Military Professionals Research Articles

The Las Vegas military-civilian partnership: An origin story and call to action.

Military-civilian partnerships (MCPs) in urban American trauma centers have existed for more than 60 years to assist in the development and maintenance of wartime skills of military medical professionals. In the last 5 years, MCPs have gained congressional support, and their number and variety have grown substantially. The historical impact of these flagship trauma MCPs is well documented, with bidirectional benefit in the advancement of trauma care during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan both deployed and stateside, and the future aim of MCPs lies primarily in mitigating the "peacetime effect." The majority of data regarding MCPs; however, focus on trauma care and are biased toward surgeons specifically. The Las Vegas (LV) MCP began in 2002 with the similar goal of sustaining Air Force (AF) expeditionary medical skills by embedding AF medics from nearby Nellis Air Force Base (AFB) into University Medical Center of Southern Nevada (UMC), the only Level 1 Trauma Center in Nevada. Over nearly 20 years, the LV-MCP has evolved into an innovative market-based collaboration composed of numerous relationships and programs that are designed to develop and sustain critical skills for military medical personnel in all aspects of expeditionary medicine. This includes AF medical personnel providing care to federal beneficiaries as well as civilian patients in a variety of medical settings. The partnership's central coordinating authority, the Office of Military Medicine-Las Vegas (OMM-LV), brings together military and civilian organizations with distinct and intersecting missions to support the greater LV population and the DoD mission of readiness. The LV-MCP is presented here as a model for the future of MCPs within the integrated local and national trauma and medical systems.

Describing mRNA Vaccine Technology for a Military Audience.

Vaccine technology has improved substantially since the first smallpox vaccine, developed more than 200years ago. As technology improves, vaccines can be produced more safely and reliably for many different pathogens. A recent breakthrough saw the first full deployment of mRNA vaccines to fight a pandemic. Despite the technological and logistical feat of developing a viable vaccine in an abbreviated time frame, there have been many questions about this new approach to vaccine development. The current review will provide descriptions about different types of vaccines as well as answers to some common questions about mRNA vaccines. The purpose is to provide military medical professionals with the information needed to better convey the importance and function of these new vaccines to service members. There were no explicit inclusion or exclusion criteria for articles describing mRNA vaccine technology. References included here were intended to illustrate important principles or empirical evidence in demonstrating the safety, efficacy, and function of mRNA vaccines. The review describes three different types of vaccines: whole-pathogen, subunit, and nucleic acid. Each vaccine type has different implications for the development and production of a vaccine line. For example, whole-pathogen and subunit vaccines often require growing significant amounts of the vaccine sample in laboratory before the material can be incorporated into the vaccine. Nucleic acid vaccines instead provide cells the opportunity to produce key proteins without needing to reproduce the virus and attenuate it in a laboratory setting. This approach has a notable advantage of speed in moving from genome sequencing to vaccine production, but it also creates some potential confusion. The discussion covers three questions with regard to this confusion. First, was the vaccine developed too quickly? Speed here is a byproduct of the new technology and unprecedented government interdepartmental cooperation. No steps were skipped in development or production. Second, does the vaccine modify DNA? No, the mRNA vaccines never enter the cell nucleus and therefore cannot modify DNA. The discussion clarifies how mRNA enters cells and produces the key proteins required to stimulate an immune system response. Third, how long will immunity last? Because mRNA vaccines are new, long-term immunity cannot be projected without significant further study. Still, the discussion does cover issues in determining vaccine efficacy in clinical laboratory trials versus field effectiveness in the real world. These mRNA vaccines are the newest and most sophisticated defensive tool military medicine has against emerging biological threats. Evolving dangers, such as synthetic biology and engineered pathogens, further enhance the importance of having defensive countermeasures that can be rapidly deployed in response. Current evidence suggests high safety and effectiveness for a biological countermeasure, decades in the making, and military medical personnel should feel confident using and recommending this technology to ensure force health protection.

Examining the Efficacy of Pre-Service Training for Enlisted Professional Military Education Instructors During the COVID-19 Pandemic

U.S. Air Force enlisted professional military education shifted traditionally in-person leadership interventions online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Air Force guidance stated that pre-service faculty training focused on in-person instruction was sufficient for teaching online and that instructors did not require training that included online teaching strategies. This study was conducted to examine the efficacy of pre-service training for military leadership instructors teaching online. Utilizing a conceptual framework of teacher self-efficacy, locus of control theory, and social-cognitive theory, this research examined the experiences of four instructors who graduated pre-service training focused on in-person instruction and taught online directly thereafter. Analyzing data from interviews, observations, and student surveys, results indicated the pre-service training, coupled with the participants' military supervisory background, adequately prepared participants to teach online. Future studies should examine a larger sample size of instructors to identify trends and patterns within the professional military education instructor community.

