Is direct military action the best way to deal whith problems of Essay

Is direct military action the best way to deal whith problems of terrorism - Essay Example The reality is experience informs that any conceptualization or definition of terrorism reveals that it is vastly similar to peacetime war crimes.7 Today there is a growing perception that terrorism is growing more and more dangerous particularly with the aid of new technologies. Terrorists today are said to be more disorganized than in previous years and more inclined to use weapons of mass destruction and to bring about more catastrophic consequences. Moreover, it is largely believed that terrorists are comprised of â€Å"amateurs†, ad hoc and â€Å"transitory groups† with the result that â€Å"state sponsorship† is no longer necessary.8 In other words, the new structures of terrorism today make it more difficult to use traditional counterterrorism strategies to combat terrorism today. Counterterrorism Strategies Conventional Counterterrorism Strategies Before and After September 11, 2001. The complex and dangerous nature of terrorism today was demonstrated by the terror attacks in the US on September 11, 2001. Internationally, countries have come to the realization that traditional counterterrorism mechanisms are insufficient for preventing and deterring terrorism. As a result, there has been a proliferation of counterterrorism reforms, particularly in Western jurisdictions.9 Many of these reforms however, merely involved the expansion of laws that were directed at defining and prosecuting terrorism.10 Since September 11, 2001, and particularly since the terrorist bombings in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005, counterterrorism has been among the European Union’s (EU) top policy concern. For the EU this involves balancing security against human rights. 11 The EU’s legislative measures taken in the aftermath of the... From the research it can be comprehended that the 21st century has ushered in a new dangerous strand of terrorism. The death toll in the US on September 11, 2001 demonstrated that conventional methods of treating terrorism as a crime and dealing with it within the criminal justice system were futile. Obviously, terrorist were not deterred, but rather reenergized and committed to their political causes. Internationally, governments reformed counterterrorism approaches, but largely left terrorism within the criminal justice system. While the US and its coalition waged war against state sponsors of terrorism (Afghanistan and Iraq), terrorists and insurgents have continued to relocate and complicate the efforts of the US. The Israel experience with direct military action has also proved to be just as counterproductive as the US’s indirect military action. It would therefore appear that counterterrorism cannot be satisfactorily deterred by military action. It might be wise to focus attention on programmes that redirect the youth who are susceptible to recruitment. Providing young people with viable and legitimate alternatives appears to be the best approach to counterterrorism at far less expense to innocent civilians. Military action has proven to be just as costly to civilians and perhaps more so than terrorism. It would therefore appear that military action as an alternative counterterrorism strategy is counterproductive.

Any controversial issue of interest to explore Essay

Any controversial issue of interest to explore - Essay Example Some of the well known social media platforms include Facebook, Google+, Wikipedia, Linkedln, Twitter, Pinterest among others. The use of social media as a means of propagating information has attracted divergent views and opinions as some argue in its favour while some feel that social media is not a proper tool for sharing thoughts and other information. Those who are against the use of social media have defended their line of thought on a number of factors which include the fact that social networking reduces face-to-face interaction. The autonomy associated with the virtual world allows people to create a lot of fantasy persona or pretending to be someone else. It thus creates a means through which some people can avoid the realities of life leading to increased cases of mistrust. Someone can easily block or cut off the flow of communication from another person whom they may not share similar views and opinions. Online communication is a tool towards crippling the development of social skills and conflict resolution strategies. Negative opinions toward social media have been supported by the fact that it is a means of fraud or identity theft. The information sent on social media platform can be accessed by anyone who has interest in it even those to whom it was not intended to reach. The information is subject to different interpretations and misunderstanding (Wankel, 34). The aspect of sharing personal information puts people at risk of being defrauded as some criminals have mastered the act of stealing personal details. Hacking presents a major weakness of social media as evident by the increasing cases of accounts and profiles of people being hacked. This leads to serious misdemeanor of identity theft and the process does not need on to be very techno-savvy to be successful but just a little knowledge in technology. Sensitive information such as passwords,

African Literature Essay Example for Free

African Literature Essay Despite the ignorance of most so called literati to the domain of African literature, African literature in fact is one of the main currents of world literature, stretching continuously and directly back to ancient history. Achebe did not invent African Literature, because he himself was inundated with it as an African. He simply made more people aware of it. The Beginnings of African Literature The first African literature is circa 2300-2100, when ancient Egyptians begin using burial texts to accompany their dead. These include the first written accounts of creation the Memphite Declaration of Deities. Not only that, but papyrus, from which we originate our word for paper, was invented by the Egyptians, and writing flourished. In contrast, Sub-Saharan Africa feature a vibrant and varied oral culture. To take into account written literary culture without considering literary culture is definitely a mistake, because they two interplay heavily with each other. African oral arts are arts for lifes sake (Mukere) not European arts for arts sake, and so may be considered foreign