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On the glorious late autumn afternoon of Oct. 25, 1848, Boston Mayor Josiah Quincy Jr. looked up from the text of his speech and surveyed the enormous crowd assembled around the Frog Pond on the Common. His listeners, including many visitors who came for the day from nearby towns, numbered in the tens of thousands. With coy courtesy, he asked "if it were their pleasure" to witness the arrival of the city's newest resource. The response was an overwhelming "Aye!"
At Quincy's signal, a valve slowly opened, releasing thousands of gallons of water from the city's waterworks, just constructed, into a splendid fountain in the pond. As a reporter breathlessly observed, after "a moment's pause...there was a gush of rusty-looking water, small and doubtful at first, then spreading, and gathering strength, then rising with beautiful gradations higher and higher, until it towered up a strong, magnificent column of at least seventy feet in height, flashing and foaming in the last crimson rays of the setting sun!" Spontaneous cheers accompanied the booming of cannons and the igniting of fireworks. People laughed and shouted, men threw their hats in the air, and some even broke out in tears.
As the crowd that day could perhaps already sense, this new project heralded a transformation in the city's life. The works brought what promised to be an unlimited supply of pure soft water to Boston, whose supply had become limited, brackish, and hard. It was by far the largest and most expensive infrastructure project in the community's proud 218-year history.
But in that moment Bostonians were also witnessing something else: the result of a long and profound debate about how their city should work, notably about who should take responsibility for meeting its basic needs. At the center of this debate was whether the new waterworks should be privately owned or belong to the public itself.
It is easy to see such a massive piece of hydraulic engineering—a complex system of bridges and tunnels, reservoirs and pipes—as a great technological feat. But infrastructure is also the expression of an idea about how we should live. And supporters of a publicly owned waterworks for Boston took a strong position in a key debate that is no less fraught today. We see this tension in current battles over taxes, health care, subsidies for certain industries, and so-called entitlement programs—behind which are deeply conflicting conceptions of the proper role of government and private enterprise in meeting our needs. What happened in Boston influenced what happened in the rest of the country, and the ways in which the debate unfolded reflected the fundamental beliefs, values, and aspirations of the city.
Nineteenth-century Boston was a place of prodigious growth. The population in 1848 had approximately doubled just since 1830, and its water supply was stretched. Most people drew water from their own or nearby private wells. About 1,400 mainly well-to-do residents purchased water from the Boston Aqueduct Co., which since 1795 had been piping water from Jamaica Pond to a limited portion of the city. The idea of building a comprehensive waterworks that served the entire expanding metropolis dated back at least to 1825. Over the next two decades the city commissioned multiple studies, but it put off taking action.
By the 1840s, the state of the water supply had reached a critical point. A survey found that while about half of Boston's houses had wells, almost none provided water soft enough to be used for washing, and a large number were effectively dry. Some households had to send someone several blocks to fetch enough water to live on; others carefully guarded their own supply. It was impossible to delay any longer without risking the city's future development.
Bostonians, who had a long tradition of open discussion of civic issues, engaged in a debate that had virtually no equivalent in any other American city. The key question, which came to a head in 1845, was whether to construct a publicly funded and operated works from Long Pond in Framingham and Natick, or to contract the job out to private entrepreneurs, the leading contender being a corporation that would bring water from Spot Pond in Stoneham.
It might seem natural today that a water supply is public. But it was anything but certain at the time. Other cities, including New Orleans, Buffalo, San Francisco, and Providence, all opted for private water systems in the same period. There was also the example of London, served by several private companies, and, closer to home, the Boston Aqueduct. Lucius Manlius Sargent, a key stockholder in that company, published a long series of letters in the Daily Evening Transcript charging that arguments for a public system victimized civic-minded entrepreneurs like him, who were committed to "the prosperity of this highly-favored city." Some Bostonians without such a direct financial interest opposed public ownership because they harbored a suspicion of political rulers that went back at least to the Revolution, and they shared Sargent's faith in capitalism and the free market. They feared taxes and worried about incompetence and dishonesty among public officials.
As critics noted, a project on the scale of an urban waterworks would certainly entail a huge expansion of governmental power, responsibility, and cost. The author of an anti-public-system pamphlet who called himself "Prudence" told readers that by hiring a private company, Bostonians "will avoid an everlasting pecuniary embarrassment" and "will happily escape the fiery ordeal of the tax gatherer." A public system, after all, would require borrowing money on an unprecedented scale, and it would be safer and easier to have private investors bear the financial risks and technical responsibilities of such a large and complex system
Supporters of the private option asserted that Boston and the nation had long and wisely entrusted their well-being to private enterprise, and that a private corporation could build a better system, and run it more effectively and efficiently, than could the government. "Prudence" contended that the owners of Spot Pond could do the work in half the time. In a letter to the editors of the Transcript, a person who signed himself "B" pointed to recently established railroads as evidence of the superiority of private corporations in getting large and essential projects done.
But from the outset many leading citizens insisted that the water system had to be public. In his inaugural address in 1826, Mayor Josiah Quincy Sr. asserted that Boston "ought to consent to no copartnership" in procuring water. A city was decidedly not a business, or at least not a typical one. "No private capitalists will engage in such an enterprise without a reasonable expectation of profit," he explained. They would pursue the cheapest water, the best customers, and the highest price, while a responsible city government would want the best water to be delivered to everyone at the lowest cost.
The most eloquent argument for public water came from Dr. Walter Channing, the first professor of obstetrics at Harvard Medical School, a founder of what would become the New England Journal of Medicine, and an outspoken advocate of many reform causes. The choice of public ownership and control of city water was to him a moral issue. Channing declared, "I see its necessity in the wide public want. I look for its accomplishment in a wise care for the public good, in generous purposes, in large and true policy."
