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DEFINING TERRORISM IN BRAZIL: THE LEGAL OMISSION OF POLITICAL MOTIVATION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
Get PDFThis thesis examines the exclusion of political motivation from Brazil’s legal definition of terrorism, as codified in Law 13,260/2016. While global definitions widely recognize political violence as a core element, Brazil’s legal system omits it. This study investigates the historical, legal, and legislative factors behind this omission, particularly the military dictatorship’s enduring impact. Under the pretext of safeguarding national security, the regime labeled political opposition as terrorism to justify repression, fostering legal and societal caution against limitations on civil and social liberties. Through an analysis of legislative debates and case studies—including the 2022 Brasília Airport bombing, the January 8, 2023, government building attacks, and the 2024 Supreme Court bombing—this research demonstrates how this exclusion has led to the misclassification of politically motivated violence as ordinary crimes. This misalignment with international standards weakens legal deterrence, reduces prosecutorial effectiveness, and creates vulnerabilities for democratic institutions. While intended to protect civil liberties and prevent state overreach, this study argues that the omission now undermines Brazil’s ability to address emerging threats of political extremism. The thesis concludes by recommending legislative reforms that align Brazil’s counterterrorism framework with global standards while preserving constitutional protections for political expression.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Commissioner, Brazilian Federal Polic
AN ANALYSIS OF THE ATTRITION FACTORS OF U.S. MILITARY PHYSICAL THERAPISTS
Get PDFThis thesis explores the factors associated with attrition of U.S. active-duty physical therapists within the Army, Air Force and Navy. The civilian healthcare market has seen a decrease in physical therapists while the demand for physical therapy services is expected to increase. Given that physical therapy resources for injury prevention and proper rehabilitation is crucial to force readiness, civilian healthcare challenges warrant exploratory research of retention in military physical therapists to document baseline trends and identify influencing factors of separation. Demographic and service characteristics of active-duty physical therapists from January 2016 to April 2023 were used to conduct regression and survival analyses for physical therapists in the Army, Air Force and Navy. Over the 7 year period, 18 percent of the population separated from service. The highest attrition period was 3 to 7 years of service. Attrition also spiked from 15 to 16 years of service, specifically for the Air Force. This study recommends further research into job satisfaction and adaptation to military life for first term physical therapists. Additional analysis into the quality of life and job satisfaction for physical therapists nearing retirement is also recommended. In examining these critical periods of service, leadership will have valuable information to use in mitigating attrition challenges.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Lieutenant, United States Nav
MARITIME DOMAIN AWARENESS IN THE PHILIPPINES: THE NEED TO IMPROVE GOVERNANCE AND CAPABILITIES
Get PDFThis thesis examines the challenges to Philippine maritime domain awareness (MDA) due to ineffective intelligence fusion and limited information-sharing among agencies and international partners. Through comparative analysis of MDA frameworks in the United States, Australia, and Japan, the research identifies critical gaps in Philippine maritime security. Two major findings emerge: First, governance deficiencies in the National Maritime Center, including limited command authority and lack of standardized protocols, impede effective intelligence fusion. Second, financial constraints, evidenced by defense spending of only 0.896 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), result in outdated surveillance systems and unreliable analytical capabilities. The research recommends updating the National Maritime Security Strategy to establish clear command authorities and standardized intelligence-sharing protocols. It also proposes leveraging international partnerships through strategic allocation of Foreign Military Financing packages, expanding joint naval patrols, and developing a professional maritime intelligence corps. These recommendations provide a roadmap for enhancing Philippine MDA capabilities while addressing resource limitations through international cooperation.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Colonel, Philippine Arm
THE RECOGNIZED INFORMATION PICTURE FOR DISTRIBUTED MARITIME OPERATIONS
