soldiers. However, I argue that both former guerrilla formations and the white-dominated soldiers, SADF were unwilling to compromise their past political ideological understanding which had shaped them prior to integration in the ‘new’ army. The paper examines how the military was understood by APLA guerrillas, in which discipline and punishment was viewed as racialised. However, the new army was also insulated with some ‘good moments. In substantiating my argument, I draw on 17 former APLA former guerrillas’ who were once integrated into the new army and left prematurely.

Wandering: An Essay on Histories, Genders, Mobilities, and Forms

Wandering: An Essay on Histories, Genders, Mobilities, and Forms

Dvorac Nova Kraljevica: prilozi za povijest gradnje i uređenja

Članak govori o povijesti gradnje i obnova te unutrašnjem uređenju dvorca Nova Kraljevica. Na temelju arhivskih izvora i nalaza in situ definiran je građevni razvoj dvorca te elementi oblikovanja njegove vanjštine i unutrašnjosti, od vremena izgradnje u doba Zrinskih, preko značajnih obnova za vojarnu, bolnicu i sjemenište u 18. i 19. stoljeću pa sve do danas. O dvorcu je sačuvana bogata arhivska dokumentacija čije tumačenje pomaže u sagledavanju izvornih arhitektonskih obilježja, te promjena koje je dvorac naknadno doživio. U članku se također nastoji utvrditi izvorna namjena pojedinih prostorija dvorca, identificirati elementi sačuvane unutrašnje opreme, kao i njihov izvorni položaj.

Association between semi-quantitative microbial load and respiratory symptoms among Thai military recruits: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundMultiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assays have improved diagnostic sensitivity for a wide range of pathogens. However, co-detection of multiple agents and bacterial colonization make it difficult to distinguish between asymptomatic infection or illness aetiology. We assessed whether semi-quantitative microbial load data can differentiate between symptomatic and asymptomatic states for common respiratory pathogens.MethodsWe obtained throat and nasal swab samples from military trainees at two Thai Army barracks. Specimens were collected at the start and end of 10-week training periods (non-acute samples), and from individuals who developed upper respiratory tract infection during training (acute samples). We analysed the samples using a commercial multiplex respiratory panel comprising 33 bacterial, viral and fungal targets. We used random effects tobit models to compare cycle threshold (Ct) value distributions from non-acute and acute samples.ResultsWe analysed 341 non-acute and 145 acute swab samples from 274 participants. Haemophilus influenzae type B was the most commonly detected microbe (77.4% of non-acute and 64.8% of acute samples). In acute samples, nine specific microbe pairs were detected more frequently than expected by chance. Regression models indicated significantly lower microbial load in non-acute relative to acute samples for H. influenzae non-type B, Streptococcus pneumoniae and rhinovirus, although it was not possible to identify a Ct-value threshold indicating causal etiology for any of these organisms.ConclusionsSemi-quantitative measures of microbial concentration did not reliably differentiate between illness and asymptomatic colonization, suggesting that clinical symptoms may not always be directly related to microbial load for common respiratory infections.

Epidemiology and Transmission of Respiratory Infections in Thai Army Recruits: A Prospective Cohort Study.

.Military recruits are at high risk of respiratory infections. However, limited data exist on military populations in tropical settings, where the epidemiology of respiratory infections differs substantially from temperate settings. We enrolled recruits undertaking a 10-week military training at two Royal Thai Army barracks between May 2014 and July 2015. We used a multiplex respiratory panel to analyze nose and throat swabs collected at the start and end of the training period, and from participants experiencing respiratory symptoms during follow-up. Paired sera were tested for influenza seroconversion using a hemagglutinin inhibition assay. Overall rates of upper respiratory illness and influenza-like illness were 3.1 and 2.0 episodes per 100 person-weeks, respectively. A pathogen was detected in 96% of samples. The most commonly detected microbes were Haemophilus influenzae type B (62.7%) or non–type B (58.2%) and rhinovirus (22.4%). At baseline, bacterial colonization was high and included H. influenzae type B (82.3%), H. influenzae non–type B (31.5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (14.6%), Staphylococcus aureus (8.5%), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (8.5%). At the end of follow-up, colonization with H. influenzae non–type B had increased to 74.1%, and S. pneumoniae to 33.6%. In the serology subset, the rate of influenza infection was 3.4 per 100 person-months; 58% of influenza infections resulted in clinical disease. Our study provides key data on the epidemiology and transmission of respiratory pathogens in tropical settings. Our results emphasize the need for improved infection prevention and control in military environments, given the high burden of illness and potential for intense transmission of respiratory pathogens.