States Air Force Research Articles

Novel basal bark and cut stump herbicide treatments for Brazilian peppertree (Schinus terebinthifolia) management

AbstractBrazilian peppertree (Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi) is an aggressive shrub that infests more than 280,000 ha in Florida. Individual plant treatments (IPT), including basal bark and cut stump application with triclopyr butoxyethylester and triethylamine formulations, respectively, have been used for decades. While they are both effective, resprouting can occur, which requires retreatment for control. Recent research on other woody invasive plants has indicated additional non-crop herbicides used in natural areas can be effective with these IPT techniques and therefore warrant testing on S. terebinthifolia. In 2018 and 2019, basal bark and cut stump studies were conducted at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in natural areas infested with S. terebinthifolia. In the basal bark application studies, we found aminocyclopyrachlor applied at 12 and 24 g L−1 and triclopyr acid applied at 34 and 69 g L−1 each provided 100% defoliation of multistemmed S. terebinthifolia individuals with a mean root collar diameter up to 20.2 cm at 360 d after treatment (DAT). These were not different from triclopyr ester applied at 96 g L−1. Imazamox applied at 30 g L−1 resulted in 86% defoliation at 360 DAT. However, we observed formulation incompatibility when imazamox was mixed with basal bark oil which may limit its utility. In cut stump studies, we found aminocyclopyrachlor and aminopyralid each individually applied at 6, 12, and 24 g L−1, resulted in stump mortality that was not different from the commercial standard triclopyr amine applied at 180 g L−1. Similar results were found for a triclopyr acid formulation applied at 86 and 172 g L−1 and imazamox applied at 60 g L−1. For both treatment techniques, we found that alternative treatments provided control at lower herbicide concentrations than triclopyr ester and amine commercial standards. These results advance our understanding of IPT and expand access to additional effective herbicide options for S. terebinthifolia management.

Predictive value of serum proteomic biomarkers for noise-induced hearing loss.

Early detection of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in patients with long-term noise exposure is vital for improving public health and reducing social burden. However, at present, the diagnosis of NIHL mainly depends on audiometric testing, and the primary test is pure-tone audiometry. Moreover, testing requires professional operators and complex equipment; thus, NIHL is often diagnosed at a later disease stage. Using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based proteomic approach, we identified 9 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), namely, 6 upregulated serum proteins and 3 downregulated serum proteins, in samples from 50 ground crew personnel working at an air force station. Then, according to the results, we predicted that caldesmon (CALD1), myocilin (MYOC), zyxin (ZYX), creatine kinase M-type (CKM), insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 2 (IGFBP2), complement factor H-related protein 4 (CFHR4), prenylcysteine oxidase 1 (PCYOX1), heat shock cognate 71 kDa protein (HSPA8), and immunoglobulin lambda variable 3-21 (IGLV3-21) were associated with NIHL. We selected these DEPs as variables to perform logistic regression. Finally, a logistic regression model was constructed based on IGFBP2, ZYX, CKM, and CFHR4. The area under the curve was 0.894 (95% CI = 0.812 to 0.977). These findings suggested that IGFBP2, ZYX, CKM, and CFHR4 in serum are differentially expressed in NIHL patients and have the potential to be biomarkers for predicting the risk for NIHL. Further experiments in mice showed that ZYX and IGFBP2 in the cochlear were increased after noise exposure. ZYX and IGFBP2 may be involved in the occurrence and development of NIHL.

Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer: Advancing the Study of the Martian Atmosphere

On July 30, 2020, the roar of an Atlas V rocket blasting off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station sounded the opening of a monumental quest, the Mars 2020 mission. Hidden within the shro...