On The Footprints Of An Undefeated General

The development of correct personal values is of great importance in human life. The mission of the Cadets Military Lyceum named after General Giorgi Kvinitadze is to bring up a free-thinking person with national and democratic values. The Lyceum aims to give the cadets basic military knowledge and skills, instill love and respect for military service in them, a desire for mastering a military profession, civic consciousness based on liberal-democratic values and respect for cultural values. To achieve these goals along with other activities, well-planned educational excursions and educational programs play a great role. We think that studying the heroic historical past of Georgia and the life and work of heroic ancestors will help the cadets to understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens of Georgia.
 A personal example gives a lot to a young person, who is formed right in front of us and develops those qualities, which are vitally necessary and represent the basis for the right life decision. In order to achieve this goal we planned and implemented the project with the support of the Lyceum Directorate; “On The Footsteps Of An Undefeated General”, dedicated to the life and work of General Giorgi Mazniashvili.

Escaping the Clinic: Exposure as Care among Military Medical Professionals at War

This article examines exposure in the mobile reach of care in war in order to theorise exposure as care. It does so from the margins, focusing on US military medical professionals of the officer class in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, who feel distanced from the ‘real’ war experience represented by the infantry soldier, and thus engage in practices of exposure to gain the ‘trust’ and ‘respect’ of their soldier-patients. To grasp something of the promise and perils of exposure and its everyday enactments, I analyse one army physician assistant’s accounts of secretly stealing away on combat missions and the use of an ambulation tool called ‘the walkabout’ by the military mental healthcare community. The material, operational, and tactical settings of counterinsurgency and the professional cultures of military care occupations dynamically intersect to engender specific contexts for, opportunities within, and risks associated with exposure among military elite. An examination of exposure reveals that military medical professionals recast the hegemonic authority of proximity to soldiering in terms of the ethical norms and professional values of medicine: in a word, as care.

The Orthodontist's Role in Post-Battlefield Craniomaxillofacial Trauma Reconstruction.

In modern conflicts, deployed members are more vulnerable to craniomaxillofacial (CMF) injury than in previous conflicts. Patients presenting with CMF trauma are susceptible to post-trauma dental malocclusion and may require lengthy rehabilitation to achieve pre-injury function. This study surveyed military health care professionals who are potential contributors to CMF trauma rehabilitation teams to evaluate the orthodontist's inclusion in treating to the final outcome. Following approval from the Defense Health Agency Information Management Collections Office (Control Number: 9-DHA-1031-E) and the Air Force 59th Medical Wing Institutional Review Board (Reference Number: FWH20210061E), a survey study was conducted from April 2021 to July 2021. Volunteer participants were recruited from orthodontists, oral maxillofacial surgeons, medical specialists, and other dental specialists who have worked in military healthcare. Respondents reported their current practice treating CMF trauma, self-evaluated their knowledge of different aspects of the process, and submitted their perceptions on system and patient-limiting factors which affect outcomes. Descriptive statistics were conducted for ordinal data and chi-square tests for categorical data. Kruskal-Wallis analyses of variance compared cohorts with further Mann-Whitney U tests to distinguish the difference in cohorts. Valid responses were collected from 171 participants. The responses were mostly from active duty military (93%) and well distributed among orthodontists, oral maxillofacial surgeons, other dental specialists, and medical specialists. When reporting current CMF trauma treatment practices, the majority of dental specialists stated they most commonly participate in a multidisciplinary team that addresses any CMF trauma case (68.4%) whereas medical specialists most commonly act as solo independent provider practice (53.6%). Dental specialists reported follow-up with post-trauma patients greater than 1 year and medical specialists reported the shortest post-trauma follow-up time with a median of 0 to 3 months. The majority of participants selected at least one system factor limiting CMF trauma care (78.7%) and at least one patient factor limiting CMF trauma care (86.3%). When asked about orthodontic participation in multidisciplinary teams, the responses showed a great range with orthodontists never included in CMF trauma care 23.1% of the time and always consulted regarding trauma cases 10.7% of the time. Other survey data collected allows the investigators to draw conclusions regarding specific limitations to treatment and recommendations for improvement, along with qualitative responses from survey participants. Orthodontics, while available in the military, is underutilized in treating post-warfare or other CMF trauma. There are both system- and patient-limiting factors in the treatment of battlefield and non-battlefield CMF trauma. In addition, there are limitations to the inclusion of orthodontists in CMF trauma care which include the physical distance from primary treating specialists and the absence of standard referral protocols. Oral maxillofacial surgeons reported the highest understanding of the military orthodontist's contribution to a CMF trauma treatment team and medical specialists reported the lowest understanding. Advanced technology tools could help improve outcomes and multidisciplinary interactions. Further research is needed to study the complete CMF trauma rehabilitation process in military treatment facilities, evaluate the efficiency of cross-specialty referrals, and highlight best practices and protocols of functioning multidisciplinary teams.

