Military Operational Requirements Research Articles

The Short-Term Reliability of the Conceptualised 'Combat Readiness Assessment'.

: BackgroundMilitary fitness testing has historically assessed individual fitness components. Fitness assessments of this nature do not adequately monitor the physical requirements of military operations. The development of a more combat-specific fitness test would enhance accuracy in assessing the soldiers’ readiness for the demands of war. This study aimed to assess the short-term reliability of the conceptualised ‘Combat Readiness Assessment’ (CRA) following a single familiarisation trial with 21 male phase-two British Army Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer (REME) recruits (age (years) 19.7 ± 2.5) split into two groups (N = 11 and 10) to conform with recruit availability. The CRA was designed to be a multifaceted fitness assessment aimed at replicating the physical demands of a combat situation for military personnel. Methods: Three repeated assessments of the CRA were completed over a 10-day period (trial one as a familiarisation) to assess the short-term reliability of the CRA post familiarisation. The CRA was completed carrying a 4 kg rifle (SA80 A2) and involved a 400 m (M) run wearing an 11 kg backpack (removed after the 400 M) followed by weighted carries, sprints, casualty drags and agility tasks. Completion time (seconds) was recorded to assess performance. Intraclass correlations (ICCs) (2,1) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), the standard error of the measurement (SEM) and the coefficient of variation (CV) were calculated for completion time for trials 1-3 (T1-3) and 2-3 (T2-3) to assess reliability post-familiarisation. Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) was calculated for T1-2 and T2-3. Descriptive statistics were calculated for completion time for T1-3 and T2-3. Results: The reliability following a familiarisation trial from T1-3 (ICC: 0.75; SEM: 7.1 s; CV: 9.97%) to T2-3 (ICC: 0.88; SEM: 6.4 s; CV: 10.05%) increased. Mean trial time decreased post familiarisation from T1-3 (210.9 ± 21.03 s) to T2-3 (206.3 ± 20.73 s). Conclusions: These findings are inconclusive regarding the short-term reliability of the CRA. The small sample size resulted in wide 95% confidence intervals associated with the ICCs, making the true ICC value hard to determine. The ICCs and MAPE suggest that the reliability of the CRA increased following a familiarisation trial, but this requires further research with a larger cohort to determine with confidence.

Differentiation strategies for defence supply chain design

Purpose Defence supply chains (SCs) aim at operational outcomes, and armed forces depend on them to provide availability and preparedness in peace and sustainability in war. Previous research has focussed on strategies for SCs aiming at financial outcomes. This raises the question of how suitable commercial supply chain strategies (SCSs) are for supply chain design (SCD) in defence. The purpose of this paper is to explain the constructs of SCSs that satisfy military operational requirements and to propose SCSs that are appropriate in defence. Design/methodology/approach This paper reports on a Delphi study with 20 experts from Swedish defence authorities. Through three Delphi rounds, two workshops and a validation round, these experts contributed to the reported findings. Findings The findings demonstrate that commercial SC constructs are acceptable and applicable in defence but not sufficient. An additional strategy is required to satisfy requirements on availability, preparedness and sustainability. The paper shows that different requirements in peace and war make it challenging to design suitable defence SCs and proposes eight SCSs that satisfy these requirements. Research limitations/implications The results emanate from the Swedish defence context and further research is required for generalisation. Originality/value This paper extends theory by investigating SCs aiming at operational outcomes. For managers in companies and defence authorities, it explicates how the unique issues in defence must influence SCD to satisfy operational requirements.

The state of military families in Canada: A scoping review

Introduction: For some families, the military way of life fosters close social support networks and adaptability. For others, the stresses and strains resulting from military operational requirements are challenging. Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services reviewed the most recent Canadian research to detail the issues currently facing Canadian military families. Methods: The scoping review yielded 72 articles and reports. Additionally, exclusive demographic data on family members were analyzed using data compiled by Chief Force Development. Results: Of the 72 Canadian articles, 53 were published within the past five years. These were organized thematically into categories, including demographics, common military lifestyle challenges, common family transitional challenges, and family resiliency. Discussion: Canadian military families commonly face three military journey challenges and three family journey challenges: geographical relocations due to postings; absences from family due to operational tempo; operational illness, injury, or death; personal well-being and mental health; financial stress; and intimate partner relationships. The majority of families are resilient and manage these challenges successfully; only a small percentage struggle. For those who struggle, access to systems of care and supports could enhance their resilience to manage these transitional challenges. Overall participation rates in programs and services are currently low, but the majority of those who used them perceived that they were helpful. For families to experience a stabilized family life in the face of military challenges, they need to be aware of, and able to advocate for services that are available and aligned with when, where and how they need them.