and strange by European readers. However, they provide useful knowledge, historical knowledge, ethical wisdom, and creative stimuli in a direct fashion. Oral culture takes many forms: proverbs and riddles, epic narratives, oration and personal testimony, praise poetry and songs, chants and rituals, stories, legends and folk tales. This is present in the many proverbs told in Things Fall Apart, and the rich cultural emphasis of that book also is typically African. The earliest written Sub-Saharan Literature (1520) is heavily influenced by Islamic literature. The earliest example of this is the anonymous history of the city-state of Kilwa Kisiwani. The first African history, History of the Sudan, is written by Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi in Arabic style. Traveling performers, called griots, kept the oral tradition alive, especially the legends of the Empire of Mali. In 1728 the earliest written Swahili work,Utendi wa Tambuka borrows heavily from Muslim tradition. However, there are little to no Islamic presence in Things Fall Apart. The Period of Colonization With the period of Colonization, African oral traditions and written works came under a serious outside threat. Europeans, justifying themselves with the Christian ethics, tried to destroy the pagan and primitive culture of the Africans, to make them more pliable slaves. However, African Literature survived this concerted attack. In 1789, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustava Vassa was the first slave narrative to be published. Kidnapped from Nigeria, this Ibo man wrote his autobiography in Great Britain in English, and like Achebe used his narrative as a platform to attack the injustices of slavery and cultural destruction. Back in Africa, Swahili poetry threw off the dominating influence of Islam and reverted back to native Bantu forms. One exemplar of this was Utendi wa Inkishafi (Souls Awakening), a poem detailing the vanity of earthly life. The Europeans, by bringing journalism and government schools to Africa, helped further the development of literature. Local newspapers abounded, and often they featured sections of local African poetry and short stories. While originally these fell close to the European form, slowly they broke away and became more and more African in nature. One of these writers was Oliver Schreiner, whose novel Story of an African Farm (1883) is considered the first African classic analysis of racial and sexual issues. Other notable writers, such as Samuel Mqhayi and Thomas Mofolo begin portraying Africans as complex and human characters. Achebe was highly influenced by these writers in their human portrayal of both sides of colonization. Emerging from Paris in the 1920s and 1930s, the negritude movement established itself as one of the premiere literary movements of its time. It was a French-speaking African search for identity, which ofcourse took them back to their roots in Africa. Africa was made into a metaphorical antipode to Europe, a golden age utopia, and was often represented allegorically as a woman. In a 1967 interview, Cesaire explained: We lived in an atmosphere of rejection, and we developed an inferiority complex. The desire to establish an identity begins with a concrete consciousness of what we are†¦that we are black . . . and have a history. . . [that] there have been beautiful and important black civilizations†¦that its values were values that could still make an important contribution to the world. Leopold Sedar Senghor, one of the prime thinkers of this movement, eventually became president of the country of Senegal, creating a tradition of African writers becoming active political figures. Achebe was doubtless familiar with the negritude movement, although he preferred to less surrealistic and more realistic writing. In 1948, African literature came to the forefront of the world stage with Alan Patons publishing of Cry the Beloved Country. However, this book was a somewhat paternalistic and sentimental portrayal of Africa. Another African writer, Fraz Fanon, also a psychiatrist, becomes famous in 1967 through a powerful analysis of racism from the African viewpoint Black Skin, White Masks. Camara Laye explored the deep psychological ramification of being African in his masterpiece, The Dark Child (1953), and African satire is popularized by Mongo Beti and Ferdinand Oyono. Respected African literary critic Kofi Awoonor systematically collects and translates into English much of African oral culture and art forms, preserving native African culture. Chinua Achebe then presents this native African culture in his stunning work, Things Fall Apart. This is probably the most read work of African Literature ever written, and provides a level of deep cultural detail rarely found in European literature. Achebes psychological insight combined with his stark realism make his novel a classic. Post-Achebe African Literature Achebe simply opened the door for many other African literati to attain international recognition. East Africans produce important autobiographical works, such as Kenyans Josiah Kariuki’s Mau Mau Detainee (1963), and R. Mugo Gatheru’s Child of Two Worlds (1964). African women begin to let their voice be heard. Writers such as Flora Nwapa give the feminine African perspective on colonization and other African issues. Wole Soyinka writes her satire of the conflict between modern Nigeria and its traditional culture in her book The Interpreters (1965). A prolific writer, she later produces famous plays such as Death and The Kings Horseman. Later, in 1986, she is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. African Literature gains more and more momentum, and Professor James Ngugi even calls for the abolition of the English Department in the University of Nairobi, to be replaced by a Department of African Literature and Languages. African writers J. M. Coetzee, in his Life and Times of Michael K. written in both Afrikaans and English for his South African audience, confronts in literature the oppressive regime of apartheid. Chinua Achebe helps reunite African Literature as a whole by publishing in 1985 African Short Stories, a collection of African short stories from all over the continent. Another African writer, Naguib Mahfouz, wins the Nobel Prize in literature in 1988. In 1990 African poetry experiences a vital comeback through the work I is a Long-Memoried Woman by Frances Anne Soloman. African Literature is only gaining momentum as time marches onwards.