The debate was bitter and intense. Partisans of both sides held spirited meetings in schools and churches throughout the city and rallied supporters in Faneuil Hall. Finally, on May 19, 1845, the matter of approving the charter of the public Long Pond system was put to a binding citywide referendum. A very narrow majority of voters refused to approve the proposal, leaving the problem of Boston's water supply unresolved. Some found the indecision embarrassing, worrying (as one observer put it) "that Boston, with all her proud aspirations for high character and consistency, of noble and judicious enterprise, is doomed, for a long period to come, to stand the laughing-stock, the disgraceful spectacle, of a lack of that public spirit which most other large cities manifest."
The partisans of public water rallied over the summer and fall of 1848. It helped that an official inspection of Spot Pond concluded that its contents were inadequate. In a new referendum the following spring, a revised proposal to build a public system from Long Pond carried the day by a majority of over 90 percent.
The works was indeed a technological marvel. It conveyed the crystalline contents of Long Pond, renamed Lake Cochituate, through a 14-mile aqueduct to a holding reservoir in Brookline (still tucked gracefully alongside Route 9) and thence to the insatiably thirsty and ambitious hub of New England. The uneven topography that the aqueduct negotiated demanded the construction of two bridges, over which the water was conveyed in inverted siphons, and two tunnels, dug by crews working around the clock.
The project was even costlier than its opponents had charged it would be—the $5.2 million price tag doubled the original estimate—and it would run at a deficit for many years, which had to be made up with higher taxes and fees, as well as additional borrowing. More than three-fourths of the city's net funded debt of $5 million in 1849 was due to the waterworks.
But few Bostonians voiced regrets. In its first calendar year of operation, the Cochituate works delivered an average of more than 10 million gallons a day to more than 12,000 customers, as well as over 900 hydrants. (Fighting fire was another major argument in favor of a new citywide system.) Shortly after the ceremonies on the Common, the Daily Evening Transcript observed, echoing Channing, "The value of such a blessing, freely dispensed throughout our city, is not to be calculated in dollars and cents; for it has relations inestimable with the moral and physical welfare of generations present and to come."
There is little question that the arrival of the water made Boston a healthier and more prosperous city, helping it grow to 250,000 by 1870 and more than twice that by the turn of the century. Per capita demand also jumped, so that by 1862 the Cochituate Water Board determined that the system required a major expansion. Delayed by the Civil War, the Chestnut Hill Reservoir was completed on Oct. 25, 1870, exactly 22 years after the celebration by the fountain on the Common. In the same year, the city took over the Mystic Lakes system when it annexed Charlestown. It completed an aqueduct to the Sudbury River in 1878 and added additional reservoirs, including Spot Pond.
With some exceptions, public ownership (backed by public borrowing) became the rule in major infrastructure projects, especially waterworks. The bigger the city, the more likely it was to have a public system. By 1897, 41 of the nation's 50 largest urban centers consumed public water. This also reflected the willingness of residents of cities to accept a bigger and bigger role and operating budget for governments and public agencies. Some of these agencies transcended municipal borders. Since 1895, Boston's water needs have been overseen by a series of regional authorities. Nowadays both Boston and many other Massachusetts cities and towns draw water from the titanic Quabbin Reservoir, about 80 miles to the west of the State House, whose capacity is over 400 billion gallons.
As we well know, the debates over what city services municipalities should outsource to private companies remain contentious today. Strapped for cash and without the same prospects for growth that Boston enjoyed in the 1840s, some local governments have put portions of the existing infrastructure up for sale. But throughout these debates, the original struggle over Boston's waterworks reminds us that what is at stake is never just this or that service or amenity, but what a city is, and what kind of urban future we want.
In 1630 Puritan leader John Winthrop famously advised the first Puritan settlers to keep in mind that as a new chosen people they were to be "as a city upon a hill," and that if they were to survive and prosper, each individual must look out for every other. Boston is sometimes criticized for having a chilly, pious attitude that seems to date back to those early Puritan times. But the response to the recent Marathon bombings provided reassuring testimony that another Puritan legacy also survives: The public spirit that Winthrop called for remains alive and well.
In this debate about municipal ownership and the ones that have played out since, the real question has never simply been one of practicality. What's at stake is the principles by which Boston has defined itself, and which endure at the heart of the city today.
Carl Smith is a professor at Northwestern University and author of "City Water, City Life: Water and the Infrastructure of Ideas in Urbanizing Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago."


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November 7, 2017 4:32PM ET
'Gossip Girl' Actor Ed Westwick Denies Raping Actress Kristina Cohen
Cohen claims she was napping at Westwick's house when she awoke to "his fingers entering my body"
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UPDATE: The Los Angeles Police Department have officially launched an investigation into allegations made by Cohen against Westwick after the actress filed a police report Wednesday.
Ed Westwick issued a statement via Instagram denying Cohen's accusations Tuesday. "I do not know this woman," the statement reads. "I have never forced myself in any manner, on any woman. I certainly have never committed rape."
ORIGINAL STORY: Gossip Girl actor Ed Westwick is the latest Hollywood player to be accused of sexual misconduct. Actress Kristina Cohen penned a lengthy Facebook post Monday detailing an incident three years ago in which Westwick allegedly sexually assaulted her.
"I was briefly dating a producer who was friends with the actor Ed Westwick," Cohen wrote. "It was this producer who brought me up to Ed's house where I met Ed for the first time. I wanted to leave when Ed suggested 'we should all fuck.' But the producer didn't want to make Ed feel awkward by leaving."
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Cohen recounted how Westwick apparently insisted that the couple stay for dinner, but Cohen, in an attempt to get out of the situation, said she was tired and wanted to leave. Westwick then offered up the guest bedroom for her to lie down for a bit, which she did.
The producer told her they would leave after 20 minutes.