Из опыта преподавания русского языка в Сианьском нефтяном университете

Based on the analysis of publications it has been revealed that one of the priority directions of state policy in the leading countries of the world is internationalization of education as a set of purposeful measures of integration of educational content in order to form cross-cultural competences. The process of internationalization of education in China is characterized by an increase in research and educational programs, expansion of faculty mobility, improvement of the legal framework for international mobility. The implementation of the international Chinese initiative “One Belt, One Road” has put forward new requirements for the training of highly qualified specialists in the Russian language. Chairs of the Russian language in Chinese universities are constantly reforming and updating training models to meet the requirements of the new situation. In this article we analyze the practice of the joint Chinese-Russian educational program for the training of Russian-speaking bachelors. The measures to improve the model of joint training of Russian-speaking specialists in Xi’an Oil University are named: a wide implementation of digital technologies, pre-training curriculum, international teaching teams, administration and support of the educational process, adaptation of professional competencies in Russian language for technical, engineering and military professions; creation of a translation methodology of academic grades; support for students to address academic and social issues during foreign.

Mediating Role of Military Professionalism in The Effect of Spiritual Leadership and Work Motivation on Soldier Performance

In military organizations, the concept of soldier performance is the most important thing that is strategic and tactical. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating role of military professionalism on the influence of spiritual leadership and work motivation on soldier performance. The social learning theory used as a theoretical foundation to build a conceptual framework that was proposed in this study. About 150 of 168 Non-Commander Officer (CFO) of Indonesian Army located in Malang, especially who work in Batallion Arhanud 2/ABW/2 Kostrad Malang are taken as sample of this study. SmartPLS is used as analysis tool to examine the direct and indirect effect among observed variables. The results showed that one of the five paths of influence on the relationship between variables was found to be insignificant, namely the direct influence of spiritual leadership on soldier performance. While results indicate that spiritual leadership could not directly affect individual performance, it also reveals about important mediating role of military professionalism in order to increase the effect of spiritual leadership and work motivation on soldier performance.

THE INFLUENCE OF THE EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM OF PHYSICAL TRAINING OF STUDENTS ON ANTHROPOMETRIC INDICATORS AND FUNCTIONAL DATA OF THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM

The problem of quality training of officers of artillery units of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the present stage of development of military equipment, tactics and operational art requires future officers not only a high level of professional training, but also the most effective development of physical and psychological qualities. Ensuring compliance with the appropriate level of professional readiness in conditions of high motor activity in combat situations and in stressful situations. Steady increase in the role and expansion of the range of tasks to be solved during enemy fire destruction, significant increase in firepower of means of destruction (range and accuracy, rapid fire, ammunition power) increases the requirements for professional training of artillery commanders. In peacetime and wartime, the military-professional activity of officers of JI ground artillery units is to develop standards for combat operations and conduct combat shootings, which requires constant maintenance of comprehensive training. Today’s educational process in the walls of higher military educational institutions urgently needs to be reformatted and practical professional and applied orientation of all its components to the new mode of study, conditions of military service, recreation, psychological and physical stress of cadets. This is accompanied by the adaptation of the youth organism to innovations, will affect the level of physical development and physical condition of future military professionals, which was a generating factor in the detailed study of this aspect. The purpose of our study is to determine the effectiveness of the targeted impact of experimental technology for the acquisition of military-applied motor skills on anthropometric indicators and functional data of the cardiovascular system of cadets. Material. Within the framework of functioning of the system of physical training of higher military educational institutions a four-year educational pedagogical experiment with the application of directed technology for acquiring applied motor skills has been carried out. According to the results of approbation of the author’s technology, the representatives of the experimental group (n=23) showed a positive (p<0,05 and p<0,001) positive dynamics of the parameters of the cardiovascular system, a more favorable reaction of their organism to the conditions of study at the higher military school and higher functional readiness to further professional activity. Results. According to the results of experimental studies with the directed application of experimental methodological influence in the form of targeted technology for the acquisition of military-applied motor skills revealed positive dynamics of functional indicators of the cardiovascular system in EG: heart rate at rest - 8.69 beats / min (11.76 % at t=4.73); systolic blood pressure – 2.61 mm Hg (2.21% at t=1.72); diastolic blood pressure - 3.26 mm Hg (4.17% at t=2.23).