Mars 2020 Mission Overview

The Mars 2020 mission will seek the signs of ancient life on Mars and will identify, prepare, document, and cache a set of samples for possible return to Earth by a follow-on mission. Mars 2020 and its Perseverance rover thus link and further two long-held goals in planetary science: a deep search for evidence of life in a habitable extraterrestrial environment, and the return of martian samples to Earth for analysis in terrestrial laboratories. The Mars 2020 spacecraft is based on the design of the highly successful Mars Science Laboratory and its Curiosity rover, but outfitted with a sophisticated suite of new science instruments. Ground-penetrating radar will illuminate geologic structures in the shallow subsurface, while a multi-faceted weather station will document martian environmental conditions. Several instruments can be used individually or in tandem to map the color, texture, chemistry, and mineralogy of rocks and regolith at the meter scale and at the submillimeter scale. The science instruments will be used to interpret the geology of the landing site, to identify habitable paleoenvironments, to seek ancient textural, elemental, mineralogical and organic biosignatures, and to locate and characterize the most promising samples for Earth return. Once selected, ∼35 samples of rock and regolith weighing about 15 grams each will be drilled directly into ultraclean and sterile sample tubes. Perseverance will also collect blank sample tubes to monitor the evolving rover contamination environment. In addition to its scientific instruments, Perseverance hosts technology demonstrations designed to facilitate future Mars exploration. These include a device to generate oxygen gas by electrolytic decomposition of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and a small helicopter to assess performance of a rotorcraft in the thin martian atmosphere. Mars 2020 entry, descent, and landing (EDL) will use the same approach that successfully delivered Curiosity to the martian surface, but with several new features that enable the spacecraft to land at previously inaccessible landing sites. A suite of cameras and a microphone will for the first time capture the sights and sounds of EDL. Mars 2020’s landing site was chosen to maximize scientific return of the mission for astrobiology and sample return. Several billion years ago Jezero crater held a 40 km diameter, few hundred-meter-deep lake, with both an inflow and an outflow channel. A prominent delta, fine-grained lacustrine sediments, and carbonate-bearing rocks offer attractive targets for habitability and for biosignature preservation potential. In addition, a possible volcanic unit in the crater and impact megabreccia in the crater rim, along with fluvially-deposited clasts derived from the large and lithologically diverse headwaters terrain, contribute substantially to the science value of the sample cache for investigations of the history of Mars and the Solar System. Even greater diversity, including very ancient aqueously altered rocks, is accessible in a notional rover traverse that ascends out of Jezero crater and explores the surrounding Nili Planum. Mars 2020 is conceived as the first element of a multi-mission Mars Sample Return campaign. After Mars 2020 has cached the samples, a follow-on mission consisting of a fetch rover and a rocket could retrieve and package them, and then launch the package into orbit. A third mission could capture the orbiting package and return it to Earth. To facilitate the sample handoff, Perseverance could deposit its collection of filled sample tubes in one or more locations, called depots, on the planet’s surface. Alternatively, if Perseverance remains functional, it could carry some or all the samples directly to the retrieval spacecraft. The Mars 2020 mission and its Perseverance rover launched from the Eastern Range at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on July 30, 2020. Landing at Jezero Crater will occur on Feb 18, 2021 at about 12:30 PM Pacific Time.

Dietary deficiencies among families of air warriors: Use of iron deficiency anemia as an index