Joint Operation Planning Process Tourism Essay

Joint Operation Planning Process Tourism Essay The Joint Operation Planning Process, or JOPP, supports planning at all levels and for missions across the full range of military operations. This planning process applies to both contingency planning and CAP. The JOPP is an orderly, analytical planning process that consists of a set of logical steps to analyze a mission, develop, analyze, and compare alternative COAs, or courses of action, select the best COA, and produce a plan or order. Step 1: Initiation. The Joint Operation Planning Process or JOPP begins when the President, SecDef, or CJCS recognizes a potential for military capability to be employed in response to a potential or actual crisis and initiates planning by deciding to develop military options. The GEF, JSCP, , and related strategic guidance statements serve as the primary guidance to begin contingency planning. Military options normally are developed in combination with other nonmilitary options so that the President can respond with all the appropriate instruments of national power. Often in CAP, the JFC and staff will perform an assessment of the initiating directive to determine time available until mission execution, the current status of intelligence products and staff estimates, and other factors relevant to the specific planning situation. Step 2: Mission Analysis. The primary purpose of mission analysis is to understand the problem and purpose of the operation and issue appropriate guidance to drive the rest of the planning process. A primary consideration for a supported commander during mission analysis is the national strategic end state -the broadly expressed political, military, economic, social, informational, and other conditions that should exist after the conclusion of a campaign or operation. The primary inputs to mission analysis are the higher headquarters planning directive, other strategic guidance, the Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment or JIPOE, and initial staff estimates. The primary products of mission analysis are a restated mission statement and the JFCs initial intent statement, the Commanders Critical Information Requirements or CCIRs, and planning guidance. The figure below describes the key inputs and resulting outputs of mission analysis. Step 3: Course of Action (COA) Development. A COA consists of the following information: what type of military action will occur; why the action is required (purpose); who will take the action; when the action will begin; where the action will occur; and how the action will occur (method of employment of forces). A valid COA will have the characteristics outlined in the figure below. Once a valid COA is developed, the staff converts the approved COA into a CONOPS. COA determination will consist of four primary activities: COA development, analysis and wargaming, comparison, and approval. Step 4: COA Analysis and Wargaming. The commander and staff analyze each tentative COA separately according to the commanders guidance. COA analysis identifies advantages and disadvantages of each proposed friendly COA. Wargaming provides a means for the commander and participants to analyze a tentative COA, improve their understanding of the operational environment, and obtain insights that otherwise might not have occurred. Based upon time available, the commander should wargame each tentative COA against the most probable and the most dangerous adversary COAs. Step 5: COA Comparison. An objective process whereby COAs are considered independently of each other and evaluated against a set of criteria that are established by the staff and commander. The goal is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of COAs so that a COA with the highest probability of success can be selected or developed. The commander and staff develop and evaluate a list of important criteria, or governing factors, consider each COAs advantages and disadvantages, identify actions to overcome disadvantages, make final tests for feasibility and acceptability and weigh the relative merits of each. Step 6: COA Approval. The staff determines the best COA to recommend to the commander. The staff briefs the commander on the COA comparison and the analysis and wargaming results, including a review of important supporting information. This briefing often takes the form of a commanders estimate. This information could include such factors as, the current status of the joint force; the current JIPOE; and assumptions used in COA development. The commander selects a COA or forms an alternate COA based upon the staff recommendations. The nature of a potential contingency could make it difficult to determine a specific end state until the crisis actually occurs. In these cases, the JFC may choose to present two or more valid COAs for approval by higher authority. A single COA can then be approved when the crisis occurs and specific circumstances become clear. Step 7: Plan or Order Development. The commander and staff, in collaboration with subordinate and supporting components and organizations, expand the approved COA into a detailed joint operation plan or OPORD by first developing an executable CONOPS, which clearly and concisely expresses what the JFC intends to accomplish and how it will be done using available resources. It describes how the actions of the joint force components and supporting organizations will be integrated, synchronized, and phased to accomplish the mission, including potential branches and sequels. Contingency planning will result in operation plan development, while CAP typically will lead directly to OPORD development. Voice: Planning initiation begins when the President, SecDef, or CJCS recognizes a potential for military capability to be employed in response to a potential or actual crisis. The primary purpose of the next step, mission analysis, is to understand the problem and purpose of the operation and issue appropriate guidance to drive the rest of the planning process. Next, planners must develop a COA to accomplish the mission. During course of action analysis and wargaming, the commander and staff analyze each COA separately according to the commanders guidance. COA analysis identifies advantages and disadvantages of each proposed friendly COA. Wargaming provides a means for the commander and participants to analyze the COA and improve understanding of the operational environment. During COA comparison, COAs are considered independently of each other and evaluated against a set of criteria, which are established by the staff and commander. The goal is to identify the strengths and weaknes ses of COAs to select the COA with the highest probability of success. Next, the staff determines the best COA to recommend to the commander, which is normally presented in the form of a briefing for approval or further guidance. Finally, the commander and staff, in collaboration with subordinate and supporting components and organizations, expand the approved COA into a detailed joint operation plan or OPORD by first developing an executable concept of operations, or CONOPS. The CONOPS clearly and concisely expresses what the JFC intends to accomplish and how it will be done using available resources. Most often contingency planning will result in operation plan development, while CAP typically will lead directly to the development of an OPORD. Title: Contingency Planning A graphic is shown, which represents the four levels of planning detail: 1) Commanders Estimate 2) Base Plan 3) CONPLAN 4) OPLAN. The following text is shown on the right of the screen in support of the narration: Initiated by publication of the Guidance for Employment of the Force (GEF) and the Joint Strategic Capabilities Plan (JSCP) Conducted during peacetime Develops plans for a broad range of contingencies Compliments and supports other Department of Defense (DOD) planning cycles Facilitates the transition to crisis action planning (CAP) Voice: Contingency planning usually begins with the publication of a new GEF and JSCP. It is a peacetime process that develops plans for a broad range of contingencies with apportioned resources. Its performed in a continuous cycle that complements and supports other DOD planning cycles and facilitates the transition to crisis action planning, or CAP. Contingency planning is accomplished through four planning levels based on JOPES policies and guidance. Title: Contingency Planning Levels Action: On the left side of the screen is a graphic representing the the four levels of planning detail: 1) Commanders Estimate 2) Base Plan 3) CONPLAN 4) OPLAN. The following text is included as pop-up boxes to the matching components of the graphic: Level 1 Planning Detail Commanders Estimate: Focuses on producing a developed Course of Action (COA) Provides the SecDef with military COAs to meet a potential contingency Reflects the supported commanders analysis of the various COAs potential contingency Level 2 Planning Detail Base Plan: Describes the CONOPS, major forces, concepts of support, and anticipated timelines for completing the mission Normally does not include annexes or a TPFDD Level 3 Planning Detail CONPLAN: CONPLAN is an operation plan in an abbreviated format Requires expansion and alteration to convert into OPLAN or OPORD Includes a base plan with annexes, as required by the JFC and a supported commanders estimate of the plans feasibility Produces a TPFDD, if applicable Level 4 Planning Detail OPLAN: OPLAN is a complete and detailed joint plan with a full description of the CONOPS, all annexes applicable to the plan, and a TPFDD Identifies the specific forces, functional support, and resources required to execute the plan Can be quickly developed into an OPORD Voice: Contingency planning encompasses four levels of planning detail with an associated planning product for each level. Level 1 planning detail is the commanders estimate, which focuses on producing a developed COA. These military COAs enable the SecDef to meet a potential contingency. The objective of Level 2 planning detail is a base plan which describes the CONOPS, major forces, concepts of support, and the necessary timelines to complete the envisioned mission. This level normally does not include a detailed transportation feasible flow of resources into the theater. In Level 3 planning detail, the concept plan or CONPLAN is formulated, which is an operations plan in an abbreviated format. It includes annexes as required by the JFC and the supported commanders estimate of the plans overall feasibility. The CONPLAN may have an associated time-phased force and deployment data, or TPFDD, if applicable. Finally, the objective of Level 4 planning detail is a fully-developed operati on plan, or OPLAN, containing a complete and detailed joint plan with a full description of the CONOPS, all annexes required for the plan, and a TPFDD. The OPLAN identifies the specific forces, functional support, and resources required to execute the plan. The OPLAN can be quickly developed into an OPORD. Action: The following text is shown to the right of the planning level detail graphic: An OPLAN is normally prepared when: The contingency is critical to national security and requires detailed prior planning. The magnitude or timing of the contingency requires detailed planning. Detailed planning is required to support multinational planning. The feasibility of the plans CONOPS cannot be determined without detailed planning. Detailed planning is necessary to determine force deployment, employment, and sustainment requirements, determine available resources to fill identified requirements, and validate shortfalls. Voice: Furthermore, an OPLAN is normally prepared under the following circumstances: if the contingency is critical to national security and requires detailed planning; the magnitude or timing of the contingency necessitates the planning; detailed planning is required for a multinational planning effort; the feasibility of the CONOPS demands detailed planning; or if a detailed effort is necessary to determine the levels of force deployment and sustainment. Title: Crisis Action Planning Action: A series of pictures representing Crisis Action Planning is presented on screen. The following text replaces the pictures when mentioned in the narration: Contingency Planning Planning activities that occur in non-crisis situations; relies heavily on assumptions and projections Crisis Action Planning Based on facts and actual planning as a crisis unfolds Action: The series of pictures is brought back with additional images added to it and is now used as a background. Voice: Because its difficult to predict where and when a crisis will occur, planners must be able to rapidly respond to problems as they arise. Unlike contingency planning, which prepares plans in anticipation of future events, crisis action planning allows planners to respond to situations based on circumstances that exist at the time of planning. Crisis action planning procedures parallel contingency planning, but are more flexible and responsive to changing events. In time-sensitive situations, the JPEC follows formally established CAP procedures to adjust and implement previously prepared contingency plans by converting them into OPORDs or to fully develop and execute OPORDs where no useful contingency plan exists. Title: Crisis Action Planning Activities Action: In the background is a graphic representing the activities associated with crisis action planning. When mentioned in the narration, the corresponding parts are highlighted. The graphic shows a graphic labeled Event, directly under a box labeled Situational Awareness. Boxes continue in two rows, showing a linear sequence connected by arrows in a zigzag pattern. An arrow labeled OPREP-3 PCA points from Situational Awareness to Decision. An arrow covered by a document labeled Warning Order points to COA Development. An arrow labeled Commanders Estimate points from COA Development to COA Selection. An arrow covered by a document labeled Planning or Alert Order points from COA Selection to Detailed Planning. An arrow labeled Operations Order points from Detailed Planning to Plan Approval. An arrow covered by a document labeled Execute Order points from Plan Approval to Execution. Graphic bands at the top divide the graphic into three portions. Situational Awareness stretches across the entire screen, lasting throughout the process. Planning covers COA Development, COA Selection, Detailed Planning, Plan Approval, and Execution and the intermediary products. Two arrows across the bottom, labeled Prepare to Deploy Order and Deployment Order, extend across the same region as the Planning band. A band labeled Execution extends from near the end of Plan Approval through the Execution activity. Voice: CAP activities are similar to contingency planning activities; however, CAP is based on dynamic, real-world conditions rather than assumptions. CAP procedures provide for the rapid and effective exchange of information and analysis, the timely preparation of military COAs for consideration by the President or SecDef, and the prompt transmission of their decisions to the JPEC. The exact flow of the procedures is largely determined by the time available to complete the planning and by the significance of the crisis. The following steps summarize the activities and interaction that occur during CAP. When the President, SecDef, or CJCS decide to develop military options, the CJCS issues a planning directive to the JPEC initiating