Naval Personnel Research Articles

Intersensorial Race Science and Exploration in the Age of Jackson

This essay examines the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 through the methodological lenses of sensory history and phenomenology. This expedition included naval personnel as well as a scientific corps and represents the overlapping interests of the United States Armed Forces and academic organizations like the Smithsonian Institution in the Age of Jackson. Applying a phenomenological approach to the Ex. Ex. clarifies the role of the senses in making race in the period spanning Indian removal and Manifest Destiny. Using a corpus of published accounts, diaries, letters, artworks, and artifacts, I contend that the Ex. Ex. used olfactory disgust, sonic boundaries, and attitudes surrounding touch and gustation to categorize Pacific Islanders as racialized others through the sensorium. Such racial scientific work laid the foundations for later racial scientific ideas in psychophysics and anthropology in the twentieth century.

Preparation and properties of ultra-thin-walled energy storage paraffin microcapsules for naval applications

Due to the special nature of weather conditions at sea, the tricky status quo of heat loss in readiness or operational clothing, there is an urgent need for special insulated clothing materials to withstand harsh environments, maintain body temperature, and increase comfort for naval personnel who have been at sea for a long period of time in preparation for battle or combat. Paraffin is a special kind of phase change energy storage material, And the preparation of paraffin microcapsules is an effective way to solve the above problems, in which the ultra-thin-walled energy storage paraffin capsules have the advantages of large volume, accommodating more paraffin phase change materials, good energy storage effect and low cost. In this study, three kinds of paraffin microcapsules with core-shell structure were prepared by encapsulating a membrane with stable performance on the surface of paraffin particles using microencapsulation and layer-by-layer self-assembly techniques. We characterized their thermal storage capacity, composition and morphology by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier infrared spectroscopy, and optical microscopy, and compared their performances. The results show that the paraffin microcapsules prepared by layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly technique in this study have good thermal storage performance and stability, and their thickness increases with the increase of the number of layers, and the materials used in the experiment wrapped the liquid paraffin layer by layer, which is expected to be practically applied in the field of naval energy storage materials.

Sleep health among US Navy afloat versus ashore personnel in the Millennium Cohort Study.

Despiteemerging public concern regarding the sleep health of military personnel over the past two decades, there remains a dearth of research examining sleep health among naval personnel assigned to sea duty. This study examined sleep metrics (e.g. fatigue, short sleep duration) and mental (e.g. posttraumatic stress disorder, depression) and physical health (e.g. type 2 diabetes, bodily pain) outcomes among naval personnel with recent sea duty (i.e. afloat) compared with naval personnel with recent shore duty (i.e. ashore). Prevalence ratios and mean differences for all outcomes were estimated and adjusted for demographic and military variables, and subsequently stratified by obesity. Sleep metrics were similar between afloat and ashore sailors except for short sleep duration, while sailors with recent shore duty had poorer physical health compared with those with recent sea duty. Stratified analyses suggested naval personnel with obesity had a higher proportion of nearly all adverse sleep-related health outcomes than those without obesity. Among participants without obesity, afloat personnel were more likely to report very short sleep (≤ 5 hours) and fewer hours of average nightly sleep, but were less likely to report physical health outcomes compared with ashore personnel. These findings suggest potential differences in sleep metrics and sleep-related health outcomes between afloat and ashore naval personnel. Additional research examining sleep outcomes using more objective measures is required to further investigate these findings, which may inform strategies to foster consolidated sleep despite environmental and occupational challenges in order to maintain high-performing naval personnel.

‘KULTURKRIEG’ BEHIND BARBED WIRE: GERMAN THEATRE IN AN AUSTRALIAN FIRST‐WORLD‐WAR INTERNMENT CAMP

ABSTRACTThis article is the first in‐depth study of the ‘Deutsches Theater Liverpool’, probably the most successful non‐English theatre ever on Australian soil, selling out daily performances and mounting a new production each week. The theatre's success was due in large part to its location inside the ‘German Concentration Camp’, the largest First World War (WWI) internment camp in Australia. In contrast to most WWI internment camps around the world, its almost six thousand ‘enemy alien’ internees were a mixture of civilians – most of whom called Australia home before the war – merchant sailors and naval personnel. For this diverse group of men, the theatre was more than entertainment; it was an important way to spend their time meaningfully. We argue that this meaning was strongly connected to the (re)negotiation of identity through theatre, allowing the internees to contribute to the war effort understood at the time in German public discourse as a ‘Kulturkrieg’, a battle for the survival of German culture. Theatre‐makers and audiences (re)engaged with their Germanness through ideas of ‘Kameradschaft’, German diligence and the joint duty of ‘durchhalten’ – ‘making do’. The critical importance of female impersonation in the achievement of the theatre's cultural aims rounds out our analysis of the D.T.L.