No full textThe Chief of Naval Operations Navigation Plan identifies five key capabilities of long-range fires; non-traditional sea denial; counter- command, control, computers, communications, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting (C5ISRT); terminal defense, and contested logistics. Fundamental to these capabilities are the information warfighting (IW) capabilities that give rise to the recognized information picture (RIP), to include the electromagnetic spectrum, space awareness, command and control, intelligence, and the tactical integration of IW into maritime operations. This thesis asks what the RIP is for naval tactical application. To accomplish this at the unclassified level, research synthesis methodology is applied and scoped to official authoritative government information. This coalesced into the integration of two hundred sources of authoritative government information creating a primer to understand U.S. defense knowledge systems, explaining military operating concepts and naval force structures, and describing maritime tactical pictures for air, surface/subsurface and an information picture that informs planning, improves decision-making, positions assets/sensors, expands awareness, and disrupts adversary technical capabilities. The resulting product can be used as a framework for Navy junior officer training and a reference for the intelligence community to improve awareness in support of naval operations.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Outstanding ThesisLieutenant, United States Nav
REGIONAL AUTONOMY AND ETHNIC CONFLICT: EXPLAINING THE DECLINE OF ABU SAYYAF IN THE PHILIPPINES
Get PDFThis thesis investigates how the 2019 establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) contributed to the decline of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). It hypothesizes that, unlike the preceding Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) from 1990 to 2019, BARMM effectively addressed core grievances that fueled ASG recruitment, combined military pressure with reintegration efforts, and shifted local political dynamics against the group. The study employs a qualitative comparative analysis of ASG activities, governance structures, and counterterrorism strategies during the ARMM and BARMM eras. Findings indicate that BARMM’s enhanced autonomy provided stronger governance, economic development, and reintegration programs, which undercut ASG’s appeal. Additionally, intelligence-driven military operations and local government initiatives, such as the Program Against Violent Extremism, facilitated ASG’s decline. By 2023, both Basilan and Sulu were declared ASG-free, marking a major milestone in Philippine counterterrorism efforts. The results suggest that a combined approach of political autonomy, military action, and local governance engagement can effectively weaken terrorist groups. The study recommends sustained governance improvements, economic investment, and continued counter-radicalization programs to prevent ASG’s resurgence and inform counterinsurgency strategies in similar conflict zones.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Major, Philippine Arm
POWER VIA TECHNOLOGY: THE IMPACT OF CHINA’S SMART CITY TECHNOLOGY IN BANGLADESH AND MALAYSIA
Get PDFThis thesis compares Chinese smart city technology in Bangladesh and Malaysia. It hypothesizes that regime type would influence why each state adopted this technology, and how it was used. It was theorized that the electoral democracy of Bangladesh was more susceptible to using technology for mass surveillance. The baseline for this theory is that the relative lack of democratic institutions to enforce checks and balances in Bangladesh would result in the abuse of authority. Alternatively, it was theorized that the democratic countries would have institutional checks on power and would be more likely to use China’s technology to improve the efficiency of city management to serve citizen interests. The main research finding is that the answer is not one-sided. There are both benefits and risks to adopting China’s technology. This thesis finds that adopting China’s technology includes the benefits of economic opportunities, infrastructure development, and encouraged technological competition. The thesis also finds that the risks of adoption include data privacy and surveillance concerns, cybersecurity risks, and countries may become susceptible to China’s authoritarian influence. This thesis research did not reveal evidence of mass surveillance in Bangladesh or Malaysia. However, Malaysia’s partnership with the U.S. revealed that China may be engaging in espionage via their digital network technology. This thesis does not explore the sources of the U.S.’s espionage claim.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Major, United States Air Forc
AN ONLINE OPTIMIZATION APPROACH FOR DYNAMIC FACILITY LOCATION AND RE-SUPPLY
No full textIn contested maritime environments, ensuring timely and efficient medical evacuation is critical for maintaining operational readiness and saving lives. Adversarial threats, resource constraints, and unpredictable casualty demands complicate the execution of these missions, requiring innovative approaches to logistics and routing. Building on previous models, we developed a dynamic optimization framework to strategically position evacuation resources and adapt to evolving operational conditions. Using simulation-based methods, our model identifies optimal locations for medical facilities and transport assets, balancing the competing objectives of maximizing patient pickups and minimizing resource consumption. To evaluate its effectiveness, we structured our analysis by comparing the framework’s performance against static configurations and explored the impact of a tuning parameter to adapt to different operational priorities. By addressing critical logistical challenges, our research advances decision-making tools for resource allocation and facility placement under uncertainty. This framework equips decision-makers with a flexible and effective solution for managing operations in contested and resource-constrained environments.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Lieutenant Commander, United States Nav