the development of COAs. Next, a WARNORD is issued that describes the situation, establishes command relationships, and identifies the mission and any planning constraints. In response to the WARNORD, the supported commander, in collaboration with subordinate and supporting commanders and the rest of the JPEC, reviews existing joint OPLANs for applicability and develops, analyzes, and compares COAs. Next, the feasibility that existing OPLANs can be modified to fit the specific situation is determined. The CJCS then reviews and evaluates the supported commanders estimate and recommends a COA selection. On receiving the decision of the President or SecDef, the CJCS issues an Alert Order to the JPEC to announce the decision. The supported commander then develops the OPORD and supporting TPFDD using the approved COA. The supported commander then submits the completed OPORD for approval to the SecDef or President via the CJCS. Finally, in CAP, plan development continues after the President or SecDef decides to execute the OPORD or to return to the pre-crisis situation. Title: Campaign Planning Action: The following bullet point list and quote from Joint Publication 5-0 are shown on screen, along with a picture representing campaign planning, in support of the narration: May begin during contingency planning and continue through CAP Primary way combatant commanders achieve unity of effort and guide planning of joint operations Operationalize combatant commander theater and functional strategies and integrate steady-state-activities, including current operations and security cooperation activities Require the broadest strategic concepts of operation and sustainment for achieving multinational, national, and theater-strategic objectives A campaign plan describes how a series of joint major operations are arranged in time, space, and purpose to achieve strategic and operational objectives. Joint Pub 5-0 Voice: It is important to note how campaign planning relates to the two categories of joint operation planning. Joint operation planning and planning for a campaign are not separate planning types or processes. Campaign planning may begin during contingency planning and continue through CAP, thus unifying the entire process. A campaign plan describes how a series of joint major operations are arranged in time, space, and purpose to achieve strategic and operational objectives. Campaign planning is a primary means by which combatant commanders arrange for strategic unity of effort and through which they guide the planning of joint operations within their theater. Campaign plans operationalize combatant commander theater and functional strategies and integrate steady-state-activities, including current operations as well as security cooperation activities. They require the broadest strategic concepts of operation and sustainment for achieving multinational, national, and theater-strategic objectives. Title: Types of Campaigns Action: Background image shows combatant command AOR map of the world. The following text is shown to support of the narration: Global Campaign-Encompasses strategic objectives on multiple AORs. More than one supported GCC possible and competing requirements for transportation, ISR assets, and specialized units and equipment. The Global War on Terrorism is an example of a global campaign. Theater Campaign-Focuses on activities of a supported combatant commander. Accomplishes strategic or operational objectives within a theater of war or theater of operations. Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM comprised a theater campaign in the 1990-91 Persian Gulf Conflict. Subordinate Campaign-Describes the actions of a subordinate JFC, which accomplish (or contribute to the accomplishment of) strategic or operational objectives in support of a global or theater campaign. Subordinate JFCs develop subordinate campaign plans Voice: There are three general types of campaigns, which differ generally in scope. A global campaign is one that requires the accomplishment of strategic objectives in joint operations in multiple areas of responsibility ,or AORs. In this case, there could be more than one supported geographic combatant commander, or GCC. Planners must be aware of competing requirements for potentially scarce strategic resources, such as transportation and ISR assets, as well as specialized and unique units and equipment, such as special operations and tankers. Global campaigns will often establish the strategic and operational framework within which theater and subordinate campaigns are developed. The Global War on Terrorism is an example of a campaign that spans all AORs. A theater campaign encompasses the activities of a supported combatant commander. It accomplishes strategic or operational objectives within a theater of war or theater of operations, primarily within the supported commanders AOR. An OPLAN for a theater campaign is the operational extension of a commanders theater strategy, and translates theater strategic concepts into unified action. Adjacent combatant commanders may conduct supporting operations, within the AOR of the supported commander or within their own AORs, under the overall direction of the supported commander. Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM comprised a theater campaign in the 1990-91 Persian Gulf Conflict. A subordinate campaign describes the actions of a subordinate JFC, which accomplish, or contribute to the accomplishment of, strategic or operational objectives in support of a global or theater campaign. Subordinate JFCs develop subordinate campaign plans, if their assigned missions require military operations of substantial size, complexity, and duration and cannot be accomplished within the framework of a single major joint operation. Subordinate campaign plans should be consistent with the strategic and operational guidance and direction developed by the supported JFC. Title: Campaign Plan Design Action: A collage of images representing Campaign Planning are shown on screen. The following text is shown in support of the narration: Mostly art, not science-no best way to develop campaign plans Requires thinking creatively to make best use of resources to achieve objectives Involves Operational Art-the employment of military forces to attain strategic and/or operational objectives through the design, organization, integration, and conduct of strategies, campaigns, major operations, and battles Voice: Campaign planning is relatively unstructured compared to contingency and crisis action planning. Campaign planning is mostly an art, not a science; there is no set recipe or best way to develop a campaign plan. It requires a thorough knowledge of enemy and friendly capabilities, forces, and tactics, as well as out-of-the-box thinking and creativity in order to make the best use of resources to achieve the desired objectives. Because campaign planning is mostly art, it is inextricably linked with operational art, most notably in the design of the operational concept for the campaign. Operational art refers to the employment of military forces to attain strategic and/or operational objectives through the design, organization, integration, and conduct of strategies, campaigns, major operations, and battles. This is primarily an intellectual exercise based on experience and judgment. Action: A diagram is show to represent the three key elements of operational design in the following narration. The diagram shows: understand the strategic guidance, bracketing the first and second levels of the diagram, which are national strategic objectives with conditions (effects) branched underneath; next level is identify critical factors which brackets level three in the diagram, centers of gravity; finally, develop an operational