"I was woken up abruptly by Ed on top of me, his fingers entering my body," the actress claimed. "I told him to stop, but he was strong. I fought him off as hard as I could but he grabbed my face in his hands, shaking me, telling me he wanted to fuck me. I was paralyzed, terrified. I couldn't speak, I could no longer move. He held me down and raped me."
In her Facebook post, Cohen admitted to feeling conflicted about the alleged incident, her emotions compounded by the fact that her mother was dying of cancer at the time, and she "didn't have the support system or time to process and deal with the aftermath of the rape."
Her then-boyfriend's reaction didn't help either. According to Cohen, the producer placed blame on her, telling her she was an "active participant," and that she couldn't tell anyone about what happened, or else "Ed will have people come after me, destroy me, and that I could forget about an acting career."
Cohen noted that she chose to come forward now because she wants to help others realize they are not alone in their suffering. "Just as the other women and men coming forward have helped me to realize the same," she wrote. "I hope that my stories and the stories of others help to reset and realign the toxic environments and power imbalances that have created these monsters."
Westwick has not yet publicly responded to the allegations. Rolling Stone has reached out to his representatives for comment.
In This Article: Gossip Girl,	sexual assault

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Hola amigos! Recently I swatched Essie's resort collection (here), and thought to use the colors for a small and easy tribal nil art design I had in mind. Mostly I like to browse online to find some inspiration. But this was more like an inspiration off on my head. (I hope I'm not the only one who does this).
For this design, I applied three thin coats of Essie's Resort Fling. This was super difficult to apply since the this specific polish was soo sheer and little difficult to apply. Either way I totally love this color!
Once the polish dried, using a small detailed nail art brush I drew the triangle below the cuticles; like a half moon. I used Essie Find Me An Oasis. I then added lines outside and inside of the triangles, using Essie's Under the Twilight. With the same nail art brush I added more line creating a tribal look.


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Dan Futterman
Family & Companions
Daniel Futterman
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Dan Futterman had an impressive run for a young actor, transitioning easily between stage, television and film for fifteen years before penning the Academy Award-nominated script for "Capote" (2005) and deciding to put his acting on hold. From his breakthrough role as the straight son of Robin Williams in "The Birdcage" (1996) to a popular recurring spot on "Judging Amy" (CBS, 1999-2005)...
Hello I Must Be Going (2012)
A Mighty Heart (2007)
Enough (2002)
Urbania (2000)
Thicker Than Blood (1998)
Fisher King, The (1991) -- (Movie Clip) I Do Believe In Fairies
Susan Floyd
Had two grandchildren.
Actor. Appeared together in "Breathing Room"; no longer together.
Anya Epstein
Surname was Gracen; highschool sweetheart; married c. 1982; divorced.
Screenwriter, producer. Married in September 2000.
Dan Futterman had an impressive run for a young actor, transitioning easily between stage, television and film for fifteen years before penning the Academy Award-nominated script for "Capote" (2005) and deciding to put his acting on hold. From his breakthrough role as the straight son of Robin Williams in "The Birdcage" (1996) to a popular recurring spot on "Judging Amy" (CBS, 1999-2005) to a stint in "Angels in America" on Broadway, Futterman always lent a sparkling intelligence and grounded presence to his work. After briefly returning from his foray into screenwriting, Futterman delivered a sterling performance in the emotionally-charged political drama "A Mighty Heart" (2007), playing slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, a role that helped propel an already accelerating career.
Futterman was born in Brooklyn, NY, on June 8, 1967 and raised in Westchester County. His father was a lawyer and his mother a psychoanalyst, which he later joked were the two things an actor needed most. He attended Columbia University and graduated in 1989 with a degree in English. Torn between graduate school and pursuing an acting career, Futterman finally caved to his creative urges and chose the latter. His career launched rather quickly in 1991 when he landed his first stage role a month-long run of "Club Soda" at the historic WPA Theater in New York City. He then made his first film appearance soon after, playing a punk kid who menaces Jeff Bridges in "The Fisher King." In a short span on time, Futterman's career was taking off.
After landing a significant role in "Big Girls Don't Cry...They Get Even" (1992), Futterman made a handful of television appearances, most notably as a West Point grad pitted against former classmates during the Civil War in "Class of '61" (ABC, 1993). He gave steadily impressive performances in independent films "Breathing Room" (1996), "Far Harbor " (1996), and "Shooting Fish" (1997) until he landed a high-profile gem in "The Birdcage," playing the straight son of the very gay Robin Williams. Futterman followed up with a pair of significant TV movie roles, co-starring opposite Mickey Rourke in "Thicker Than Blood" (TNT, 1998) and alongside Ron Eldard and Martin Donovan in the World War II drama "When Trumpets Fade" (HBO, 1998).
In 1999, Futterman made the leap to series television, co-starring as the writer brother of a jurist (Amy Brenneman) in the hit legal drama "Judging Amy" (he departed early during the 2001-2002 season). On the big screen, he delivered one of his best screen performances in the indie "Urbania" (2000), before making a rare misstep with the Jennifer Lopez thriller "Enough" (2002). He held down a recurring role as the boyfriend of a therapist (Kiele Sanchez) on the drama "Related" (WB, 2005-'06) before it was cancelled after its first season. While he had been building up an impressive resume in TV and film, Futterman continued performing on stage. He succeeded Joe Mantello in the role of Louis Ironside in "Angels in America" on Broadway in 1993, while also landing roles in the off-Broadway productions "A Fair Country" (1996) and "Dealer's Choice" (1997). In 2002, he appeared in "Further Than the Furthest Thing" at the Manhattan Theater Company.