Introduction: Anemia is a prevalent health problem in India affecting all age groups. It has shown the highest prevalence among preschool children and occurs more commonly in the lower socioeconomic group. Observationally, it was noticed at an Air Force station that preschool children of air warriors had iron deficiency anemia at levels similar to those seen in lower socioeconomic groups. This prompted us to evaluate dietary practices among families of air warriors as a contributory factor to iron deficiency in these children. Material and Methods: All anemic children diagnosed of iron deficiency in the age group of 6–59 months were included in the study. Data were compiled from the clinical history, dietary habits and laboratory parameters obtained. The dietary habits were analyzed based on parameters defined in the current infant and young child feeding guidelines such as exclusive breastfeeding, minimum meal frequency, minimum dietary diversity, and minimum acceptable diet. Mann–Whitney U-test was used to determine statistical significance of difference between means of two independent groups. Spearman correlation analysis between two independent variables was done and multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify predictor variables for iron deficiency anemia. Results: About 74.1% of the anemic children fell into age group of 6–23 months (infants and young children). 75% of children of the age group of 6–23 months were started on cow’s milk at the time of weaning. The average amount of cow’s milk consumed in a day was 0.7 L. In this age group, the minimum dietary diversity was observed in 11.1%, minimum acceptable diet in 5.5% and minimum meal frequency in 22.2% of the children. In the same age group, a statistically significant negative correlation was observed between cow’s milk quantity given per day and hemoglobin (ρ = ‒0.77). A significant negative correlation was found between cow’s milk quantity and variables such as age and number of solid meals received in a day (ρ = ‒0.553 and –0.526, respectively). In multiple regression analysis with hemoglobin as the dependent variable, a significant negative association was observed with cow’s milk quantity. Age showed statistically significant positive correlation with hemoglobin (ρ = 0.762) which was also seen on linear regression analysis. Serum ferritin was low in 44.5% while total iron-binding capacity was raised in 100% of the cases. Conclusion: Iron deficiency anemia was disproportionately distributed among infants and young children (age group 6–23 months). Copious consumption of cow’s milk in this age group led to fewer solid feeds per day and lack of dietary diversity which led to an iron deficient state in these children. This probably resulted in manifestation of anemia in this population. The study brings out the need for dietary counseling for air warriors and their families to ensure better health and lower disease burden.

Integrated Approach to Investigating Historic Cemeteries

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) surveys were conducted at a historic cemetery at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, U.S., in order to confirm the presence of burials corresponding to grave markers and detect potential unmarked burials. Noise in the GPR data from surface features and subtle terrain differences must be addressed to determine the extent of anomalies of interest. We use singular value decomposition (SVD) to isolate and remove energy from GPR data. SVD allows one to remove unwanted signals that traditional processing techniques cannot. With SVD filtering, we resolve an anomaly adjacent to confirmed burials otherwise overprinted by unwanted signal. The migration of SVD-filtered data produces more distinct, spatially constrained point reflectors. Ground elevation is derived from georeferenced TLS data and compared to that from airborne laser scanning (ALS) to highlight subtle terrain that can assist data interpretation. TLS elevations show a subtle modern mound over the burial plot where ALS elevations show a depression. The targets of interest are approximately 20–30 cm higher in elevation if a topographic correction is performed using TLS versus ALS. In archaeological applications, a notable change is often recorded at the sub-meter scale. The combined approach presented here better resolves geophysical response of buried features and their positions in the ground relative to each other.

Curriculum Evaluation and Transformation: Policies, Perspectives and Challenges

To date, the vast majority of developmental programs have had to be satisfied with assessing students’ learning within the confines of their programs. Although there were opportunities for indirect assessments, with graduate surveys or surveys of supervisors/employers, response rates tended to be low. Even when responses were received, they often came from people with little expertise in learning, making it difficult for educators to translate the feedback into actionable program improvements. The United States (US) Air Force has, however, decided to attempt what other learning institutions have not – arguably cannot. It is attempting to leverage its competency-based approach to performance assessment to enhance program evaluation. Because of the closed nature of this learning environment, where students graduate from US Air Force programs and go on to work in US Air Force jobs, there is a unique opportunity to assess learning as it is actually being applied in the workplace. Leveraging a competency-based force-development paradigm, the US Air Force has constructed a “foundational competencies” model for common knowledge, skills and abilities, complemented by occupational competencies specific to individual jobs, positions and specialties. These competencies are mapped to performance descriptions that determine levels of mastery. These performance descriptions are, in turn, mapped to rubrics that guide performance evaluations. Shortcomings in performance can be identified, quantified, and fed back to the developmental program for potential program modification or, for special updates to the force, to ensure Airmen perform their duties properly and achieve desired levels of mastery. This approach has been approved but is not yet fully implemented. The new Foundational Competencies Model has been developed and validated through a criterion-sampling methodology. In addition, many technical careers have created “occupational competencies” models delineated the specific knowledge, skills and abilities specific to their jobs. The full range of supporting assessment mechanisms, however, are still in the process of being designed and dispatched to facilitate ease of use and centralize data-gathering. This article overviews the US Air Force’s approach and its progress to date.