U.S. NAVY CYBERSECURITY NEEDS IMPROVEMENT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY BATTLEFIELD
Get PDFU.S. Navy professionals’ growing reliance on personal wireless devices introduces huge risks for cyber-attacks and signals intelligence (SIGINT) vulnerability exposure. Even though these devices provide better connectivity and improve user morale, they also present substantial operational security risks because they can expose sensitive data to enemy forces. This thesis explores personal device security threats on naval vessels by evaluating cyber exploitation dangers, electromagnetic signatures control (EMCON) exposure, and insufficient gaps in current cybersecurity training methods. This research uses the USS Sampson vessel alongside commercial wireless control (COMICON) policy deployment to analyze both successful and unsuccessful aspects of current security protocols. It reviews real-case incidents such as the Makiivka strike from the Russia-Ukraine conflict to identify comparable threats affecting U.S. Navy operations. Research into U.S. Navy cybersecurity training reveals that the Cyber Awareness Challenge 2025 and other existing programs lack sufficient capability to deal with personal gadget vulnerabilities. This paper proposes the implementation of a hybrid policy framework for risk reduction by expanding cyber security education programs and strengthening EMCON-compatible device rules, advance monitoring systems, and a cultural awareness campaign for personnel while balancing morale concerns to protect operational integrity against emerging cyber threats.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Lieutenant Commander, United States Nav
VITAL SYSTEMS: POLICY FRAMEWORKS FOR RAMPAGE VIOLENCE PREVENTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Get PDFRampage violence prevention in institutions of higher education (IHEs) is a critical yet underexplored aspect of campus safety. While reactive strategies dominate the conversation, proactive measures that address intent, motive, and escalating behaviors remain insufficiently defined. This thesis examines how IHEs can implement and sustain proactive rampage violence prevention strategies to address the root causes and pathways to violence. Utilizing a mixed-methods research design, this study reviewed current policies and initiatives from a sample of 25 IHEs across varying demographics, including public and private institutions, urban and rural campuses, and large and small student bodies. Select IHE policies were evaluated through a framework of four core components—threat assessment, community-based reporting, cultural climate, and mental health—focusing on their integration into systemic processes. This thesis finds that the absence of standardized policies, combined with inconsistent implementation and a lack of transparency, limits IHEs’ ability to prevent rampage violence. It recognizes the need for national standards, data-sharing mechanisms, and comprehensive policy frameworks that align cultural and institutional needs. By prioritizing systemic clarity, transparency, and community engagement, IHEs can move toward creating safer campuses while contributing to broader discussions on violence prevention strategies.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Civilian, Metropolitan Police Departmen
MEASURING INTERNAL FLOW PATTERNS OF A TRANSONIC COMPRESSOR
No full textThis research applied new instrumentation techniques in the flow conditioning passage of the Naval Postgraduate School Turbopropulsion Laboratory's Transonic Compressor Rig. Using particle tracking velocimetry, laser Doppler velocimetry, Kulite pressure probes, and temperature probes, data was gathered within the passage for the first time. The probe data allowed the analysis of flow behavior within the passage. This data was used to provide information on the mass flow recirculation rates from the flow control passage and the losses incurred within the passage. These realizations allowed for recommendations to future geometry changes to improve mass flow rate recovery and reduce losses, as well as enabled future comparisons with computational fluid dynamics studies for validity checking. The research also outlined a comprehensive approach for using optical measurement techniques during future research. These methods of data collection provided data on the fluid flow behavior and detailed effects of passage geometry on flow losses and recovery rates. Their application will help streamline the implementation and analysis of the data gathered.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Lieutenant, United States Nav