But it was Futterman's writing that defined him as an artist. After reading Gerald Clarke's Capote, A Biography, Futterman was inspired to write a script about the events surrounding Truman Capote's creation of his most famous work, In Cold Blood. He handed the completed script to his childhood friend-turned-commercial director Bennett Miller, who immediately came onboard as producer and director. They enlisted a third old friend, Phillip Seymour Hoffman (who they'd met at theater camp as teenagers) to star as the famously flamboyant author. The result was "Capote," a stark and deeply moving tale of Capote's journey from cosmopolitan New York to rural Kansas in 1959 to investigate the grisly shotgun murders of an upstanding family by two low-life drifters. At the center of the story is Capote's strange, almost loving bond with one of the perpetrators, Perry Edward Smith (Clifton Collins, Jr.), which eventually led to the author's emotional breakdown and failure to ever complete another novel.
While the film was among the top of the year, earning numerous award nominations, it was Hoffman who received the lion's share of critical praise and accolades. Futterman did, however, earn an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay and awards from the Boston and Los Angeles Film Critics Associations. Meanwhile, Futterman returned to acting for "A Mighty Heart," but announced that it would be his final appearance before the cameras so he could pursue screenwriting full time. In the film, Futterman played Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped and beheaded in Pakistan in 2002, the video of which was spread across the Internet and seen by millions all over the world. The film was based on the book by Pearl's widow (Angelina Jolie) and followed her journey to find answers for her husband's disappearance. It was an overwhelming critical pick and a high note on which to gracefully bow out of the spotlight. Futterman's retirement from acting was short-lived, as he next appeared in a supporting role on the satiric drama "Political Animals" (Showtime 2012), followed by another supporting role in the political drama "Kill the Messenger" (2014). As a writer, Futterman next worked on "Gracepoint" (Fox 2014), a tepidly-received American adaptation of the British police procedural "Broadchurch" (BBC 2013- ). He followed this with the screenplay for "Foxcatcher" (2014), director Bennett Miller's acclaimed fact-based drama about the eccentric millionaire John E. du Pont and his sponsorship of the U.S. Men's Olympic Wrestling team.
When Trumpets Fade (1998)
Despin
Shooting Fish (1997)
Rufus Wild
The Birdcage (1996)
Breathing Room (1996)
Far Harbor (1996)
Class of '61 (1993)
Passed Away (1992)
Big Girls Don't Cry...They Get Even (1991)
Daughters of Privilege (1991)
The Fisher King (1991)
Writer (Feature Film)
Foxcatcher (2014)
Cast (Special)
Tracey Ullman Takes on New York (1993)
Stage acting debut in the Off-Broadway production "Club Soda"
TV-movie debut in "Daughter of Privilege" (NBC)
Film debut in small role in "The Fisher King"
Co-starred in the film "Big Girls Don't Cry...They Get Even"
Replaced Joe Mantello in the role of Louis Ironside in the two-part Broadway production "Angels in America"
Had first substantive TV role in the ABC movie "Class of '61"
Breakthrough screen role as Robin Williams' son in "The Birdcage", directed by Mike Nichols
Played featured role in the Off-Broadway production "A Fair Country" by Jon Robin Baitz
Had featured role in the Off-Broadway play "Dealer's Choice"
Starred alongside Stuart Towsend and Kate Beckinsale in the British caper comedy "Shooting Fish"
Appeared in the telefilms "Thicker Than Blood" (TNT) and "When Trumpets Fade" (HBO)
Appeared as the brother of the main character in the CBS drama series "Judging Amy"; left series early in the 2001-2002 season
Had leading role in independent film "Urbania"
Cast as Karen's cousin Barry, a 35-year-old man who realizes he's gay, on the NBC sit-com "Will & Grace"
Returned to the NYC stage in "Further Than the Furthest Thing" at the Manhattan Theater Company
Feature producing and screenwriting debut with "Capote" starring Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote; earned an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay
Portrayed Wall Street Journal reporter, Daniel Pearl in "A Mighty Heart," who was kidnapped and killed in 2002 while reporting in Pakistan
Movie Clip
Fisher King, The (1991) -- (Movie Clip) I Do Believe In Fairies Depressed former radio shock jock Jack (Jeff Bridges), thinking about throwing himself from the Manhattan Bridge, is attacked by thugs (Jayce Bartok, Dan Futterman), then rescued by profane Parry (Robin Williams, his first scene) and his homeless band, in Terry Gilliam's The Fisher King, 1991.
Sylvie Epstein Futterman
Had three; survived him.


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Improving Maritime Domain Awareness Using Neural Networks for Target of Interest Classification
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From the thesis abstract: "Techniques for classifying maritime domain targets-of-interest within images are explored in this thesis. Geometric and photometric features within each image are extracted from processed images and are used to train a neural network. The trained neural network is tested with features of a known object. In the binary classification case, the neural network is used to determine whether a ship is present or not present in the image. In the multi-class and multi-level classification cases, the neural network is used to determine if the object belongs to one of four classes specified: warship, cargo ship, small boat, or other. The Hough transformation is used to identify and characterize linear patterns exhibited by objects in images. As an alternative to geometric and photometric features to classify targets-of-interest, these linear patterns are used to train a neural network. The performance of the neural network is then tested for binary, multi-class, and multi-level classification schemes. The development of neural-network-based techniques for automated target-of-interest classification is a significant result of this thesis."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Schaus, Brian M.
Information Exchange Architecture for Integrating Unmanned Vehicles into Maritime Missions
From the thesis abstract: "The United States Navy is committed to implementing and using unmanned vehicles (UVs). Battlegroups have deployed and will continue to deploy with UVs because of their potential effectiveness. However, current UV doctrine does not set forth a standardized set of techniques and procedures for UV information exchange during maritime missions. The focus of this study is to analyze the structure of information flow for unmanned systems and suggest an exchange architecture to successfully inform and build decision maker understanding based on data from UVs in support of these missions. Through analysis of the knowledge-information-data (KID) model, and definition of high-level functions and tasks created from fleet input, this thesis develops an IDEF0 and PERT representation. It outlines tasks and roles for successfully accomplishing information exchange from UV payload sensors to tactical decision makers. The study concludes with suggested measures of effectiveness and performance to determine the strength and validity of the architecture."