A Non-Invasive Hydration Monitoring Technique Using Microwave Transmission and Data-Driven Approaches.

Dehydration in the human body arises due to inadequate replenishment of fluids. An appropriate level of hydration is essential for optimal functioning of the human body, and complications ranging from mild discomfort to, in severe cases, death, could result from a neglected imbalance in fluid levels. Regular and accurate monitoring of hydration status can provide meaningful information for people operating in stressful environmental conditions, such as athletes, military professionals and the elderly. In this study, we propose a non-invasive hydration monitoring technique employing non-ionizing electromagnetic power in the microwave band to estimate the changes in the water content of the whole body. Specifically, we investigate changes in the attenuation coefficient in the frequency range 2–3.5 GHz between a pair of planar antennas positioned across a participant’s arm during various states of hydration. Twenty healthy young adults (10M, 10F) underwent controlled hypohydration and euhydration control bouts. The attenuation coefficient was compared among trials and used to predict changes in body mass. Volunteers lost and body mass during hypohydration and euhydration, respectively. The microwave transmission-based attenuation coefficient (2–3.5 GHz) was accurate in predicting changes in hydration status. The corresponding regression analysis demonstrates that building separate estimation models for dehydration and rehydration phases offer better predictive performance (88%) relative to a common model for both the phases (76%).

Theoretical substantiation of the program of special physical training of high school students at the educational level "master"

A preliminary analysis of the physical training of cadets of higher military educational institutions showed that training programs for military professionals in physical education, special physical training need radical changes. This is due to the participation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in hostilities - the model and practicality of approaches to hostilities have changed dramatically, the conditions of preparation for them require the introduction of military-applied sports in the training process of military professionals. The professional activity of servicemen is accompanied by maximum physical and mental loads in terms of volume and intensity, complexity and variety of tasks in the conditions of lack of time and information, constant risk and threat to life.
 The current program of training future military professionals at the "master's" level to some extent does not meet these requirements for the formation of psychophysical readiness of future officers. This was shown by the participation in the joint forces operation (anti-terrorist operation) in eastern Ukraine, a large number of wounded and killed servicemen during the fighting. Foreign and domestic experts who assessed the conflict came to the conclusion that the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were not ready to use weapons in the Republic of Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions during the first stage of the armed conflict.

Employment and risk of female breast cancer in Denmark

Occupational exposures may play a role in breast cancer etiology, and research focusing on identifying high-risk workplaces is important to advance the understanding and prevention of breast cancer. We undertook a population-based nested case-control study among women who were less than 70 years of age and born in Denmark, based on registry data including 38,375 breast cancer cases and 191,875 controls matched on year of birth, with information on lifetime work history. Odds ratios for women ever employed in a job branch were adjusted for socioeconomic status and reproductive variables. Adjusted odds ratios of less than 0.75 were observed for several occupations in agriculture, hunting, forestry, and fishing, while increased risk patterns (odds ratios greater than 1.50) were noted for a number of production occupations, including employmentin graphics and printing, and metal and machinery production. In services, several military professions were also associated with a high increased breast cancer risk. The study shows a variation in the risk of female breast cancer by employment in different industrial and occupational sectors, and suggests that certain occupational exposures, for example,outdoor work, organic solvents, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and night-shift work may play a role in the risk of breast cancer. Further hypothesis-testing studies focusing on these employments with a detailed assessment of specific occupational exposures are warranted.