concept is the last section bracketing actions under the centers of gravity boxes. Voice: There are three key elements of operational design. First, planners must understand the strategic guidance from the civilian leadership. This involves determining what the desired end state is and what has to be accomplished militarily to get there. Once planners understand what military conditions must exist to achieve strategic objectives, they must determine how to effect those conditions. The key to this is identifying the adversarys critical factors-their strengths and points of vulnerability, called Centers of Gravity (COGs). Finally, the planner must develop an operational concept, which describes the sequence of actions and the application of forces and capabilities necessary to neutralize or destroy the enemys COGs. Title: Joint Air Estimate Action: On the right of the screen, operational airpower images are shown. The following text and footer are shown on the left of the screen in support of the narration: Culminates with the production of the Joint Air and Space Operations Plan (JAOP) May be employed to support deliberate and crisis action planning The Joint Air and Space Operations Plan (JAOP) guides the employment of air and space capabilities and forces from joint force components to accomplish the missions assigned by the Joint Force Commander (JFC) Voice: Weve discussed joint operation planning in a very general sense, but how does the Joint Force Air Component Commander (JFACC) fulfill his specific responsibility to develop the air and space portion of the Joint Force Commanders (JFCs) campaign plan? The Joint Air Estimate Process is a six-phase process that culminates with the production of the Joint Air and Space Operations Plan (JAOP). The JAOP is the JFACCs plan for integrating and coordinating joint air and space operations. It guides the employment of air and space capabilities and forces from joint force components to accomplish the missions assigned by the JFC. A Joint Air Estimate Process may be employed during contingency planning to produce JAOPs that support Operation Plans (OPLANs) or Concept Plans (CONPLANs). It may also be used during crisis action planning in concert with other theater operation planning. Title: Joint Air Estimate Process Action: The following text is shown in support of the narration: Mission Analysis Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment (JIPOE) is initiated; JFCs mission and guidance analyzed Situation and Course of Action Development JIPOE refined; Friendly and adversary COGs are analyzed to assist in COA preparation Course of Action Analysis Advantages and disadvantages of each COA are identified Course of Action Comparison COAs are compared to predetermined criteria to identify best employment options Course of Action Selection Staff briefs recommended COA to JFACC Joint Air Space Operations Plan (JAOP) Development Selected COA developed into JAOP Action: A link to Joint Publication 3-30 is provided at the bottom of the page. Each of the bold text above are linked to the following pop-up text: Mission Analysis: Mission analysis is critical to ensure thorough understanding of the task and subsequent planning. It results in the Joint Force Air Component Commanders (JFACCs) mission statement that includes the who, what, when, where and why for the joint air operation. Anticipation, prior preparation, and a trained staff are critical to a timely mission analysis. Staff estimates generated during mission analysis are continually revisited and updated during the course of planning and execution. Situation and Course of Action (COA) Development The first two tasks of situation and course of action (COA) development are expanding and refining the initial JIPOE completed in Phase I and COG analysis. Expanded JIPOE is essential to developing and analyzing both enemy and friendly COGs. This is especially critical for air and space planning given the perspective and scope of air and space operations. The third task is the development of friendly COAs. Air and space planners develop alternative COAs by varying the ends, ways, means, and risks. The operational objectives normally fill the what guidance for COA development; the supporting tactical objectives, effects, and tasks help define the how for planners. Once planners define the objectives and supporting effects, they further refine potential air and space COAs based on the priority, sequence, phasing, weight of effort, matched resources, and assessment criteria. The result of COA development is a minimum of two valid COAs or a single valid COA with significant branches or s equels. The final step is a risk analysis of the COA in terms of both operations and combat support Course of Action (COA) Analysis COA analysis involves wargaming each COA against the adversarys most likely and most dangerous COAs. Wargaming is a recorded what if session of actions and reactions designed to visualize the flow of the battle and evaluate each friendly COA. Wargaming is a valuable step in the estimate process because it stimulates ideas and provides insights that might not otherwise be discovered. Course of Action (COA) Comparison Comparing the COAs against predetermined criteria provides an analytical method to identify the best employment options for air forces/capabilities. This begins with the JFACC staff comparing the proposed COAs and identifying the strengths, weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages of each. This is often followed by rating each COA based upon the established criteria. Course of Action (COA) Selection COA selection begins when the staff presents their recommended COA (usually in the form of a briefing) to the JFACC. This briefing includes a summary of the estimate process that led to the recommended COA. Based on the amount of JFACC involvement throughout the planning process and the degree of parallel planning the commander accomplishes, COA selection will vary from choosing among alternatives to direct approval of the staff-recommended COA. Joint Air Operations Plan (JAOP) Development The JAOP details how the joint air effort will support the JFCs overall Operation Plan (OPLAN). The JAOP accomplishes the following: integrates the efforts of joint air and space capabilities and forces; identifies objectives and tasks; identifies measures or indicators of success; accounts for current and potential adversary COAs; synchronizes the phasing of air and space operations with the JFCs plan; indicates what air and space capabilities and forces are required to achieve the objectives. Voice: While the phases of the Joint Air Estimate process are presented in sequential order, work on them can be either concurrent or sequential. The phases are integrated and the products of each phase are checked and verified for coherence. The Process begins with Mission Analysis. This first phase incorporates: an initial Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment (JIPOE); an analysis of the higher headquarters mission; and the guidance provided by the JFC with a focus upon determining the specified, implied, and essential tasks in order to develop a concise mission statement. During the second phase, Situation and COA Development, the JIPOE is refined and the identification and refinement of friendly and enemy Centers of Gravity (COGs) is accomplished. Potential friendly COAs are developed and risk analysis of the COAs is performed. The advantages and disadvantages of each COA are identified in the third phase, COA Analysis. The fourth phase, COA Comparison, involves the comparison of the COAs against predetermined criteria, providing an analytical method to identify the best employment options. During the fifth phase, COA Selection, the staff presents the recommended COA usually in the f