Woolsey, Aaron L.
Analysis of Human Causal Factors in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Accidents
From the abstract: "Human error has been identified as the major contributor in many severe aviation mishaps, even for accidents involving Unmanned Aircraft (UA) systems. The Department of Defense (DOD) has used the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) taxonomy successfully for ten years to discover the human error in UA mishaps. It is important not to ignore the indisputable human presence in UA and the possible human-related causal factors in UA mishaps so we might be better able to reduce and prevent possible incidents. HFACS with its four main and 19 subcategories is a useful framework for identifying which factors have arisen historically, and which of them should have priority. The results of this study reveals that among 287 causal factors attributed to 68 accidents, 65 percent of the factors were associated with humans. Moreover, this study also discloses that the rater who categorizes the factors can differently observe, understand, and interpret the findings of mishap investigation; thus, human error may even impact the categorization phase due to the rater's perception. The research concluded that even though HFACS carried out its functionality well, further study is needed to conduct intense statistical analysis with unlimited data and to validate HFACS with more case studies and various raters."
Oncu, Mehmet; Yildiz, Suleyman
Integration of Mini-UAVS at the Tactical Operations Level: Implications of Operations, Implementation, and Information Sharing
From the thesis abstract: "Small units maneuvering on the battlefield have little time to establish data links and interface with the Global Information Grid (GIG) while trying to achieve an objective. The bandwidth and interface requirements necessary to receive live data from current strategic level systems limit the small unit operational user's ability to receive and act upon data and intelligence. Without the ability to interface with current strategic-level UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] assets, these small units are left without a comprehensive operational picture. Mini-UAVs offer the capability for the tactical user, in a variety of missions, to have direct control over the aerial asset without intervention from higher authority. Organic UAV assets can be used to collect data relevant to small units without the need for connecting to intelligence systems. This offers increased mobility and a dedicated collection platform; however, there are still drawbacks to this capability. This thesis examines mini-UAVs, and their integration into the Coalition Operating Area Surveillance and Targeting System (COASTS) network."
Crouch, Collier Craig
Nonlinear Estimation with Sparse Temporal Measurements
From the dissertation abstract: "Nonlinear estimators based on the Kalman filter, the extended Kalman filter (EKF) and unscented Kalman filter (UKF) are commonly used in practical application. The Kalman filter is an optimal estimator for linear systems; the EKF and UKF are sub-optimal approximations of the Kalman filter. The EKF uses a first-order Taylor series approximation to linearize nonlinear models; the UKF uses an approximation of the states joint probability distribution. Long measurement intervals exacerbate approximation error in each approach, particularly in covariance estimation. EKF and UKF performance under varied measurement frequency is studied through two problems, a single dimension falling body and simple pendulum. The EKF is shown more sensitive to measurement frequency than the UKF in the falling body problem. However, both estimators display insensitivity to measurement frequency in the simple pendulum problem. The literatures lack of consensus as to whether the EKF or UKF is the superior nonlinear estimator may be explained through covariance approximation error. Tools are presented to analyze EKF and UKF measurement frequency sensitivity. Covariance is propagated forward using the approximations of the EKF and UKF. Each propagated covariance is compared for similarity with a Monte Carlo propagation. The similarity of the covariance matrices is shown to predict filter performance. Portions of the state trajectory susceptible to EKF divergence are found using the Frobenius norm of the Jacobian matrix, limiting the need to consider covariance propagation along the entire state trajectory. Long measurement intervals also reveal a commonly overlooked challenge in UKF application: sigma point selection methods may produce sigma point vectors that violate physical state constraints. Although the UKF can function under this condition over short measurement intervals, unexpected failure may occur without consideration of physical constraints."
Frontera, Paul J.
Integrating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles into Surveillance Systems in Complex Maritime Environments
From the thesis abstract: "One of the most important missions all Navies have is to constantly and sufficiently monitor their area of responsibility. This task becomes more challenging when a surveillance system operates in a complex environment with high traffic of merchant and fishing vessels and the existence of many islands. Potential tactics that targets might use increase the difficulty of this task. Integrating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) into a surveillance system that consists of ground radars and surface ships might enhance the system's capabilities and mitigate its vulnerabilities. In this study, the extremely complex maritime environment of the Aegean Sea is modeled in the Map Aware Non Uniform Automata (MANA) agent-based simulation environment to explore the effectiveness of UAVs in those conditions. The results from almost 100,000 simulated Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance missions are analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA [analysis of variance], stepwise regression, and partition trees. It was found that by integrating one or two UAVs into a traditional surveillance system, it becomes more efficient in the detection and persistent surveillance of enemies and neutral targets. The most important factors that affect the surveillance system's performance are the detection capabilities of its sensors, the communication accuracy, and the enemy's counter-detection capability. Thus, Greece and other countries with similar geographical characteristics should deploy UAVs in a maritime surveillance role."
Dimitriou, Georgios
Localization of Surface or Near-Surface Drifting Mines for Unmanned Systems in the Persian Gulf
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis investigates the combined use of ocean models, such as idealized surface current flows, and search models, including expanding area and discrete myopic search methods, to improve the probability of detecting a near-surface, drifting object over time. Enhanced search effectiveness is facilitated by the use of robotic search agents, such as a tactical unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), leveraging simulation methods to inform the search process. The presented work investigates the impact of using naïve versus optimized search patterns on localizing a drifting object, including a surrogate ocean model using idealized flow as well as historical data sets with Weibull-distributed perturbations. Numerical studies and extensive analysis using different permutations of model parameters (including the relative speed of the drifting object, time late in the searcher's arrival to the search area, sensor sweep width, and duration of the search mission) identify the significant factors affecting the overall probability of detection. Such insights enable further explorations using empirical datasets for specific oceanographic regions of interest."