Redeeming Professions: Wollstonecraft, Austen, and Vocational Choice

Abstract: Jane Austen’s novels insist that readers notice characters’ professions and vocational choices. This essay argues that Austen’s ideas develop from—and expand on—Wollstonecraft’s claims about the power and potential of vocational choice to benefit self and society. In A Vindication of the Rights of Men (1790) and A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), Mary Wollstonecraft famously critiques clergy, soldiers, and sailors because too often men in these professions were—like women of the time—without choice of career and without self-determination within those careers. Austen illustrates novelistically many of the complaints Wollstonecraft levels against men in clerical and military professions, but she also offers examples that redeem these professions and the men who intentionally adopt them. Previous studies of Wollstonecraftian influence on Austen have largely overlooked Austen’s insistent attention to men’s careers and the ways in which they affirm Wollstonecraft’s critiques as well as extend the possibility of moral and social benefits to be realized from vocational choice, equipping men, too, to be better marriage partners and citizens. This essay provides an overview of Wollstonecraft’s theories about vocational choice and Austen’s fictional echoes of these theories within the context of contemporary ideas of vocation and the professions. Then it turns to two case studies from Austen’s fiction and two characters who most directly and extensively discuss their choices of profession: Edward Ferrars in Sense and Sensibility (1811) and Edmund Bertram in Mansfield Park (1814). Bringing these elements together not only illuminates another aspect of Wollstonecraft’s influence on Austen that has received scant critical attention but also reveals Austen’s contribution to changing notions of profession and egalitarian marriage partnerships.

Metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk assessed by Framingham’s score: A study with soldiers of the military police of the State of Bahia, Brazil

Being a man is considered a risk factor for illness and death from cardiovascular causes; men in general have a lower life expectancy than women and higher mortality from all causes not related to sex in all age groups. The military policemen profession is recognized as full of stress and has high levels of professional victimization. Military Police Corporations are mostly formed by men, and the study of the health of the military policemen can be considered equivalent activity to the study of the health of men. This present study is part of the first author’s doctoral thesis work whose theme was focused on the health of men; it was studied a convenience sample of 452 soldiers, selected by personnel administration by working time criterion, to submit to Corporals Training Course. It was sought to characterize the cardiovascular risk factors and prevalence of metabolic syndrome; cardiovascular risk was also assessed by applying the Framingham’s score; it was found a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in the studied group, with emphasis on hypertension (52.55%) and hypertriglyceridemia (46.34%), the metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 35.03%. Cardiovascular risk by Framingham’s score showed strata of medium and high risk more frequent in individuals with metabolic syndrome than in those without the syndrome. The risk of a cardiovascular event in 10 years in the group with middle and high level of risk was also more frequent among individuals in the older (= or> 45 years) than in the younger group (<45 years). It is concluded that there’s a high prevalence of cardiovascular risks in the studied group, and that there’s a need for continued attention directed to integral health care of men in the military police corps.

Activities of Borno Traditional Political and Religious Leaders in the Nigerian Civil War, 1967–1970

This article examines the activities of Borno traditional political and religious leaders in the Nigerian Civil War, with specific reference to the role of the Shehu of Borno and other chiefs, Muslim and Christian leaders. Traditional political leaders are the custodians of culture and traditions in Borno. They galvanised support for the war by mobilising society to contribute to the war effort. This article adopts a qualitative method, using oral sources from interviews conducted with surviving members of the traditional political and religious institutions. Traditional political leaders also commissioned religious leaders to pray for a successful end to the civil war, the unity of Nigeria and to preach the legality of enlisting into the military profession.

United States-Nigeria Diplomatic Ties and Control of Insecurity in Nigeria

For more than 50 years, the United States and Nigeria have enjoyed a strong security partnership and friendship. These diplomatic ties are focused on increasing cooperation on maritime and border security, military professionalization, counterterrorism efforts against Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa, defense trade, and strengthening governance of the security sector. However, due to the spate of insecurity in Nigeria, the study explores United States-Nigeria diplomatic ties in the control of insecurity in Nigeria. It assesses whether supports received so far are potent to yield a significant decrease in the spate of insecurity in Nigeria. This study uses ex-post factor design. It obtained data cutting across number of reported kidnapping cases, Ransom demanded from victims and value of supports from the US government Nigeria has received in the last six years i.e. between 2015 and 2021. Line charts were used in the presentation of data as well as show graphical relationships among the variables of study. It is found that intervention programme by the US government in terms of financing to support maritime security, military professionalization, and counterterrorism efforts, training, equipment, and advisory support for counterterrorism efforts, institutional and technical assistance to the Armed Forces of Nigeria and Excess Defense Articles program have not significantly reduced insecurity in Nigeria. It is therefore recommended that Nigeria should seek support and build stronger ties with neighbouring countries that are also ready to support in the fight against banditry and unrest and possible causes of kidnapping should be addressed by the Nigerian government through job creation which is critical to ensuring a safe society with progressive and productive individuals working hard to make the country great.