African American Veterans Career Transition Using the Transition Goals, Plans, Success (GPS) Program as a Model for Success

Increased deployments to combat operation areas have resulted in veterans transitioning from the military in more significant numbers. Likewise, African American veterans are also leaving the military in higher numbers. Transition assistance training is necessary to prepare these veterans for higher education and civilian employment since these are the most likely destinations for the successful transition of this population of veterans. Transition Goals, Plans, Success Program (Transition GPS) prepares military personnel for the transition back to civilian life. Transition GPS focuses on helping military personnel to become career-ready through mandatory curriculum-based training in a classroom setting before departing the military for civilian life. This study aims to understand better the transition experiences of African American veterans, their participation in the Transition GPS program, and the challenges they face obtaining employment and higher education after military service. Moreover, higher education is vital for the self-improvement and economic stability of African American veterans. The participants for this study were six African American veterans who served in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Army National Guard. Each participant served in their respective branch of the military for 20 years or more. Veterans in this study highlighted the challenges they faced during their transition from the military to civilian life and acknowledged the importance of higher education. The themes that emerged are representative of the participants’ life experiences, military transition experiences, and demonstrates higher education’s role in a successful transition. The participants expressed the importance of family during their transitions, but they need help to better understand civilian careers and employment before leaving the military. Furthermore, African American veterans need career counseling to help them understand their transition experiences and help to prepare an adequate resume that translates their military skills into a civilian job match.

A Random Forest Method to Forecast Downbursts Based on Dual-Polarization Radar Signatures

The United States Air Force’s 45th Weather Squadron provides wind warnings, including those for downbursts, at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Kennedy Space Center (CCAFS/KSC). This study aims to provide a Random Forest model that classifies thunderstorms’ downburst and null events using a 35-knot wind threshold to separate these two categories. The downburst occurrence was assessed using a dense network of wind observations around CCAFS/KSC. Eight dual-polarization radar signatures that are hypothesized to have physical implications for downbursts at the surface were automatically calculated for 209 storms and ingested into the Random Forest model. The Random Forest model predicted null events more correctly than downburst events, with a True Skill Statistic of 0.40. Strong downburst events were better classified than those with weaker wind magnitudes. The most important radar signatures were found to be the maximum vertically integrated ice and the peak reflectivity. The Random Forest model presented a more reliable performance than an automated prediction method based on thresholds of single radar signatures. Based on these results, the Random Forest method is suggested for continued operational development and testing.

Optimizing the Lightning Warning Radii at Spaceport Florida

Abstract Air Force Manual 91–203 (AFMAN 91–203) directs that a lightning warning be issued when lightning is occurring within a 5 nautical mile (n mi; 1 n mi = 1.852 km) radius of a predetermined location. The 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS), located on the central eastern coast of Florida, provides weather support to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, NASA Kennedy Space Center, and Patrick Air Force Base. The primary objective of this study is to optimize the lightning warning safety buffer; in particular, to determine if the 5 n mi safety radius can be reduced while maintaining a desired level of safety. The research uses processed Lightning Detection and Ranging II (LDAR-II) data from 2013 to 2016 to map the movement of preexisting lightning storms using ellipses. These ellipses are updated with every lightning flash. The distance from the ellipse boundary of each flash occurring outside the ellipse is recorded. Those exterior flash distances are then used to find the best-fit distribution from which the stand-off distance for the desired level of safety can be calculated. The distances from the edge of the ellipse are fit to a Weibull distribution and a reduction in the radius by 1 to 4 or 5 n mi is selected as the optimized balance between safety and operational impact. The 4 or 5 n mi radii are tested with a resulting failure rate of 3.58%, with an average savings of 130.75 false alarms and 15.7 8-h man days a year for the months of May–September.