Yau, Meng W.
Indonesian Maritime Security Cooperation in the Malacca Straits
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis argues that Indonesia's sensitivity about its sovereignty in the Malacca Straits and Indonesia's preference toward regional security cooperation determines Indonesia's policy in rejecting and accepting multilateral cooperation in the Straits. This thesis then analyzes the Regional Maritime Security Initiative (RMSI), MALSINDO, Eyes-in-the-Sky (EiS), and the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships (ReCAAP) initiatives, and examines how Indonesia responded to these initiatives. This thesis finds the following: First, regarding international effort to enhance the security cooperation in the Straits, Indonesia's sensitivity and its wariness of internationalizing the Straits remains a big challenge for the extra-regional states' security initiatives in securing the Malacca Straits. Second, regarding the regional cooperation in the Straits, even though Indonesia prefers regional cooperation, it would still limit its cooperation when dealing with the sovereignty issue. Third, regarding the security cooperation with extra-regional powers, Indonesia prefers a bilateral security cooperation framework in securing the Straits."
Matthews, Alfred Daniel
Encounter Detection Using Visual Analytics to Improve Maritime Domain Awareness
From the thesis abstract: "A visual analytics process to detect encounters between vessels from ship position data is developed in this thesis. An archive of historical position records is pre-processed and filtered to provide input for an encounter detection algorithm. The algorithm arranges the position records into a set of sorted lists (SSL) so that only a minimum number of records need to be compared. The algorithm performs a single sweep over the record set to arrange it into a SSL and simultaneously find the encounters. To avoid problems due to discrete sampling, an interpolation of the data is performed when the sampling is too sparse. To accommodate large data sets, a divide-and-conquer approach using a sliding spatial window is developed. In post-processing, the elementary encounters are grouped into composite encounters by collecting elementary encounters occurring between the same vessels. Additionally, the composite encounters are input into a visual analytics tool where each composite encounter is represented as a layer on a map. Patterns of life analysis and investigations of potential anomalous activity are performed by zooming in on encounter areas of interest. The development of a visual analytics process to identify vessels of interest is the significant result of this thesis."
Hanna, Michael J.
Use of Commercial Imagery Capabilities in Support of Maritime Domain Awareness
From the thesis abstract: "Maritime domain awareness (MDA) is a concern for all maritime countries. To know when ships are approaching their shores and what threats and hazards are forthcoming, MDA is imperative for protecting the homeland and its citizens. As technology has improved in the world of commercial satellite imagery, those who perform MDA have realized they can utilize these capabilities to improve their common operational picture. As satellites continue to improve, it is more feasible to utilize their products within operations centers at the operational and even tactical level. With the added benefit that this imagery is unclassified and sharable, and with the United States' desire for coalitions and sharing with partners, commercial satellite imagery is moving into the forethought of many decision makers. This research focuses on current operating procedures for MDA, the capabilities and limitations of today's commercial imaging satellites, and what ground stations are available to assist in the use of combatant commander-controlled tasking. Two major demonstrations of the use of commercial satellite imagery for MDA in this thesis provide lessons learned to be applied to future architectures and ways forward."
Ochs, Adam J.
Exploration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in the Army's Future Combat Systems Family of Systems
From the Thesis Abstract: "Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will be a critical part of the U.S. Army's Future Force. The Future Force will be a highly mobile, network enabled family of systems with integrated sensors and precision munitions. The Future Force will rely heavily on UAVs to provide eyes on the battlefield. These eyes will trigger the deployment of precision munitions by other platforms, and possibly by UAVs themselves. To provide insight into how the numbers and capabilities of UAVs affect a Future Force Combined Arms Battalion's (CAB's) ability to secure a Northeast Asia urban objective, a simulation was built and analyzed. 46,440 computational experiments were conducted to assess how varying the opposing force and the numbers, tactics, and capabilities of UAVs affects the CAB's ability to secure the objective with minimal losses. The primary findings, over the factors and ranges examined, are: UAVs significantly enhance the CAB's performance; UAV capabilities and their tactics outweigh the number of UAVs flying; battalion level UAVs, especially when armed, are critical in the opening phases of the battle, as they facilitate the rapid attrition of enemy High Pay-off Targets; and, at least one company level and a platoon level UAV enhances dismounts survivability later in the battle."
Sulewski, Charles A.
Countermeasures to Insider Cyber Threats for Turkish General Command of Gendarmerie
From the Thesis Abstract: "Insider threats expose every nation, state, and business entity to danger; however, most of these organizations do not realize this, or they choose to ignore it. Since most studies and technical solutions for insider threats originate from the United States, a good starting point for organizations such as the Turkish General Command of Gendarmerie (TGCG) would be to analyze lessons learned from U.S. examples to try to find ways to adapt countermeasures, considering cultural constraints. This thesis provides background information about attributes of insider threats, summarizes malicious insiders' characteristics and motivations, and reviews documents (e.g., presidential memorandums, directives, best practices, mitigation strategies) published in the United States for countering insider threats in the United States. Then, technical and non-technical key practices for TGCG are explained. These practices are analyzed in terms of the effects of Turkish culture by using Geert Hofstede's dimensions of national cultures. Finally, recommendations for conceptual implementations of countermeasures to TGCG are presented."