jennie Finch Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"You play like a girl!† used to be one of baseball’s classic insults. Not anymore. Softball diva Jennie Finch has made it cool to not only throw like a girl, but to run, field and hit like one, too. Not since Babe Ruth has a player dominated so completely from the pitching rubber and the batter’s box, and she even gives the Bambino a run for his money in the charisma department. Jennie has also accomplished something Ruth never could: She is showing the boys it’s okay to be one of the girls. This is her story†¦ GROWING UP Jennie Finch was born on September 3, 1980, in La Mirada, California. Jennie’s parents, Doug and Bev, already had two boys, Shane and Landon. Both loved baseball and played competitively, but it wasn’t until Jennie took up the game that the family really got serious about it. La Mirada offered organized ball on a year-round basis. Jennie joined her first league, L’il Miss T-Ball, after her fifth birthday. She was one of those kids who excelled at a number of sports, but her greatest love was always for baseball. Bev and Doug soon began channeling this passion almost exclusively into girls’ softball. Their daughter had good hand-eye coordination and excellent speed. But it was her arm that opened the most eyes. During winter vacation in Iowa one year, she celebrated her first snowfall by packing a snowball and literally heaving it out of sight. Jennie’s hometown was also close to Dodger Stadium, where the Finches had season tickets on the third-base line. Bev, the baseball nut in the family, listened to Vin Scully on a pair of headphones while she took in the action. As soon as Jennie was old enough, she began accompanying her mom to Chavez Ravine, bleeding Dodger blue and rooting for heroes like Kirk Gibson, whose dramatic homer sparked LA to a World Series title a few weeks after Jennie’s eighth birthday. Doug did whatever he could to accelerate his daughter’s progress. He constructed a batting cage in the backyard, and hired a fast-pitch instructor for Jennie. Later, he transformed a small trampoline into a pitch-back she could use on evenings when he worked late. As Jennie improved, her dad immersed himself in softball and became her personal coach. By the time she turned nine, she was playing for a 10-and-under traveling all-star team. Every weekend was spent at a different diamond somewhere in suburban Southern California. ... ...itter, smart baserunner and, of course, an overpowering pitcher. Her instincts are remarkable, too. Her mom and dad can share some of the credit for Jennie’s talent. Doug helped her develop many of her skills, while Bev passed along her feel for the game. Jennie’s work ethic and competitive fire are all hers. As a pitcher, Jennie has few peers. She has five pitches—rise-ball, curveball, screwball, drop-ball and changeup—and can throw all with great control. Jennie regularly hits 70 mph on the radar gun, which from 46 feet is comparable to a Nolan Ryan fastball—with a lot more movement. One the keys to her success is the ability to deliver her changeup with the same arm speed as her hard stuff. Intimidation is another weapon. Some hitters (including a few big leaguers) are actually scared to stand in the batter’s box against her. Despite all of her individual press clippings, Jennie has always been a loyal, team-first player. Winning is her only concern on the field and in the dugout, and those she plays with respect her immensely. They also genuinely like her. Jennie can be a talk-it-up leader or a quiet foot soldier who does her job. Her record as a winner speaks for itself.

Fractals and the Cantor Set :: Fractal Cantor Essays

Fractals and the Cantor Set Fractals are remarkable designs noted for their infinite self-similarity. This means that small parts of the fractal contain all of the information of the entire fractal, no matter how small the viewing window on the fractal is. This contrasts for example, with most functions, which tend to look like straight lines when examined closely. The Cantor Set is an intriguing example of a fractal. The Cantor set is formed by removing the middle third of a line segment. Then the middle third of the new line segments are removed. This is repeated an infinite number of times. In the end, we are left with a set of scattered points. These points have some very curious properties. First, there are an infinite number of them. In fact, there are so many points that no matter what list we create or what rule we apply, not all of the points will appear, even if our list is infinite. In other words, the set belongs to aleph-one. This is demonstrated through diagonalization. Here’s how—first one endpoint of the original line segment is labeled zero. The other endpoint becomes one. All the points in between are assigned fractional values. We can calculate more easily if we assign the values in tertiary, the base-three system. Unlike the common decimal system, the natural numbers are labeled 1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 20, 21, 22, 100, and so forth. Notice that the places of the digits represent the powers of three rather than the powers of ten. The â€Å"decimal places† represent 1/3, 1/9, 1/27, and so forth. The first removal takes out all points between .1 and .2. The second removal takes out all points between .01 and .02 as well as the values from .21 and .22. By continuing these specifications, all numbers that contain a â€Å"1† are removed, (except numbers ending in a one, such as .220021) and number containing merely twos and zeros are kept. The numbers ending in 1 are re-written by replacing the final 1 with 02222222222222†¦. because this is equal to 1 in tertiary. Suppose that we could somehow count all Cantor Set elements in one list. Then we could write out that list in order, one above the other. However, if we took the first decimal of the

Who was the Real Monster? Frankenstein

The monster rose from the table. He stared at the creature whom he had created, then ran away in terror. He ran away because the monster looked nothing like anything he had ever seen before; it was monstrous and utterly terrifying. He thought it would harm him as monsters are commonly portrayed to do. What would any human do in a situation like that? Prejudice is not an emotion in itself; it is an offshoot of fear. He feared the monster, which is why he acted out of prejudice and judged the monster simply based on its appearance. Prejudice is an opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge based often on physical appearance.In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, readers often ask who the real monster is. Is it the monster himself for looking like a monster and killing many innocent people? Or is it Victor for creating such a terrible monster? The answer is neither. When examined closely, it becomes clear that the real monster in Mary Shelley’s novel is prejudice. Becau se of prejudice, Victor is scared of his own creation and disowns the monster. Because of prejudice, everybody is scared of the monster and never even gives him a chance to get to know them simply because of the way he looks. Because of prejudice, the monster kills his first victim.The prejudice against the monster is so great that it even convinces the monster himself that he is a monster and is not worthy of life. There are no characters in Frankenstein that are truly monsters; the only real monster is the prejudice instilled in these characters who do bad things. Victor Frankenstein created the monster with good intentions. In fact, he â€Å"had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation. . . † (Shelley 43). When the monster awoke, Victor feared his own creation. Victor prejudges