Naval Postgraduate School
Calhoun, Institutional Archive of the Naval Postgraduate SchoolNot a member yet
71232 research outputs found
Sort by
FROM CRAWL TO WALK: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO SELF-PACED, HANDS-ON, LABTAINERS-BASED CYBER OFFENSE AND RED TEAMING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Get PDFMilitary organizations conducting cyber operations often need to train recruits who lack the necessary knowledge to perform their jobs. Traditional training is costly and requires personnel to leave their duties for courses that may not suit the organization’s needs. To address this challenge, we developed Crawl to Walk (C2W), a free, modular, and self-contained cyber educational framework. C2W includes topics derived from 1) relevant knowledge, skills, abilities, and tasks (KSATs) in the Department of Defense Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF), 2) attack methods from the MITRE ATT&CK knowledge base, 3) penetration testing best practices, and 4) Labtainers—an open-source framework that provides cybersecurity exercises. The objective is to educate inexperienced military personnel in foundational cybersecurity concepts using real-world scenarios through a sequence of lessons designed for incremental learning with minimal instructor interaction. We implemented two labs and piloted them in an introductory cybersecurity course with resident and distance-learning students. Instructor and student feedback indicated C2W helped students achieve intended learning outcomes and could enhance staff qualifications without requiring full duty release. To support dissemination and usability, we designed a Web-based distribution system and built a proof-of-concept prototype.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Capitão de Corveta, Brazilian Nav
ARE THE NAVY'S TOP MEDICAL CORPS PHYSICIANS LEAVING?
No full textThe Navy struggles to retain physicians as the private sector offers higher salaries, better work-life balance, and fewer administrative burdens. Losing trained military physicians increases costs and disrupts operational readiness. Despite incentives like the Multiyear Retention Bonus, many still choose to separate. This thesis examines empirically how physician productivity is related to retention in the Navy Medical Corps using productivity data from the DHA Productivity and Leakage Database and personnel data from BUMED. I estimate linear probability models to assess how work Relative Value Units, patient encounters, years of service, and accession method are associated with separation from service. Higher productivity correlates with increased separation, particularly between eight and 12 years of service, when service obligations typically end. AFHPSP graduates leave at higher rates than USUHS graduates, and retention is not significantly different across sexes when adjusting for productivity and years of service. The Navy and the DHA should reassess workload expectations, explore performance-based compensation, and expand non-monetary incentives such as administrative support and homesteading options as means of increasing retention of the most productive physicians. Future research should include physician interviews and cost-benefit analyses of accession methods to improve retention strategies.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Lieutenant, United States Nav
STUDY ON JUNIPER SMART SESSION ROUTER NETWORK TRAFFIC CHARACTERIZATION UTILIZING MACHINE LEARNING
Get PDFVirtual Private Networks (VPNs) provide secure communications through encryption and encapsulation mechanisms. Traditional VPNs, such as WireGuard, establish secure tunnels but rely on a stateless per-packet forwarding approach that lacks awareness of session continuity. Juniper Networks' Smart Session Router (SSR) introduces Session Vector Routing (SVR) as an alternative to conventional VPN routing. SVR ensures that bidirectional communication within a session follows the same path, improving network efficiency by reducing retransmissions, lowering overhead, and optimizing bandwidth. This study aims to investigate the classification of network traffic across both the SVR and a conventional VPN architecture and identify the optimal machine learning (ML) models and parameters for encrypted traffic protocol and payload classification. To achieve this classification, we will collect a novel dataset by establishing both SVR and VPN connections in a lab setting, generating network traffic across both network architectures, and capturing packet data flows via packet analysis tools. The captured traffic will be analyzed to determine its classification feasibility based on application-level protocols and payload flow characteristics. Several ML models will be trained and evaluated to identify the most effective methods for traffic classification and the features that most contribute to each model.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Lieutenant Commander, United States Nav
A FRAMEWORK FOR PERSONALIZED LEARNING PATHS IN CALCULUS: A NETWORK SCIENCE APPROACH
No full textReturning students—those with undergraduate degrees who return to graduate school after a break from academia for five years or more—bring vast real-world experience to graduate degree programs but often have different needs than direct-pathway students—those who proceed from undergraduate programs directly into graduate school. This research creates a framework to develop personalized learning paths (PLPs) to support returning students reviewing calculus by modeling a Network of Knowledge based on the textbook Calculus by Frank Morgan. We implement the framework using two algorithms to produce PLPs unique to each returning student based on available time, prerequisite knowledge, and importance of topics. The framework can be extended to other textbooks, and the application can assist both a student attempting to self-study as well as an educator looking to develop or revise the curriculum for a review course. This approach can be further applied to the broader field of emerging adaptive learning technologies in other disciplines.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Captain, United States Arm
