Special Forces Research Articles

Noncovalent π Interactions in Mutated Aquomet-Myoglobin Proteins: A QM/MM and Local Vibrational Mode Study.

Protein dynamics and function is strongly connected to the energy flow taking place. Myoglobin (Mb) and its mutations are ideal systems to study the process of vibrational energy transfer (VET) at the molecular level. Anti-Stokes ultraviolet resonance Raman studies using a tryptophan (Trp) probe, introduced at different Mb positions by amino acid replacement, have suggested that the amount of VET depends on the position of the Trp probe relative to the heme group. Inspired by this experimental work, we explored the strength of noncovalent π interactions, as well as covalent interactions for both the axial and distal ligands bound to iron in aquomet-Mb with the local vibrational mode analysis (LMA), originally developed by Konkoli and Cremer. Two sets of noncovalent interactions were investigated: (1) the interaction between the water ligand and Trp rings and (2) the interaction between the Trp and the porphyrin rings of the heme group. We assessed the strength of these noncovalent interactions via a special local mode force constant. Various Trp-modified water-bound ferric Mb proteins in the ground state were studied (6 in total) using gas-phase and QM/MM calculations followed by LMA. Our results disclose that VET is indeed dependent on the position of the Trp probe relative to the heme group but also on the tautomeric nature of distal histidine. They provide new guidelines on how to assess noncovalent π interactions in proteins utilizing LMA and how to use these data to explore VET, and more generally protein dynamics and function.

Mitigation of Elephant Disturbance in Pemerihan Village, Bengkunat Sub-District, Pesisir Barat District

This study aims to describe the mitigation of elephant disturbance in Pemerihan Village, Bengkunat District, and West Coast District. The population in this study were all people who experienced disturbance by elephants in Pemerihan Village, Bengkunat District. The sample in this study was 52 families using a purposive sampling technique. Retrieval of data using questionnaires, observation, interviews, and documentation techniques. Data analysis using the Likert analysis technique. The results of the elephant disturbance mitigation research in Pemerihan Village are in a physical form by making guard towers, using below lights or large flashlights, and shooting firecrackers. Mitigation of elephant disturbance in the form of biology is carried out by making noise to drive the elephants away, keeping honey bees or bees ringing on the paths that are passed by elephants, and with the ERU (Elephant Responsive Unit). Mitigation of elephant disturbance in a social form is carried out by using tools that are used together to drive away elephants, forming a special task force (task force) to drive elephants into plantations and guarding plantation crops, using various sound devices such as spirit cannons and firecrackers.

Comparison ofPhysical Fitness, Self-Assessed Resilience, andSelf-Assessed Character Traits between Elite Polish Obstacle Course Racers andPolish Special Operations Force Personnel.

Some of the obstacle Course Race (OCR) competitions are co-organized by military units that are seeking candidates for service in special operations forces (SOFs). The aim of the study was to compare psycho-physical characteristics between Polish OCR athletes and SOF soldiers, in order to assess the possibility of recruiting future SOF soldiers from the OCR community. The study included 23 OCR competitors, and 17 soldiers from JW Formoza were used as the comparative group. The psychological measure of resilience was assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Participants also completed a survey in which they had to rank character strengths. Physical fitness was assessed on the basis of a 3000-m run and the maximum number of sit-ups and straight pull-ups. There were significant differences between OCR participants and JW Formoza soldiers: body mass index, 24.1 ± 1.5 vs. 25.9 ± 1.9 (P = .002); 3000-m run, 11:59 ± 0:49 vs. 12:11 ± 0:28 (P = .024); and straight pull-ups, 19 ± 3 vs. 15 ± 3 (P = .001). The most commonly chosen character strengths in both groups were self-control, team worker, and optimism. OCR competitors show psychophysical characteristics similar to those expected from actual SOF personnel.