Increasing Detection by Reducing Disturbance and Excluding Nontarget Small Mammal Species: An Occupancy Study Approach

Abstract Track tubes are a noninvasive, efficient method to monitor populations of small mammals that can be implemented on a large landscape scale and are a cost-effective approach for certain sampling situations. As with all field sampling tools, modifications are made depending on research objectives, habitat being sampled, and target species. We conducted two experiments with the objective to increase efficiency and decrease labor while retaining high detection probabilities as part of an Annual Multi-Agency Regional Southeastern Beach Mouse Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris Habitat Occupancy Survey. We conducted studies along a contiguous 72-km coastline of the Cape Canaveral Barrier Island Complex in east-central Florida, USA, that includes the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and Canaveral National Seashore. We conducted the experiments to address several issues that had regularly compromised our survey data. One experiment assessed the ideal length of deployment times for track tubes in various habitat types with multiple species where southeastern beach mice were previously detected. Another experiment, determined how to restrict certain meso-mammal species (raccoons Procyon lotor, and eastern spotted skunks Spilogale putorius) from knocking over the tubes or reaching into the tubes, thus reducing disturbance that results in missing data; or from entering the tubes (cotton rats Sigmodon hispidus), thereby obscuring any potential or actual footprints of the southeastern beach mouse or other targeted species. We observed an increase in the detection rate of southeastern beach mice in track tubes with increased nights of deployment (likelihood ratio test χ2 = 18.71, df = 3, P < 0.001) with the greatest increase between 3 nights and 6 nights and apparent leveling off between nights 9 and 12 and a large decrease in the detection rate of southeastern beach mice in track tubes with 0.5-in. (1.3-cm) excluders compared with the other-size excluders (likelihood ratio test χ2 = 167.89, df = 5, P < 0.001). We also found that 1-in. (2.5-cm) excluders prevented access by meso-mammals or entry by cotton rats and did not adversely affect the detection of either beach mice or cotton mice Peromyscus gossypinus, but did reduce disturbance and resulted in fewer missing data. These statistically significant process improvements have application for others involved with small mammal monitoring and species management.

Simulated Dispersion of the Gas Released by the SpaceX Falcon9 Rocket Explosion

This Paper provides a qualitative analysis of the contaminant dispersion caused by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket accident at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on 1 September 2016. To achieve this, the Model for Simulating Rocket Exhaust Dispersion and its modeling system were applied to simulate the dispersion of the contaminants emitted during the explosion of the Falcon 9 rocket. This modeling system is a modern tool for risk management and environmental analysis for the evaluation of normal and aborted rocket launch events, being also suitable for the assessment of explosion cases. It deals with the representation of the source term (formation, rising, expansion, and stabilization of the exhaust cloud), the simulation of the short-range dispersion (in the scale from minutes to a couple of hours), and the long-range and chemical transport modeling by integrating with the Community Multiscale Air Quality model and reading meteorological input data from the Weather Research and Forecast model. The results showed that the modeling system captured satisfactorily the phenomenon inside the planetary boundary layer.

Remedial investigations of karst aquifers: a case study at former Marietta Air Force Station, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

A phased multi-disciplinary approach was used to investigate potential environmental impact on the overburden aquifer and karst (bedrock) aquifer from the historic use of a suspected fire training pit at the former Marietta Air Force Station in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Investigation techniques have included direct push technology, real-time sample analysis via use of a mobile laboratory, earth resistivity imaging/induced polarization, geophysical borehole logging, packer testing, installation of one multi-port well with five sampling ports set in the karst aquifer, installation of multiple conventional monitoring wells, and completion of multiple rounds of groundwater sampling and data analysis. Both the vertical and lateral extents of groundwater contamination by chlorinated volatile organic compounds were delineated in the overburden and karst aquifer. The pathway-focused human health risk assessment has indicated that groundwater remediation is required to meet the federal and state health standards for volatile organic compounds. Based on the hydrogeological conditions and the nature and extent of the delineated contamination, plumes in both the overburden and karst aquifers, chemical oxidation (in the karst aquifer), and enhanced bioremediation (in the overburden aquifer) have been selected as the preferred alternatives for groundwater remediation, with monitored natural attenuation included as a common component of both alternatives.

High Rates of Winter Activity and Arousals in Two New England Bat Species: Implications for a Reduced White-Nose Syndrome Impact?