Military mental health professionals' suicide risk assessment and management before and after experiencing a patient's suicide.

This study examines the association between a patient's suicide and the therapist's suicide risk assessment (SRA) and suicide risk management (SRM) of patients, following the occurrence. SRA values range from "absence of suicidality" to "immediate suicidal intent to die". SRM consists of therapists' written recommendations. Rates of the various SRA and SRM values in therapists' evaluations were assessed 6-months prior to the suicide and at the two three- and six-month time-points thereafter. Of the 150soldiers who died by suicides, 30 (20%) visited 50military therapists in the 6months preceding their deaths. Using Wilcoxon signed rank test, lower SRA rates of "threatens suicide" were found 2months after a patient's suicide. Regarding SRM, the mean rates for "recommendations for psychotherapy treatment" were higher at the two (p=0.022) and the 3month time-points (p=0.031) after a suicide. The SRA findings may indicate therapists' fear of treating suicidal patients, causing them to overlook patients' non-prominent suicide-risk indicators. In SRM, the higher rate of recommendations for additional therapy sessions rather than military release or referrals to other therapists may relate to over-caution and attempts to control the patient's therapy ensuring it's done properly.

Military Education – Between Tradition, Modernity and Finding a Purpose

"Leadership, along with discipline, ethics, organisational culture and specific socialisation practices, is one of the most important pillars (Brown, Treviño, 2006) of the military profession. As such, professional military leadership is one of the key aspects emphasised at strategic level. One prominent example in this respect is the Romanian Military Strategy of 2021 (2021, pp. 3-4) which views it as one of the means of securing organisational and national resilience in a volatile, complex, and uncertain environment. Furthermore, as the 2020-2024 Romanian National Defence Strategy states (2020, p. 32), resilience is one of the key areas targeted by the NATO-EU cooperation agenda where Romania pledges to contribute. Following the strategic acknowledgment that professional military leadership is needed in order to meet future challenges in the defence and security field, the current article discusses the ways and means by which professional military leadership development can further the end of securing organisational resilience in the defence and security field, and hence that of consolidating national resilience."

Formarea profesională a liderilor militari din perspectiva rezilienței naționale

"Leadership, along with discipline, ethics, organisational culture and specific socialisation practices, is one of the most important pillars (Brown, Treviño, 2006) of the military profession. As such, professional military leadership is one of the key aspects emphasised at strategic level. One prominent example in this respect is the Romanian Military Strategy of 2021 (2021, pp. 3-4) which views it as one of the means of securing organisational and national resilience in a volatile, complex, and uncertain environment. Furthermore, as the 2020-2024 Romanian National Defence Strategy states (2020, p. 32), resilience is one of the key areas targeted by the NATO-EU cooperation agenda where Romania pledges to contribute. Following the strategic acknowledgment that professional military leadership is needed in order to meet future challenges in the defence and security field, the current article discusses the ways and means by which professional military leadership development can further the end of securing organisational resilience in the defence and security field, and hence that of consolidating national resilience."

The effect of military (un)professionalism on civil-military relations and security in Nigeria

ABSTRACT The focus of this study is on the effect of military (un)professionalism on civil-military relations and citizens’ security in Nigeria. To sketch the context, the article provides a brief background on the nature of armed conflict, which necessitated the deployment of the military in internal operations. Following this is a brief description of the extent and nature of military abuse, which strains civil-military relations. Using the principles of what constitutes military professionalism, the study shows that the conduct of the Nigerian military, together with the lack of civil control undermines internal security operations and has eroded trust in the armed forces. The influence on civil-military relations is analysed, with reference to a qualitative study conducted among civilians affected by military abuse in Plateau State. The findings show that the unprofessionalism of the Nigerian military undermines military effectiveness, civil-military relations, and exacerbates the insecurity of citizens.