Ukraine’s third wave of military reform 2016–2022 – building a military able to defend Ukraine against the Russian invasion

ABSTRACT This article explores an important and often overlooked element of Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against the Russian invasion in February 2022 – the adoption of a modified western transformational model of military reform – which has focused on mass and building a western style NATO interoperable and trained military. This article argues that Ukraine’s military reform since 2016, in particular the focus on Command and Control, the development of an NCO Corps and Special Forces as well as clear procurement priorities have created the enabling conditions for the development of a flexible and adaptable military force, able to limit Russia’s battlefield success and bring the fight to the enemy. Despite this progress, however, a recurring problem facing the Ukrainian military, that is likely to continue in the future, is how to balance the ongoing requirement for mass against the urgent need for military modernisation.

Risk of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Special Military Operations in Southern Thailand, 2021

On 12 Oct 2021, the Department of Disease Control received notification of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cluster in a military camp in Southern Thailand. Together with local health authorities, we investigated the outbreak with the aim of describing case characteristics, identifying risk factors, and providing control measures. We conducted a descriptive study by reviewing laboratory results and medical records, as well as interviewing the cases and military staff. A retrospective cohort study was undertaken to determine the potential risk of COVID-19 by Poisson regression with robust standard errors. Of 188 military members, 37 were confirmed cases (attack rate 19.7%). The attack rates among males and females were 28.97% and 10.71%, respectively. Almost all cases (97.30%; 36/37) had mild symptoms and one was asymptomatic. Attending a special operation where soldiers were tasked to go on outreach in communities or in the forest (adjusted risk ratio (RR) 2.75 [95% CI 1.60–4.75]) and engaging in high-risk behaviors (adjusted RR 3.41 [95% CI 1.64–7.06]) were risk factors, while completing 2-dose vaccination schedule (adjusted RR 0.56 [95% CI 0.31–1.00]) had a protective effect. We recommend that strict symptom monitoring measures be implemented among special operation forces, efforts be made to promote personal hygiene, and we encourage all military staff to undergo full vaccination.

Discover how deliberate discipline impacts high performance

ORLANDO, FLORIDA — If you want to perform at a high level, maximize your potential, and achieve your desired results for your athletics department, then Court Whitman has some questions for you. He's a Professional Certified Leadership and High Performance Coach with Inspiring High Performance LLC, U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret veteran, consultant, podcast host, adventure guide, and volunteer youth sport coach, who spoke at the annual convention for the Collegiate Event and Facility Management Association.

ПОВІТРЯНОДЕСАНТНА ПІДГОТОВКА ОСОБОВОГО СКЛАДУ. АСПЕКТИ АНАЛІЗУ РОЗВИТКУ ТА ЇХ ЗАКОНОМІРНОСТІ

Reorganization measures in the armed forces of Ukraine led to a reduction in airborne service specialists, but there is currently no talk of a reduction in actual issues of airborne training (AP) in units and military units. On the contrary, these measures once again emphasized and exacerbated the need to immediately solve a number of problems in this area. An effective and fairly established system of airborne training has unanimously become obsolete. It works reliably, but the circumstances that have developed in the period after the events of 2014 until now and the requirements that have arisen to the training system, finally discovered that the existing system does not satisfy the new views on the modern structure of airborne support and the use of airborne troops in particular. The war of 2022 emphasized the importance of comprehensive training of intelligence units, military units of the Airborne Assault Forces (ASF), Special Operations Forces (SSO), Marines (MP) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: all those who proved during the eight months of Russian-Ukrainian open aggression their efficiency is practical. The PDP program from the beginning of its creation and partial modernization constantly bore signs of preparation for the classic use of mass airborne assaults developed during the years of the Soviet Union's existence, but the practical combat actions of both sides of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict so far indicate the fallacy of the indicated direction. In the article, a review of the patterns of changes in the conditions and means of using parachutes for the development of the educational, methodological and material base over time is carried out. The consequences of untimely consideration of a number of issues regarding new approaches to airborne personnel training in the future are analyzed. Keywords: airborne training, instruction, training base, airborne support.