Abstract We studied the winter activity of bats at a site where long-term summer monitoring data has documented the presence of a diverse and abundant bat community. Acoustic monitoring at multiple locations over 4 winters (2010–2011 through 2013–2014) documented some level of activity in every species, but Myotis leibii (Eastern Small-footed Myotis) and Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown Bat) were the only 2 species with consistent activity throughout the hibernation period. We modeled winter activity as a function of meteorological variables and the distance to both a presumed local hibernaculum and an important foraging site that we had previously documented at the New Boston Air Force Station. Based on our Random Forest model, ambient temperature was the strongest predictor of winter activity for both species; the highest rate of activity occurred when temperatures were above 12 °C. Although most of the activity occurred during the evening, we detected diurnal activity by both species throughout the winter. ...

Geoprocessing model for identifying potential wind farm locations

The selection of suitable geographic locations for wind farms can be challenging due to the various agents involved in the process, such as, environmentalists, investors, government agencies, and utilities. In addition, selection criteria differ depending on the agents preferences. The site selection process considers the factors and constraints posed by these agents, such as technical (wind power density), physical (safe distance to air force station, roads, and transmission lines), economic (terrain slope), social (settlements and hospitals), and environmental (forests, lakes, ponds, and streams). Geographical information system (GIS) is a powerful tool for enhancing spatial decisions. A combination of Boolean logic, fuzzy logic, and the weighted product method is used in GIS to identify feasible locations. Further simplification of the entire geo-processing operation is modification into a single operation using a geo-processing modeller in an open source QGIS software environment. This study determined that the most suitable locations for wind farms are in close proximity to urban areas within the study area of Palladam Taluk, India.

Microspatial sampling reveals cryptic influences on gene flow in a threatened mammal

We studied the population structure and historical demography of the last remaining core population of the threatened southeastern beach mouse (SEBM; Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris) located on a federally protected barrier island complex at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida, USA. Beach mice (N = 171) were collected from 33 trapping locations along 30 km of coastline on KSC/MINWR/CCAFS and were genotyped using 10 microsatellite loci. We found four genetic clusters of mice that likely form a metapopulation. Gene flow among clusters, assessed using assignment tests, was limited suggesting that human development can serve to inhibit dispersal of beach mice. However, when the presence of roads were examined as possible barriers to movement, gene flow appeared to be facilitated suggesting that removal of thick vegetation along roadsides increases movement. We used approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) to estimate divergence time among clusters and effective population sizes for each cluster and for the pre-divergence population. Results of ABC analyses suggest that barriers to movement likely formed following the construction of the John F. Kennedy Space Center beginning in the 1960s but that this has not heavily impacted the effective size of populations. Pre-divergence and contemporary effective sizes are similar, thus, population sizes likely remained relatively large over the last 50–100 years. The population of SEBM on KSC/MINWR/CCAFS appears to be a genetically diverse core population and individuals from this population will most likely be good candidates for any future reintroduction and translocation programs.

Visualities of strategic vision: Lookout Mountain Laboratory and the deterrent state from nuclear tests to Vietnam

This article considers two visual cultures of America’s deterrent state in the Cold War, the cinematic and cybernetic, by following the history of the 600th Photographic Squadron of the United States (US) Air Force in Vietnam and its 1950s progenitor, the 1352nd Motion Picture Squadron, or Lookout Mountain Laboratory. We argue that cinematic and cybernetic visual cultures were at the heart of a Cold War visual alliance that was also a Cold War visual contest, and cameras were situated at the centre of the contest. Specifically, the cinematic and the cybernetic represent two distinct visualities of vision, as the Cold War cameras of the Air Force assumed either transcendental or transcendent positions. The former, in keeping with a cinematic visuality, was oriented towards casting America as a sight to see in the context of its war on communism, with cameras operating as a condition of possibility for the construction of the ‘image’, whereas the latter, in keeping with a cybernetic visuality, was oriented towards the American appetite to see, to monitor and survey the world over, with cameras operating as processors of ‘information’. The history of the 600th Photographic Squadron and its progenitor, Lookout Mountain Laboratory, suggests that the transition from cinematic to cybernetic visualities of vision was part of a broader transformation in the US Cold War state from a nuclear deterrent state to a supra-nuclear deterrent state.