Analysis of damage to ship personnel in different seated postures by near-field underwater explosions

With the frequent occurrence of ship explosion accidents at sea, the safety of ships and crews has attracted much attention. At present, the research on crew injury is relatively weak. Consequently, the current study constructs a numerical model of the ship structure-crew-blast flow field to investigate the discrepancies in injury response of crew members across different sitting postures. LS-DYNA software is used for simulation and direct analysis to evaluate the damage of crew members in different positions under 100 kg TNT equivalent and 2 m blast distance conditions, and the relationship between different explosive equivalents and crew damage is analyzed. The results demonstrate that for crew members situated in working compartment, the injuries incurred across different sitting postures also differed. The lower leg and foot sections were at greater injury risks, while the head area was associated with minimal damage risks. Altering upper body postures of the crew human body had only a very small impact on lower extremity injuries. Moreover, positive correlations were exhibited between explosive equivalents and crew injury values. The research findings may offer references for injury analysis and protective device design of naval personnel.

Oral Health in the Naval Armed Forces: A Scoping Review

Naval armed forces are commonly prone to stressors during military activities which are associated with their working environment. This can adversely impact the oral health of these personnel. This scoping review aimed to explore the literature concerning oral health among naval personnel. Relevant articles that reported oral health among naval armed forces published from 1990 to December 2022 were retrieved from five main databases. Of the 641 articles searched, 15 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Occurrences of caries, periodontal disease and barodontalgia were high among the naval armed forces, with a significant number of dental emergencies during deployment and training operations. The dental diseases and emergencies experienced by the naval personnel on duty may influence their performance during missions. Given the far-reaching effects of dental diseases among personnel in the naval armed forces, further prospective studies with standardised report investigating oral health and dental diseases are recommended. Oral health services in the naval armed forces can also be improved by increasing the dentist-to-navy personnel ratio both at the military bases and on board the vessels during missions, as well as designing preventive strategies to improve oral health among the naval personnel.

Asbestos-related cancer in naval personnel: findings from participants in the British nuclear tests 1952–1967

Asbestos-containing materials (ACM) were present in British and Australian naval vessels throughout the twentieth century. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify the incidence of cancer in naval personnel from onboard asbestos exposure. Subjects were four cohorts of subjects who had served in the armed forces of the United Kingdom and Australia in the 1950s and 1960s. All cohorts had previously been studied, three of them in relation to radiation exposures from British nuclear testing. Comparisons of SIRs between services were made to identify cancers attributable to asbestos exposure. Excess mesotheliomas were found in naval personnel in all cohorts. In all but one cohort the lung cancer incidence was highest in navy personnel. Comparison of other smoking-related conditions indicated that the excess in navy personnel was not smoking-related. The relatively high SIRs for mesothelioma and the occurrence of deaths from asbestosis were indicative of high levels of asbestos exposure, with an expectation of cases of asbestos-related lung cancer. The findings are consistent with the occurrence of significant excesses of mesotheliomas. In addition, notwithstanding some inconsistencies in the results between the cohorts, we estimated that approximately 27% of lung cancers in Australian seamen and 12% in British seamen were related to onboard asbestos exposure.

The Significance of the San Remo Manual to Protect the Sea Defense of Indonesia

In 1994, the San Remo Manual was established as a regulation governing sea warfare, providing guidelines for countries engaged in conflicts at sea. As Indonesia holds a crucial strategic position in both regional and global sea and air zones, understanding and adhering to international law during armed conflicts at sea is of paramount importance. This research aims to offer practical guidance on the significant role of the San Remo Manual, in applying international law during sea warfare and examines its application in Indonesia. The study employs a qualitative method, which seeks to identify and understand various phenomena in-depth. By analyzing different cases and phenomena, empirical insights on the development and application of the law can be derived. The research results show a comprehensive guide for countries involved in sea conflicts, detailing permissible actions, involvement of parties, protection of injured vessels and personnel, and actions taken by non-conflicting nations. For the Indonesian Navy, implementing the San Remo Manual is vital since they operate in waters that may be prone to armed conflicts. Adhering to this manual can help regulate the conduct of naval personnel during military operations at sea, with a strong emphasis on upholding human rights and justice in the use of military force.