Çini, Aydın
Blind Data Attack on BGP Routers
From the Thesis Abstract: "Transport Communication Protocol (TCP) implementations may not properly implement blind attack protection, leaving long-standing connections, such as Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) sessions, vulnerable to exploitation. This thesis aims to understand the efficacy of a blind data attack on BGP sessions. This thesis examines BGP, the protocols BGP relies on, and the effectiveness of safeguards against BGP blind attacks. A series of blind attack tests are performed against various production BGP implementations to determine how dangerous and feasible a blind attack is on BGP routing information integrity. Blind data attacks can inject and temporarily propagate erroneous routing information; however, on the routers tested, the complexity required to brute force connection-specific values makes blind data attacks difficult. Also, there is a high probability that a blind data attack will desynchronize a BGP session without modifying routing information. Protective measures are available that could further safeguard BGP sessions, but older router images may not implement some of the most vital protections recommended today. Organizations responsible for routing infrastructure and network security must carefully weigh the risk of not implementing more strict protection measures should a discovered vulnerability reduce attack complexity."
Catudal, Joseph W.
Human Systems Integration and Automation Issues in Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
From the Thesis Abstract: "The goal of this report is to identify Human System Integration (HSI) and automation issues that contribute to improved effectiveness and efficiency in the operation of U.S. military Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (SUAVs). HSI issues relevant to SUAV operations are reviewed and observations from field trials are summarized. Short-term improvements are suggested, research issues are identified, and an overview is provided of automation technologies applicable to future SUAV design."
McCauley, Michael E.; Matsangas, Panagiotis G.
Evaluating the Combined UUV Efforts in a Large-Scale Mine Warfare Environment
From the thesis abstract: "The current surface mine countermeasures (MCM) fleet is aging, yet there are no viable systems to replace it. The U.S. Navy requires an improved minehunting platform, and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) can meet that need. In order to attain enough UUVs and operators to make these missions successful, the United States must rely on the participation of allies to provide these assets. This study assesses the key decision factors in mine clearance operations using UUVs of differing capabilities. It uses a discrete-event simulation to model the performance of UUVs in a large-scale MCM operation. Data is generated using a state-of-the-art design of experiments and analyzed to find the best tasking plan for the scenario. The results show that with proper tasking, UUVs with lesser ability levels can be used appropriately and still produce acceptable levels of mine clearance, usually more quickly than a smaller cadre of highly capable vehicles. This study finds UUV altitude, track spacing, number of passes, and search speed to be decision factors that influence minehunting results, while track spacing, number of passes, search speed, and resupply are influential factors that effect mission completion times."
Thompson, Andrew R.
Effectiveness of Unmanned Surface Vehicles in Anti-Submarine Warfare with the Goal of Protecting a High Value Unit
From the Thesis Abstract: "Littoral anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations generally focus on deterring and eliminating enemy diesel-electric submarines from transit routes and protecting high value units (HVUs), such as amphibious warfare ships and logistics ships. In view of the ASW challenges in the littorals, it is critical to establish and maintain a highly effective ASW capability. The ASW techniques that we use today are mostly effective, but it is important to explore new technologies and techniques--such as potential unmanned surface vehicle (USV) solutions. This study uses an agent-based simulation platform known as Map Aware Non-Uniform Automata (MANA) to model the ASW effectiveness of USVs with the goal of protecting a HVU. The effectiveness of an ASW screen formation is measured by the proportion of successful classifications. The results are analyzed using comparison methods, stepwise linear regression, and regression trees. It is found from nearly 390,000 simulated ASW missions that when helicopters are replaced with USVs, which have the same sensor type and capability, USVs can provide the same classification effectiveness in an ASW screen formation. The analysis also shows that the most significant characteristic of USVs is the classification range of their dipping sonar."
Unlu, Salim
Call to Duty: Video Game Effects on the Military
From the thesis abstract: "Video games are a very popular form of media and entertainment--though not without controversy. This thesis seeks to understand the effects of video games on those who play them, because the U.S. Armed Forces have begun to adopt video games as training tools. This thesis attempts to determine whether playing video games will affect the nature of a military member's recruitment, job performance, and training. There are several potential effects that video games have on those who play them, which include increased violent and aggressive behavior on one hand, and increased cognitive ability and a more positive learning environment on the other hand. Overall, the research indicates that video games have a more positive effect on the people who play them, and in turn, would have a generally positive effect on military recruitment, job performance, and training."
Kovatch, Keaton M.
Cyber Security for Critical Energy Infrastructure
From the thesis abstract: "The United States power grid is a logical target for a major cyber attack because it connects all of the nation's critical infrastructures with electricity. Attackers consistently exploit vulnerabilities of the bulk power system and are close to being able to disrupt electrical distribution. We live in a world that is interconnected, from personal online banking to government infrastructure; consequently, network security and defense are needed to safeguard the digital information and controls for these systems. The cyber attack topic has developed into a national interest because high-profile network breaches have introduced fear that computer network hacks and other security-related attacks have the potential to jeopardize the integrity of the nation's critical infrastructure. The national and economic security of the United States depends on a reliable, functioning critical infrastructure. A comprehensive understanding of the effects of a massive power failure may help promote changes in the way cyber security is run on our most important critical infrastructure: the national power grid. This study investigates the robustness of the power grid's network system, the collaboration between public and private sectors against cyber threats, and mitigation requirements in areas of weakened controls such as program planning and management, access controls, application software development, and system software and service continuity controls."
Clemente, Jason F.
Demonstrations in America: An Assessment of the Factors Motivating Non-Violence at the Million Man March and Violence at the Unite the Right Rally
From the thesis abstract: "Demonstrations have brought awareness to issues of healthcare, civil rights, women's rights, and the environment. While most of these demonstrations have been peaceful, some have resulted in injury and death. This thesis attempts to develop an understanding of the factors motivating non-violence and violence at U.S. demonstrations by examining the 1995 Million March and the 2017 Unite the Right Rally. Seven crucial questions--What were the organizational efforts and funding source for the demonstrations? Who were the key players or organizations that participated in the demonstration and do they have a history violence? What was the rhetoric of the speakers and performers at the demonstration? What were the actions of the protestors and counter-protestors? What were the actions of law enforcement during the demonstration? Did any legal cases result from the demonstration? What was the media coverage before and after the event?--are analyzed for an understanding of the factors that lead to violence at demonstrations. The findings show that non-violent demonstrations share four factors: extensive planning for the demonstration, the presence of religious leaders, rhetoric of nonviolence in the speeches, and the demonstrators' ability to police themselves. In contrast, violent demonstrations share only lack of preparation by public officials, and improper responses from law enforcement, which may be the two determining factors for violence at these events."