FROM HIRE TO RETIRE: ENSURING MENTAL WELLNESS FOR GEN Z OFFICERS
Get PDFLaw enforcement agencies face increasing challenges in supporting officer mental health as Generation Z (Gen Z) enters the workforce. This study investigates how agencies can design improved proactive mental health programs tailored to Gen Z personnel. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combined a literature review with survey data from 133 law enforcement officers, including 58 Gen Z respondents. Traditional reactive approaches and Employee Assistance Programs show low utilization rates. However, proactive wellness initiatives incorporating evidence-based practices like cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness show promising results in building officer resilience. Wellness should be addressed holistically, including social support, fitness, nutrition, sleep, finances, and substance abuse prevention. Survey findings reveal that Gen Z officers show greater openness to mental health support (41% vs. 32% for other generations). They prefer traditional in-person counseling (61%) over technological solutions and face heightened concerns about professional stigma. Successful programs must incorporate early intervention strategies and balance traditional support with innovative delivery approaches. They must also maintain strong confidentiality protections while addressing cultural barriers to help-seeking behavior. These findings provide a framework for developing comprehensive mental health support systems that address emerging challenges in law enforcement wellness.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Civilian, Seminole County Sheriff's Offic
ASSESSMENT OF THE NAVY SECURITY FORCES THROUGH EVALUATION OF RECENT DATA TRENDS
No full textThis thesis examines civilian police officers and enlisted Master at Arms (MA) in the Navy Security Forces (NSF). Data is compiled through Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) records from 2017–2024 for police officers and 2001–2024 for MA personnel. The research identifies several patterns in the NSF police force, including high turnover rates with new hires comprising up to 22% of the force annually. Research also shows that comparing 2024 to 2017, the NSF police force is 15% less experienced, 7% younger, and its share of police officers with prior military service is 26% less. Most notably, the study exposes a substantial pay disparity between NSF police officers and other police officers. Law enforcement officers nationally earn approximately 33% more than NSF officers. This gap is even more profound in states where NSF personnel are predominantly stationed. Officers in California, Florida, and Hawaii earn 76%, 58%, and 55% more respectively than NSF officers. This disparity is particularly problematic considering NSF officers are commonly stationed in expensive coastal areas in these states. The thesis also tracks changes within the MA force, growing by 418% between 2001 and 2005 before reaching a nearly constant size. Significant findings in the MA community include a force that is pursuing college more often, the proportion of females increasing from less than 15% to almost 25%, and the average age dropping about five years when comparing pre- and post-9/11 data.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Lieutenant, United States NavyNPS Naval Research ProgramThis project was funded in part by the NPS Naval Research Program
ENHANCING COMPETITION IN NAVSEA PROCUREMENT: STRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING SOLE-SOURCE CONTRACTING CHALLENGES
No full textThe Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) executes over 60,000 contracting actions annually, yet a significant portion remains non-competitive. This research addresses the growing reliance on sole source contracting within NAVSEA’s Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion, and Repair (SUPSHIP) units, particularly in Groton, CT, and Newport News, VA. Using a mixed-methods design grounded in Resource Dependency Theory, the study combines quantitative spend analysis of fiscal years 2020–2023 with qualitative assessments of procurement practices and policy limitations. Findings reveal that over 40% of contract awards were sole source, often due to technical data restrictions, limited supplier bases, and structural procurement barriers. These conditions increase cost, reduce innovation, and pose risks to supply chain resilience. The research recommends strategies to enhance competition, including expanding access to technical data, fostering small business participation, and utilizing alternative acquisition contracting strategies like leader company contracting. These recommendations support NAVSEA’s goals of increasing procurement efficiency and resilience while aligning with DoD mandates for competition and industrial base modernization.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Lieutenant Commander, United States NavyLieutenant Commander, United States NavyLieutenant Commander, United States Nav
Anchor System, Method and Mechanism for an Underwater Vehicle
No full textDisclosed is a method and system to provide a Resetting Anchor/ Antenna Tether Mechanism (RAATM) to provide, according to an exemplary embodiment, dual anchoring and antenna capabilities to autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The RAATM is resettable; an AUV can anchor at one location for a period of time, retrieve the anchor, move to a new location, and redeploy the anchor. Furthermore, the RAATM tether may also be used as an antenna for radio communications while deployed; this may allow smaller AUVs to accomplish missions that would otherwise require larger AUVs with dedicated antennas
Faces of NPS: Mark Karpenko, PhD
Get PDFFaces of NPS features Interviews spotlighting the students, faculty, staff and alumni of our Nation’s premier defense education and research institution