Organizational factors and organizational commitment among Malaysian naval personnel

Employee commitment to the organization is influenced by management support. Management support is to ensure a better work culture in an organization because management plays an important role in terms of physical and emotional employees. This paper explores the organizational factors, namely leadership styles, promotions, workloads, and workplace facilities in regards to organizational commitment among navy personnel in a naval base. A self-administered questionnaires have been deployed among navy personnel in getting their responses on leadership styles, promotions, workloads, workplace facilities, and organizational commitment. The implication of the study can be seen that naval personnel will give the commitment to the organization if the leader's leadership styles, workload, and facilities in the workplace are given and provided. The results show a significant relationship between leadership styles, workplace facilities, and workloads with organizational commitment; but promotion opportunities show insignificant with organizational commitment. Interestingly, naval personnel states that workloads have no impact on their organizational commitment. On the other hand, naval personnel also states that leadership styles, workloads, and workplace facilities have impacts on their organizational commitment.

Sleep Disruptions during Naval Operations as a Function of Ship-Class, Departmental Assignment, and Paygrade

Workplace productivity can be impaired by many different environmental and occupational factors. These disruptive influences are problematic but also represent opportunities for tailored mitigation strategies that could enhance performance. In the naval context, sleep quality is an especially pervasive impairment. Naval personnel also represent a unique and understudied population as they both live and work within the same austere, industrial-like operational environment. As such, the relationship between occupational environment, responsibilities, and sleep warrants investigation. To assess these relationships, this study used survey data from a large sample of active-duty military personnel (N > 11,000) with three dependent sleep variables in sleep obtained, sleep disturbances, and work-related sleep impairments. Possible occupational-related sleep factors included different ship-classes, different departmental assignments (e.g., administrative, engineering), and paygrade (e.g., officer or enlisted). Statistically significant differences were observed for all multivariate analyses and interactions, indicating pervasive sleep disruption as no occupational category approached the daily recommended 7 h of sleep. However, occupational factors accounted only for exceptionally small effect sizes. The findings suggest that sleep disruptions are a pervasive problem for all naval personnel, regardless of ship-class or occupational assignment, but that chronic sleep disruption better explains sleep-related performance deficits than daily occupational disturbances.

Strategies for Conserving Military Heritage for Tourism: The Case of Ghana Navy

This study explores the heritage of Ghana since its inception after the Second World War (WW II). It identifies and examines tangible and intangible assets that comprise this heritage in relation to various strategies adopted by Ghana Navy to protect and conserve these heritage assets for posterity. Research on military heritage in Ghana is very scanty due to the peculiar character, rules, regulations and professional activities of the Armed Forces particularly the Ghana navy. The restrictive nature of the naval installations coupled with inadequate technical knowhow in conservation practices prevents the Ghana from fully availing themselves to other sources and forms of conservation strategies and practices. Furthermore, there is a limit to the extent members of the public engage with them to learn about their heritage. Qualitative method was used to gather primary and secondary data. Using ethnographic and other anthropological research methods and techniques, primary data was gathered from active naval personnel and naval veterans while secondary information was obtained from archival, library and other literary sources. The study discovered that Ghana Navy has been built through many years of experience, customs and traditions of the state to achieve an objective of providing protection at the sea and inland water bodies. The Ghana navy’s heritage encompasses tangible attributes and intangible attributes which constitute the bedrock around which the institution revolves. This study contends that documenting naval heritage is one of the important strategies to promote heritage tourism in Ghana.

Exploring the Emotional Dysregulation Scale-Short Form in isolated, confined, and extreme environments

The Emotional Dysregulation Scale-Short Form (EDS-S) may have potential for assessing emotional dysregulation (ED) both in general clinical mental health environments and in specialised work settings. Before it can be used fairly and appropriately, evidence of its validity in the local South African (SA) context is required. This study thus explored its psychometric characteristics among local working adult samples by pursuing three specific objectives, namely, to investigate its structural validity, its construct validity, and issues around practical use (e.g. priming bias and ability to predict performance). Data were collected across four samples that comprised general workers and specialised naval personnel (total N = 1374), who also completed measures of clinical mental health and other adjustment difficulties. Statistical analysis included examination of socio-demographic effects, internal consistencies, confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance, and associations with measures of mental health and adjustment difficulties (including binomial logistic regressions and receiver operating/operator characteristics curve analyses). This study reported evidence of structural and criterion validity, with significant associations to measures of mental health and adjustment difficulties, for the 12-item EDS-S in non-clinical samples of SA workers. The study further provided preliminary support for its predictive utility in specialised work environments. Preliminary evidence of validity of the EDS-S in SA worker samples with sufficient English proficiency was demonstrated.Contribution: There is some support for the use of the EDS-S in clinical research and applied practise. However, caution must be observed for possible effects of language proficiency and further research into the role of language is required.