his creation because he fears what it is capable of and runs away.Victor expresses his fear of his creation when he says, â€Å". . . but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dr eam vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room†¦ † (Shelley 43). Victor thought that the monster would be beautiful and amazing, but upon seeing that the monster did not turn out the way he had expected it to, Victor becomes scared and acts out of prejudice, leaving the room. After Victor leaves the room and retreats to his bed chamber, he awakes from his sleep and beholds the monster.Victor automatically becomes frightened and flees the room, thinking that the monster would harm him. Remember, prejudice is an opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge based often on physical appearance. Victor’s prejudice is evident when he says: I beheld the wretch- the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkle d his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seeming to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs (Shelley 44).Simply the words that Victor uses to describe the monster, whom he does not even know, are terrible! Victor calls the monster â€Å"wretch† and calls his mouth â€Å"jaws† as if the monster is some type of animal. The monster even tries to speak to Victor, but Victor does not listen to what the monster has to say because Victor becomes scared of the monster based only on the way he looks. This is a clear example of prejudice. The monster reaches out an arm and, unknowing of what the monster will even do, Victor assumes that the monster is trying to â€Å"detain† him, but he â€Å"escaped and rushed downstairs†.Certainly, Victor’s behaviour is not commendable; however, his actions are a result of his prejudice alone. Not only does Victor prejudge the monster only based on the way he looks, everybo dy the monster meets prejudges him and is scared of him. In the monsters first encounter with a man, the man â€Å"turned on hearing a noise, and perceiving [the monster], he shrieked loudly, and quitting the hut, ran across the fields with a speed of which his debilitated form hardly appeared capable† (Shelley 93).The man sees the monster and, without saying a word, automatically pre judges the monster to be dangerous based only on the way he looks then â€Å"[runs] across the fields with a speed of which his debilitated form hardly appear[s] capable†. The man did not appear to be a bad man. In fact, his breakfast â€Å"consisted of bread, cheese, milk. . . † (Shelley 93) just like any other normal man. This man is not a monster for treating the monster poorly, it is clearly the prejudice instilled in him when he is overcome by fear that makes him run away from the monster.Upon the monsters second encounter with a human, he enters a house and sees a family who also prejudges him based only on the way he looks. The monster â€Å"had hardly placed [his] foot within the door before the children shrieked, and one of the women fainted† (Shelley 94). The people do not even give the monster a chance to speak. They do not even have the slightest clue what his personality is like. But, they prejudge him and automatically assume that he is a harmful person based only on the way he looks.Some of the villagers even â€Å"attacked [the monster], until, grievously bruised by stones and many other kinds of missile weapons, [the monster] escaped to the open country. . . † (Shelley 94). Certainly, the people of the village do seem like monsters, attacking the monster and hitting him with stones. But, the villagers are not the true monsters. They are simply scared for the lives of their families, so they act out of prejudice and without even giving the monster a chance to present himself, they chase him away unwilling to give him a chance bec ause they do not trust somebody who is so horrific looking.It is clear here that it is solely the prejudice in them and nothing else that makes them drive the monster out of the village. Upon his third encounter with humans, the monster is living in a hovel that is joined to a cottage. Through a hole the monster sees the inside of the cottage and learns about the family that consisted of: a blind father, an unhappy son, and a sweet innocent daughter. The monster becomes attached to the family and â€Å"when they were unhappy, [the monster] felt depressed; when they rejoiced, [the monster] sympathized in their joys† (Shelley 100).The monster does everything he can to help the family out while remaining hidden. In fact â€Å"[the monster] often took [the son’s] tools, the use of which [the monster] quickly discovered, and brought home firing sufficient for the consumption of several days† (Shelley 99). The family was very happy about this, and â€Å"when [the dau ghter] opened the door in the morning, appeared greatly astonished on seeing a great pile of wood on the outside† (Shelley 99). Had the family found out that it had been some ordinary man helping them out, they would have thanked him and greeted him with joy.But, when the family saw the monster, â€Å"Agatha fainted, and Safie, unable to attend to her friend, rushed out of the cottage. Felix darted forward and with supernatural force tore [the monster] from his father. . . † (Shelley 123). It is clearly evident here that prejudice is the real monster in Frankenstein. The old man is blind, and upon meeting the monster he does not run away, or faint, or attack the monster. The old man greets the monster and treats him just as he would treat anyone else. Remember, prejudice is an opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge based on appearance.The old man is blind so he could not prejudge based on the monster’s appearance however, Agatha, Safie, and Felix all see the monster and prejudge him based on his appearance alone; thus acting out of prejudice. The old man could not prejudge, which is why he did not treat the monster poorly. Again, it is clearly evident here that the people are not truly monsters; it is the prejudice in them that makes them behave badly. Throughout the novel, the monster is treated poorly because of prejudice.Ironically, he also kills his first victim: William, because of prejudice. At first sight, the monster says that William was â€Å"a beautiful child, who came running into the recess [the monster] had chosen, with all sportiveness of infancy† (Shelley 131). However, upon hearing that the child’s â€Å"papa is a syndic- he is M. Frankenstein. . . † (Shelley 131), the monster â€Å"grasped [William’s] throat to silence him, and in a moment he lay dead at [the monster’s] feet† (Shelley 131). This clearly shows the monster’s actions are a result of his prejudice toward s his creator.Because he finds out that the William’s father is M. Frankenstein, he prejudges William to be just like Victor Frankenstein- the monster’s creator, and takes William’s innocent life. The prejudice against the monster is so great, that it convinces even the monster himself, that he is a monster! The monster’s creator, Victor, is prejudice towards him. The family the monster loves and cares for greatly is also prejudice towards him. Every single human other than the blind man who could not be prejudice, is prejudice towards the monster!Even a pure innocent child like William is prejudice towards the monster! It is absolutely clear through all of these examples, that prejudice is the real monster in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. Prejudice is still evident in today’s world, with major issues such as racism, as well as events in the past such as the Holocaust. In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley warns readers about prejudic e, and it is important that people are not prejudice in their lives today so that all tragedy can be avoided.