Special Forces Algorithm: A novel meta-heuristic method for global optimization

This paper proposes a novel swarm intelligence optimizer inspired by human behavior called the Special Forces Algorithm (SFA). SFA is inspired by the missions of modern Special Forces in real life. First of all, in the initial stage of algorithm iteration, the speed of light mechanism is proposed for simulating the UAV-assisted search of special forces, and the loss probability mechanism is proposed for simulating the loss of contact due to force majeure during the search of special forces. The algorithm can more fully explore the solution space and enhance the ability of an algorithm to jump out of a local optimum. Secondly, by simulating the combat tactics of special forces, the algorithm uses command parameters to control the three stages of large-scale search, transitional stage search and small-scale precise search, making the balance between the exploration stage and the exploitation stage more reasonable. Finally, SFA inspired by special forces operations are presented. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, SFA is compared with 6 classical algorithms in 23 benchmark functions. In addition, the algorithm is applied to practical engineering problems. Experimental results show that SFA has shown great potential and competitive results. SFA can achieve good search performance and optimization accuracy based on a better balance of exploration and exploitation capabilities.

Role of personality, coping and mindfulness in adaptation to complex or unpredictable situations in special forces

Les opérations militaires se déroulent dans des contextes dont la complexité et l’imprévisibilité ne cessent d’augmenter. Elles confrontent les opérateurs militaires aux limites de leurs capacités d’adaptation. Cette étude vise à identifier le rôle des facteurs de personnalité, des styles de coping et des dispositions à la pleine conscience dans la gestion des situations imprévisibles. La performance adaptative de 72 candidats au GIGN (Groupement d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale) a été évaluée par les instructeurs de cette unité d’élite pendant le stage de sélection, durant lequel ces candidats étaient confrontés à diverses situations imprévisibles. Les facteurs conatifs ont été mesurés à l’aide de questionnaires. De faibles niveaux de névrosisme et de coping orienté vers les émotions, ainsi qu’un haut niveau de disposition à la pleine conscience multiplient par 5 à 9 les chances de réussite à la sélection. Les résultats confirment l’intérêt d’étudier le rôle des facteurs conatifs, notamment des dispositions de pensée dans la performance adaptative. Le développement de nouveaux programmes de formation visant à renforcer les capacités d’adaptation des opérateurs militaires confrontés à des situations imprévisibles est discuté.

A Whole-of-Society Approach to Organise for Offensive Cyberspace Operations: The Case of the Smart State Sweden

Threat actors conduct offensive cyberspace operations for many purposes, such as espionage, to destroy information assets, and cybercrime. These operations are possible thanks to the innovation and development of information and communications technologies (ICT). Interconnected information systems have transformed societies positively. However, specific states exploit these systems' vulnerabilities to advance their strategic national interests. Therefore, it is important to know how a state can organise itself to defend against threat actors. The purpose of this research is to present how the smart state Sweden can through a whole-of-society approach organise for Offensive Cyberspace Operations. The intent is to conduct an active and independent foreign-, security- and defence policy, but also as a base for deterrence and defence. This article is based on a mixed methods approach. It uses the case study research strategy to discover new information. Fourteen men and women participated in individual semi-structured interviews. The respondents ranged in age from 40 to 65 with more than 20 years of experience in cyberspace operations, intelligence operations, military operations, special forces operations, and knowledge and understanding about information warfare and information operations. The analytic strategies include thematic analysis and quantitative methods to interpret the data. The results show many themes, but the article is especially focused on the themes of Operations, Capability, Policy & Governance, and Legal Frameworks. Finally, a conceptual map of a whole-of-society approach to organise for offensive cyberspace operations is presented inferred from the themes, codes, and content, and mapped to each responsible agency based on the interviews and codes. The answer to the research question is that Sweden should have a whole-of-society approach to organise for Offensive Cyberspace Operations to project power in and through cyberspace with the intent to conduct an active and independent foreign, security and defence policy and for deterrence, as described in Figure 2.