Application of E-Performance and Compensation Systems To Employee Performance Through Motivation As An Intervening Variable

Advanced human resources (HR) are required for an organization to achieve its goals and objectives. There is a need for human resource management so that the implementation of activities runs optimally by evaluating employee performance. The research method used was causal quantitative, which aims to analyze the effect of implementing e-performance systems and compensation on employee performance through motivation as an intervening variable. The research population consists of employees serving in the Indonesian Navy. The Naval Personnel Staff totals 113 employees. The Slovin method was used to calculate the sample, which yielded a sample of 89 employees. Data collection methods in the form of primary data come from questionnaires, and secondary data is derived from agencies. Methods of data analysis using descriptive analysis as well as structural equation model partial least squares (SEM-PLS) analysis. The results of the analysis show that the implementation of the e-performance system affects motivation, compensation affects motivation, the implementation of the e-performance system has affected employee performance, compensation has affected employee performance, motivation has affected employee performance, the implementation of the e-performance system has affected employee performance through motivation as an intervening variable, and compensation does not affect employee performance through motivation as an intervening variable.

The Officer Corps of the British Navy in the Observations and Assessments of Russian Representatives to the Grand Fleet, 1914–1918

In this article, the author examines the assessment of the Royal Navy’s command staff contained in official reports, correspondence, memoirs, and diaries of naval officers Mikhail Kedrov, Mikhai Smirnov, Gustav von Schultz, and Sergei Izenbek, who were official Russian representatives to the Grand Fleet during the Great War. The purpose of this article is to summarise the views of representatives of the Russian Navy on the traditions, general and professional culture of British naval officers, the level of their maritime, special and tactical training, the specifics of their mentality, service subordination, relationships in a naval environment, the ways of service and everyday life. Considerable differences in the professional qualities of the officers of the British and Russian fleets were noted, stemming mainly from the different principles of recruitment and training of the command staff, as well as the growing distrust of the British naval corporation towards Russia as an ally during the war. The author concludes that professional analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the Royal Navy's command staff significantly complemented and updated the image of the British ally formed in the Russian naval milieu during the Great War and in the years following, and contributed to a more balanced self-assessment of Russian naval personnel.

Comparison of prevalence of metabolic syndrome in submariners with shore-based naval personnel

Comparison of prevalence of metabolic syndrome in submariners with shore-based naval personnel

Dimensions of Operational Stress in the Nigerian Navy: Selected Samples of Combatant, Artisan and Retired Naval Personnel in Nigeria

This study examined dimensions of stress among sample of selected Nigerian Navy personnel in Lagos, Calabar, Jaji, in Kaduna Nigeria.

The Effects of Individual Characteristics of the Naval Personnel on Sleepiness and Stress during Two Different Watchkeeping Schedules.

Background: Naval service can have a significant impact on the wellbeing of seafarers, and the operation of warships is highly dependent on the personnel on board. Nevertheless, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the impact of seafarers’ individual characteristics on their wellbeing in a naval environment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate individual characteristics of the naval personnel that may be associated with the amount of sleepiness, fatigue and stress responses experienced during shift work and irregular working hours in a naval environment. Methods: The study took place on a Finnish Defence Forces’ Navy missile patrol boat on which 18 crewmembers served as study participants. The measurement periods lasted two separate weeks (seven days and six nights) during shift work with two different watchkeeping systems (4:4, 4:4/6:6). The onboard measurements consisted of the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, salivary stress hormones, cognitive tests (Sustained Attention to Response Task and N-back Task) and heart rate variability. Results: Participants of older ages or with a longer history in naval service were associated with a greater amount of sleepiness, fatigue and stress responses on board. On the contrary, increased physical activity and a higher level of physical fitness, especially standing long jump, were associated with a lower amount of sleepiness, fatigue and fewer stress responses. In addition, an athletic body composition together with a healthy lifestyle may be beneficial, considering the stress responses on board. Conclusion: The present results are well in line with the previous literature regarding shift work and irregular working hours. The results highlight the importance of regular physical activity and good physical fitness during service in the naval environment.