Ground Support Resources Allocation Modeling and Optimizing for Multiple Types of Military Aircraft

The co-operation of multiple types of military aircraft has become one of the basic features in air combats. In order to improve comprehensive support capability, how to optimize the resources distribution of ground support equip- ment is an important content of the air force stations modernization construction. The uneconomic and unreasonable rea- sons of allocation approach are analyzed based on the actual situation of allocating ground support resources for multiple types of military aircraft. The conceptual model and the requirement model of the ground support processes are given ac- cording to the different needs of support requirement for different types of military aircraft, this makes preparation for simulation and optimization models. The support resources strategies are developed in the simulation model, especially when there are two or more types of support activities arranged to be performed in any order with Arena software. The ground support resources allocation is optimized using intelligence-optimized algorithms in the optimizing models. The optimization results show that simulation model and optimum approach can improve the efficiency of ground support ac- tivities of multiple types of military aircraft and can increase the effectiveness of ground support resources scheduling in the support processes.

The Issue of Japan’s Marine Corps Air Force Station Futenma’s Relocation and the Fall of Hatoyama

In 2009, the opposition party, Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) won a landslide victory in Japan’s lower house elections, winning 308 seats out of the 480 seats. Through the elections, the Japanese people hoped to see a change in the old bureaucratic-centred politics and the beginning of a two-party system. The reform materialized after more than 50 years of a one-party rule under LDP. The Okinawans, in particular, were strong supporters of the DPJ where the party received 70 percent of votes from the prefecture. One of the key factors behind this support was the promise by the DPJ to relocate the Marine Corps Air Force Station Futenma (MCAS Futenma) to Henoko. However, relocation of the military base out of Okinawa was almost impossible because it required the consent of the United States and various parties such as the Okinawans and the coalition government. This paper aims to analyze how the issue of relocating Futenma during Hatoyama’s administration led to the eventual fall of Hatoyama. The opposition is not obligated to fulfil all its promises but when in power, they face difficulties in fulfilling promises. Because of the relocation failure, DPJ was seen as an unreliable political party, and Hatoyama was forced to step down, after less than nine months in office despite winning a historical landslide victory in the 2009 election.

Preventing Tracking-Tube False Detections in Occupancy Modeling of Southeastern Beach Mouse

Abstract Quantifying habitat occupancy of the southeastern beach mouse Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris is important for managing this threatened species throughout its limited range. Tracking tubes were used to detect the southeastern beach mouse in coastal areas on the federal lands of the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and Canaveral National Seashore. Because this method relied on observations of footprints, detections of beach mice were confounded by the co-occurrence of cotton mice Peromyscus gossypinus, which have wider but slightly overlapping footprint widths. Mice of both species were captured and footprinted using tracking tubes to collect a database of footprints of known identity. These data were used to develop a Bayesian hierarchical model of the cutoff width at which a print could be assigned as a beach mouse with a known probability of error. Specifically, within the model, observed footprint widths were used to estimate a mean and variance of footprint width for each species, while accounting for variation between individual mice. Then, a distribution of new footprint widths was generated for each species by drawing from their modeled distributions. Finally, the new footprints were compared with a range of potential cutoff widths to evaluate the proportion of times the correct decision to exclude or accept the footprint was made. We graphically evaluated the performance of the cutoff widths and chose one that traded off between reducing false positives and retaining more correct detections for use in occupancy models. We explored the use of the cutoff width using occupancy models that allow for false-positive detections, and found that the use of the cutoff performed as expected. Over 40% of primary dune habitat on the Kennedy Space Center was occupied by beach mice during the period sampled. The proportion of vegetated habitat at a site had a negative influence on detection probability. No ecological covariates had a measurable influence on beach mouse occupancy, probably due to the limited range of environmental variation in the sampled region. The use of a cutoff for footprint width resulted in a reliable method to deal with false-positive detections in tracking tubes with small mammals and allowed the use of occupancy models that rely on certain detection.