A set of pedagogical conditions for the professional adaptation of future officers to the specifics of service in special forces units of the National Guard of Russia

Introduction. The relevance of the article is due to the problem of choosing pedagogical conditions that contribute to the effective adaptation of future officers to the specifics of service in the special forces units of the National Guard of Russia.Purpose setting. The purposes of the study are to analyze the concept of «pedagogical condition», to define it, to create the algorithm for obtaining a set of pedagogical conditions that contribute to the effective adaptation of future officers to the specifics of service in the special forces units of the National Guard of Russia.Methodology and methods of the study. The study includes a review of bibliographic and normative sources on the problem of identifying pedagogical conditions that contribute to the pedagogical adaptation of future officers to the specifics of service in the special forces units of the National Guard of Russia.Results. Three groups of pedagogical conditions for the professional adaptation of future officers to the specifics of service in units of the special forces of the National Guard of Russia have been identified: «Planning and organizational», which includes taking into account in the educational activities of the Faculty of the special forces of the Military institute technologies for the professional adaptation of future officers to the specifics of service in the special forces units of the National Guard of Russia; and the use of the educational and methodological cluster of professional adaptation at the Faculty of special forces; «Motivational and analytical», which includes support for the positive motivation of future officers to serve in the special forces units of the Russian National Guard Troops and psychological and pedagogical support for future officers in overcoming the difficulties of professional adaptation to the specifics of service in the special forces units of the Russian National Guard Troops; «Control and regulation», including the study of the experience of the service of officers who participated in the resolution of local conflicts and a stage-by-stage assessment by future officers of the level of functional (workable) state they have reached; level of discipline and organization; effectiveness in mastering the basics of military professional activity.Conclusion. In the final part of the work, it is said that the research problem is of a practice-oriented nature, it allows us to show that the use of the algorithm of management functions made it possible to substantiate and formulate the pedagogical conditions for the professional adaptation of future officers to the specifics of service in special forces units. Using of them in a military institute increases the efficiency of the technology of professional orientation of future officers to the specifics of service in the special forces units of the National Guard of Russia.

Musculoskeletal Complaint Epidemiology inAustralian Special Operation Forces Trainees.

Elite military trainees are burdened by high numbers of musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries and are a priority military population for injury prevention. This research aims to describe the MSK complaint epidemiology of trainees undertaking special forces (SF) training in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). One barrier to accurate injury surveillance in military populations is that traditional surveillance methods rely on personnel engaging with the military healthcare system to collect injury data. This approach is likely to underestimate the injury burden as it is known that many military personnel, particularly trainees, avoid reporting their injuries because of various motives. Subsequently, the insights from surveillance systems may underestimate the injury burden and limit the ability to inform prevention requirements. This research aims to actively seek MSK complaint information directly from trainees in a sensitive manner to mediate injury-reporting behaviors. This descriptive epidemiology study included two consecutive cohorts of ADF SF trainees from 2019 to 2021. Musculoskeletal data items and their respective recording methods were based on international sports injury surveillance guidelines and adapted to a military context. Our case definition encompassed all injuries or physical discomforts as recordable cases. A unit-embedded physiotherapist retrospectively collected MSK complaint data from selection courses and collected prospective data over the training continuum. Data collection processes were external to the military health care system to mediate reporting avoidance and encourage injury reporting. Injury proportions, complaint incidence rates, and incidence rate ratios were calculated and compared between training courses and cohorts. In total, 334 MSK complaints were reported by 103 trainees (90.4%), with a complaint incidence rate of 58.9 per 1,000 training weeks (95% CI, 53.0-65.5). Of these MSK complaints, 6.4% (n = 22) resulted in time loss from work. The lumbar spine (20.6%, n = 71) and the knee (18.9%, n = 65) were the most frequently affected body parts. Most of the MSK complaints were reported during selection courses (41.9%), followed by field survival and team tactics (23.0%) and urban operations courses (21.9%). Physical training accounted for 16.5% of complaints. Fast-roping training was associated with more severe MSK complaints. Musculoskeletal complaints are highly prevalent in ADF SF trainees. Complaints are more frequently reported in selection and qualification training courses than in physical training. These activities are priorities for focused research to understand injury circumstances in ADF elite training programs to inform injury prevention strategies. A strength of our study is the data collection methods which have provided greater MSK complaint information than past research; however, much work remains in conducting consistent and accurate surveillance. Another strength is the use of an embedded physiotherapist to overcome injury-reporting avoidance. Embedded health professionals are recommended as continued practice for ongoing surveillance and early intervention.