Analyzing risks in Naval Operations: The case of visit, board, search and seizure operations in the Côte D’Ivoire Navy

Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations, which are the preferred modus operandi to deliver law enforcement at sea, have always been, and remain, a risky endeavor. Because this type of operation holds a pivotal role in maritime law enforcement, safe execution is vital to protect involved staff and assets. Hence, this paper analyzes risks associated with VBSS operations; its main aim is to improve the overall level of safety and bring the identified risks under control, by developing associated mitigation measures. First, the risks under discussion were assessed, based on the professional judgment and experience of the naval personnel involved in these operations. Their inputs were introduced in a conceptual framework and the associated results were scored, compared, and benchmarked. It is true that there is an inherent level of risk built in the execution of VBSS operations; although the occurrence of negative incidents/mishaps can be considered marginal for the vast majority of the time, events like these are most often associated with serious consequences. The results of this research effort acknowledged that risk management practices can be useful and have variable performance in bringing risks to as low as reasonably practicable. In this aspect, risk mitigation can be more effective by implementing a systems approach of physical and administrative barriers with four distinct pillars: “Training”, “Equipment”, “Organizational Culture”, and “Procedures”. Highlights Research bridges the gap of knowledge in studies on risks in a key naval operations Novelty of the conceptual research framework designed by authors which has proven to grasp important aspects of naval operations Research addresses performance factors of naval forces securing the Gulf of Guinea region

Model Aplikasi Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) Untuk Kebijakan Profesionalisme Perwira TNI Angkatan Laut

The development of the Indonesian Navy's strength is carried out through a strategic planning process manifested in four activity programs, namely (1) the Marine Readiness Support Program; (2) Modernization Program for Alutsista and Non-Alutsista as well as the Development of Facilities and Infrastructure for the National Defense for Marine; (3) Professionalism Enhancement Program for Marine Personnel; (4) Marine Management and Operation Implementation Program. The Indonesian Navy realizes that the main strength of all force-building programs lies in the quality of the human resources (HR) possessed by the Indonesian Navy. However, the existing reality reveals various kinds of problems and obstacles that hinder the process of improving the quality of existing human resources. For this reason, the Indonesian Navy seeks to improve the pattern of training for personnel by issuing policies that spur the performance of the personnel development system within the Indonesian Navy. From these problems, a research or modeling is needed that can represent how the influence of the Indonesian Naval Personnel Development Pattern and Indonesian Navy Policy on Officer Professionalism to create superior navy personnel in line with the Indonesian Navy development program towards the World Maritime Axis. The method used in this research is Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). There are 27 indicators consisting of 5 indicators of Angkatan Laut policy variables, 13 indicators of personnel development variables and 9 indicators of professionalism. The results showed that there was a significant direct influence between the Angkatan Laut policy variables on personnel development, personnel development on professionalism and Angkatan Laut policies on professionalism. In addition, there is an indirect influence between Angkatan Laut policies on professionalism through personnel development as a mediating variable.

Health Conditions Among Navy Submariners at the End of Active Duty; A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Maintaining healthy, well-trained, and highly qualified armed forces is critical for ensuring military readiness. The purpose of this article is to contribute to the body of research focused on the health of U.S. Navy submariners and to identify the health conditions of U.S. Navy submariners during their final year of active duty service. In this retrospective cohort study, we examined medical records and personnel files of separating U.S. Navy sailors who were: (1) active duty between 2009 and 2018; (2) separated before 2019; and (3) were assigned to a submarine for at least 30 days. Both officers and enlisted service members were included. We linked, described, and analyzed data from the Defense Health Agency, Military Health System Data Repository (MDR), and the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS). International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnoses codes were obtained from MDR. Data collected from BUPERS include age, sex, and rank. We determined the number of individuals who had at least one diagnosed condition (identified as a three-digit ICD code). We report the number of diagnoses and calculate prevalence rates and confidence intervals per condition, as well as prevalence rates per year, using standard formulas. The study was approved by the Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory Institutional Review Board. During the study period, 26,014 submariners separated from the Navy. The average number of separations per year was 2,601. About a third of the separating submariners were in the 25 to 29 age group and over 50% were under 30 years of age. Of the three-digit individual ICD codes, some of the highest operationally relevant rates over the 10-year study period (2009-2018) were for joint disorders (prevalence rate [PR] = 180 per 1,000 submariners), back disorders (PR = 128), and sleep disorders (PR = 134). Three mental-health-related conditions were also among the 20 conditions with the highest rates. High rates of specific diagnoses such as joint disorders indicate the need for additional study to examine causal relationships, to determine which conditions may contribute to lost work time, early separations, or low rates of reenlistment and which conditions might be a result of specific military occupations or duties. Study strengths are the large number of subjects and the long period of observations. A study weakness was the inability to identify submariners who separated because of health conditions. The overall impact of the study is that it identifies urgent health risks and establishes a way to prioritize future research. Future research should include a focus on medically separated personnel; compare rates for submariners to other military groups including all-Navy and all-Department of Defense; and determine specific and relative risks as a necessary precursor to developing, implementing, and testing risk reduction and health improvement interventions.