Analysis of the operating conditions of mobile composite airfield pavements

Safety maintenance is a key and essential condition for flight operations performance by aircraft. It refers to all functional elements of an airport, i.e. runways, taxiways and aprons, as part of the movement area at civil, as well as military airports. Airfield pavements, likewise the aircraft and technical personnel of ground control directly affecting the safety of flight operations, are the integral part of each functional element of an airport. Airports in the event of force majeure, critical events and foremost, in the event of war threat are the facilities that would be the first objects to focus on. As a result, airfield pavements constructions would be destroyed and require quick reconstruction that guarantee its restoration of operational readiness and safety conditions for operating aircraft. Existing technology and methods of airfield pavement reconstruction could not meet the stringent time requirements of military operations, that is why mobile, composite airfield mats have been developed. In the paper, operational and maintenance advantages of the elastic, mobile airfield mat ELP-1 KRATER manufactured by Shipyard Żuławy are shown. There is presented the computational model of composite pavement which co-operates with subbase and also shown are the results of field tests, performed by the Air Force Institute of Technology. Moreover, there are presented the results of load-bearing capacity of the composite airfield mat ELP-1 KRATER received during field tests.

Integration of mCare and T2 Mood Tracker: Illustrating mHealth Usability Testing

Military operational requirements potentially limit access to behavioral health care for service members. Although mobile technology solutions are increasingly viable, a secure method for mobile data exchange between patients and providers has yet to be adopted in military health care. Usability testing is the industry standard prior to implementing new technology. This paper demonstrates usability testing on a secure data exchange system between mCare and T2 Mood Tracker. Sixteen civilian providers in an outpatient behavioral health clinic tested the mCare Provider Portal, and nine uniformed proxy patients tested the Mood Tracker app. The System Usability Scale (SUS) was used as an outcome measure, which is composed of usability and learnability sub-factors. Proxy patients rated the mobile app as acceptable on the SUS, with average usability and above average learnability. Providers had less favorable views of the mCare Provider Portal, which they rated as marginal across all domains. Participants expressed enthusiasm about the potential of the provider web portal/patient smartphone app system, but had concerns about technical difficulties and ethical issues when exchanging data electronically. The results suggest a willingness to use technology to share data between patients and providers, but also a need for refinement of system usability before full-scale implementation.

Buy now, pay later: American military intervention and the strategic cost paradox

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the notion that US efforts to evade the political costs of war paradoxically contribute to the subsequent exacerbation of costs over time. Leaders seek to purchase political capital in the short term by limiting the costs and requirements of military operations, but in doing so cause strategic and political liabilities to mount in the long run. While identification of such behaviour is not new, insufficient attention has been devoted to explaining its causes, dynamics, and manifestations in relation to key decisions on and in war. Evidence derived from studies of recent American discretionary campaigns is analysed to advance an argument with respect to this pattern of self-defeating strategic behaviour.

Concept for a Predeployment Assessment of Basic Military Fitness in the German Armed Forces.

Military fitness is defined as a hierarchical 4-level construct in the German armed forces: (a) "Fundamental/Baseline Fitness," (b) "Basic Military Fitness," (c) "Task Fitness," and (d) "Mission Fitness." "Fundamental/Baseline Fitness" is assessed with the "Basic Fitness Test." However, this test alone is not sufficient to assess readiness for the physical demands of deployments. The first part of the article describes the development of a tool mirroring the specific physiological requirements of military operations on a joint forces level. The "Basic Military Fitness Tool" (BMFT) combines 4 crucial military demands into one single timed test run performed with field uniform (5 kg), body armor (13.4 kg), and helmet (1.6 kg): (a) maneuver under fire: 130 m run with changes in direction, velocity, and body position, (b) casualty rescue: 40 m of dragging a 50 kg load, (c) load carrying: 100 m carrying of two 18 kg loads, and (d) load lifting: lifting a 24 kg load on to a 1.25 m high rack 5 times. The second part covers the first assessment of BMFT selectivity between high- and low-performing groups. Muscle mass and strength are important factors for working with loads. Thus, female soldiers are expected to need more time to complete BMFT because of their on average lower muscle mass. Eighteen female (age = 28.5 ± 6.6 years, lean body mass [LBM] = 45.0 ± 4.5 kg; mean ± SD) and 104 male soldiers (age = 30.0 ± 8.4, LBM = 64.3 ± 7.1) completed isometric strength testing (hand grip = 344.3 ± 51.4 N and 547.3 ± 79.1 N, elbow flexors = 118.9 ± 16.9 and 235.1 ± 42.0, knee extensors = 433.2 ± 87.4 and 631.4 ± 111.4) and BMFT (259.2 ± 44.0 and 150.0 ± 21.1 s). Except age, all variables differed significantly (p < 0.01) between groups.

Female United States Air Force Pilot Personality: The New Right Stuff

With increasing numbers of female military pilots, it is important to understand the psychological and psychiatric gender differences of pilots. Using the "big five" personality structure (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to new experiences, agreeableness, and conscientiousness), female United States Air Force pilots were compared with both male Air Force pilots and to a female comparison group. Female Air Force pilots were higher on the Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness scales than male pilots. Female pilots were also higher on these scales than the female comparison group and lower on the Neuroticism and Openness scales than that comparison group. It is suggested that these traits are highly adaptive for Air Force pilots, given the nature of modern military operational requirements.

Differential Omega as a Worldwide Navigation Aid

Navigation aids in use today have their origin in mainly military operational requirements for navigation accuracy, coverage and integrity. They have also been directed at the needs of air and sea operations.