DEVELOPING LECTURERS IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN VIETNAM

Lecturers are considered the subject and the decisive factor for the quality of education, training and scientific research, services and development of universities. University lecturers are "special production forces that create products that are human resources", and are the subject of orientation to create the sustainable development of society. Therefore, to perform well the task of developing university lecturers, it is necessary to synchronously and rationally develop in terms of quantity, quality and structure aspects so that teaching tasks in the universities are carried out most effectively in particular as well as the quality of education in Vietnam is improved in general.
 Keywords: Lecturer, Developing University Lecturers, Education, Higher Education.

Exhaled breath condensate profiles of U.S. Navy divers following prolonged hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) and nitrogen-oxygen (Nitrox) chamber exposures

Prolonged exposure to hyperbaric hyperoxia can lead to pulmonary oxygen toxicity (PO2tox). PO2tox is a mission limiting factor for special operations forces divers using closed-circuit rebreathing apparatus and a potential side effect for patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment. In this study, we aim to determine if there is a specific breath profile of compounds in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) that is indicative of the early stages of pulmonary hyperoxic stress/PO2tox. Using a double-blind, randomized ‘sham’ controlled, cross-over design 14 U.S. Navy trained diver volunteers breathed two different gas mixtures at an ambient pressure of 2 ATA (33 fsw, 10 msw) for 6.5 h. One test gas consisted of 100% O2 (HBO) and the other was a gas mixture containing 30.6% O2 with the balance N2 (Nitrox). The high O2 stress dive (HBO) and low O2 stress dive (Nitrox) were separated by at least seven days and were conducted dry and at rest inside a hyperbaric chamber. EBC samples were taken immediately before and after each dive and subsequently underwent a targeted and untargeted metabolomics analysis using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Following the HBO dive, 10 out of 14 subjects reported symptoms of the early stages of PO2tox and one subject terminated the dive early due to severe symptoms of PO2tox. No symptoms of PO2tox were reported following the nitrox dive. A partial least-squares discriminant analysis of the normalized (relative to pre-dive) untargeted data gave good classification abilities between the HBO and nitrox EBC with an AUC of 0.99 (±2%) and sensitivity and specificity of 0.93 (±10%) and 0.94 (±10%), respectively. The resulting classifications identified specific biomarkers that included human metabolites and lipids and their derivatives from different metabolic pathways that may explain metabolomic changes resulting from prolonged HBO exposure.

Introduction of Autonomous Combat Vehicles into the Czech Armed Forces

The article addresses the issue of the emergence of new technologies and their impact on the capabilities of the Czech Armed Forces (CAF). A summary of the recommendations is presented. In particular, there is a need for a conceptual approach to the integration of new systems in order to avoid spontaneous purchasing, which could be very logistically demanding. The very rapid development in the field of unmanned autonomous systems using elements of artificial intelligence offers opportunities to use them in support of the tasks of CAF. Due to the breadth of this issue, the scope is limited to the area of the Special Forces, which introduce these new sophisticated means into use throughout the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic.

The Authority of Oil and Gas Special Task Force as a Company Holder and Implementers of Upstream Oil and Gas Bussiness Activity: a Juridical ViewPoint

In 2001, Law No. 22 of 2001 concerning Oil and Gas was enacted, which aimed to regulate Pertamina's authority in the oil and gas sector, as well as grant rights and authority to other domestic and foreign oil companies. Consequently, this limited Pertamina's ability to explore and exploit new oil fields. This article adopts a normative juridical research method, which seeks to address existing legal issues through this approach. The research method includes the Case Approach, Statute Approach, and Conceptual Approach, which will be utilized by the author. Through this approach, the compatibility between legal provisions and their implementation will be examined. The findings indicate that, according to statutory regulations, the government agency responsible for upstream oil and gas activities in Indonesia was initially the Executive Agency for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (BP Migas), which was later replaced by the Special Task Force (SKK) for Oil and Gas. The Constitutional Court dissolved BP Migas based on the decision that BP Migas solely controlled and supervised oil and gas management, without engaging in direct management activities. This led to a relationship model between BP Migas, as a representative of the state, and business entities, which contradicted the constitutional principle of state control over oil and gas natural resources.

Executing Upstream Oil and Natural Gas Business Activities: Legal Status and Authority of the Oil and Gas Special Working Unit (SKK)

The Oil and Gas Special Task Force (SKK Oil) is a government agency responsible for controlling and supervising upstream oil and gas businesses. This study aims to examine the legal position of SKK Oil as the executor of national upstream oil and gas business activities and its role in promoting national energy security. The research utilizes an empirical juridical legal research method with qualitative research specifications, providing a focused and in-depth analysis of the subject matter. Secondary data obtained from primary, secondary, and tertiary legal sources are used in this study. The findings reveal that the National Oil and Gas Management Policy has not fully aligned with the goal of achieving national energy security.

Differences in Aerobic and Anaerobic Capacity between Special Police Force Members and Elite Basketball Players

The goal of this research is to evaluate and compare the functional abilities of the special anti-terrorist unit from Serbia and professional basketball players. The idea is to determine whether members of the special unit police have high functional abilities and at what level are they compared to professional athletes. The sample of participants, for the purposes of this research, consisted of 162 respondents with an average age of 29.75±8.12 years who were classified into two groups. One group consisted of members of the SAF (special anti-terrorist force) (n=101) of average age 33.74±6.19 years and in other group were elite level professional basketball players from Serbia (n=57), of average age 22.39±4.25 from three Serbian clubs. To measure cardiorespiratory fitness, a cardiopulmonary exercises test (CPET) was performed on a treadmill (HPCOSMOS ®). Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), as a measure of aerobic capacity, was determined using the Quark CPET system (Cosmed®) by direct monitoring of gas exchange (oxygen and carbon dioxide). Aerobic ability of members of the Serbian SAF (special anti-teroristic force) can be considered excellent and almost close to the professional athletes, but statisticly lower (p<0.05). Anaerobic capacity is also high and there is no difference in relation to basketball players (p>0.05). These results can be explained by the selection of people who are chosen for this unit, which can be called very rigorous and equated with sports selection. The results of our study point to the fact that a high level of cardiorespiratory fitness is not only required by professional sports, but also by certain professions such as SAF.

EE449 Use of Novel and Social Elements of Value in Cost-Effectiveness Analyses

In 2018, an ISPOR Special Task Force argued that conventional cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) often fail to account for a full range of considerations pertinent to an intervention’s benefits and costs. The panel published a “value flower”, with each petal representing either a conventional or so-called “novel” value element. We sought to characterize the inclusion of novel and social value elements in CEAs.

특수전부대의 안전풍토가 조직효과성에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구

Recently, the government has laid an institutional foundation for reducing safety accidents, but the cost of industrial accidents and social losses is increasing. In addition, safety accidents in the military cause property damage and loss of lives, leading to non-combat losses, as well as distrust of the military and reduced combat power, requiring attention and related research on safety. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to empirically analyze the effect of the safety climate of special warfare forces on organizational effectiveness. The results of this study are as follows. The effects of safety climate on organizational effectiveness were studied and found that safety intervention, safety communication, safety education, physical environment and work risk assessment, safety supervisor's supportive environment, safety work competence, and safety rules and procedures affect organizational effect. However, it was confirmed that the work pressure caused by convenienceism and the level of involvement of the unit members did not affect the organizational effectiveness.