Moten, Elizabeth C.
Evaluating the Claims of Network Centric Warfare.
"In response to technological advances, Network Centric Warfare (NCW) emerged as a theory to leverage the technology available in today's world. Advocates of NCW claim that technology will improve information sharing by 'robustly networking a force', thereby improving mission effectiveness. This study proposes a methodology with which to test the first tenet of NCW: a robustly networked force improves information sharing. Lessons learned from Human Systems Integration (HSI) demonstrate that in order to improve mission effectiveness, characteristics of both the human and the technology must be considered. As such, the impact of human characteristics and traits on mission effectiveness, as measured by individual and team performance, are assessed using a computer simulation, C3Fire. Results at the individual level, suggest that persons scoring high on extraversion and low on pessimism perform better than those scoring low on extraversion and high on pessimism. In contrast, at the team level, homogeneous teams as measured by optimism-pessimism performed worse than diverse teams. Results of this thesis provide a methodology with which to examine NCW's claims in a laboratory setting. Preliminary evidence demonstrates the need to consider human characteristics and traits in the design and composition of network teams."
Thomas, Jeffrey A.
Through the Seams of the Iron Curtain: Clandestine NGO Support to Christian Religious Minorities in Communist-Controlled Eastern Europe, Central Europe, and Russia, 1960-1989
From the thesis abstract: "In the same Cold War context in which the CIA's [Central Intelligence Agency] Book Program covertly sent Western literature behind the Iron Curtain into the Communist world, Christian missionaries also used covert (and some overt) methods to smuggle Bibles to the Underground Churches of the Eastern Bloc. This thesis describes the main smuggling routes and locations and consolidates several privately published, first-hand accounts of retired Bible smugglers, with academic works providing additional insight. It follows the timeline of events leading to the greatest expansion of smuggling operations in the 1960s through the 1980s, and it examines the methods, effects, extent of success, and motives for smuggling this contraband--Bibles--which many Soviets considered dangerous to the stability of Communism. After outlining the activity in individual Eastern Bloc nations, this thesis draws parallels between Ashutosh Varshney's use of the theories of instrumental and value rationality and the internal motivations that drove most Bible smugglers to their work--even in the face of great personal loss. Finally, this work draws a connection between the covert actions of the Underground Church and Bible smugglers and the Soviet and satellite governments' loss of legitimacy in line with Sabrina Ramet's assertions in Social Currents in Eastern Europe."
Schneider, Joseph A.
Italy, the European Union, and Mediterranean Migrants: Opportunity from Crisis?
From the thesis abstract: "Since 2013, civil and interstate wars have roiled North Africa and the Middle East. These conflicts, along with poverty in both regions, have led to the largest migration to Europe since the end of World War II. This thesis considers the effects of mass migration on Italy and the European Union (EU). It examines Italian and EU military responses to the migrant crisis, as well as possible means to dedicate greater resources to aid in security endeavors. This thesis also explores the impacts that the migrant crisis has had on the Italian economy and politics. It analyzes the Italian immigration system, along with how it interfaces with the EU's immigration system, and explores ways in which both can promote more effective migrant and refugee economic integration. This thesis concludes that current EU and Italian efforts to address the Mediterranean migrant crisis are falling short of effectively managing the migrant and refugee influx. This thesis recommends NATO involvement concerning the security and flow management aspects of this challenge, and also argues that better economic integration of the migrants and refugees may hold the key to economic renewal in various EU member states, notably Italy."
Fillmore, Matthew L. R.
Motivating Language and Empathic Leadership Drives Aircraft Readiness
From the thesis abstract: "The Marine Corps is concerned with aircraft readiness, retention levels and aircraft mishaps. High quality connection, unit support and organizational justice are traits structured within Marine aviation logistics. Miscommunication, however, continues to delay responsiveness. This thesis explores qualitative measurements and develops a proposed theoretical framework to study factors that might better predict readiness. The thesis also presents possible quantitative metrics of readiness within Marine aviation logistics as well as measures of effective communication and relationships. Motivating language theory provides the general framework to explore the omission of service levels. Data elements within the Aviation Maintenance and Supply Readiness Report and Individual Training Standards System aim to provide measurements of readiness. This thesis further proposes a Marine Air Group survey that explores the long-term benefits of motivating language and empathic leadership on readiness. Ultimately, this thesis proposes that the positive influence of motivating language and the mediation of empathic leadership increase unit and individual readiness."
Aionaaka, Nickolas H.
Deterring War or Courting Disaster: An Analysis of Nuclear Weapons in the Indian Ocean
From the thesis abstract: "One of the core assumptions of nuclear strategy is that submarine-based deterrent assets stabilize deterrent relationships by providing an assured second-strike capability. As India progresses toward an operational sea-based deterrent, this thesis seeks to qualify this foundational assumption by exploring the empirical conditions under which this principle operated during the Cold War. It then examines whether these conditions--and by extension the standard logic regarding sea-based deterrence--apply in South Asia. Using the India-China and India-Pakistan dyads as discrete cases, this thesis analyzes the potential effects of India's introduction of a ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) on each dyad. While an operational sea-based deterrent should hypothetically provide India with a greater sense of existential security vis-à-vis China, there is little evidence to suggest that India will cease to pursue additional nuclear or conventional capabilities. India's SSBN thus fails to resolve perceived security threats from China, even as it exacerbates arms racing tendencies in Pakistan. Furthermore, it is likely to generate conventional maritime arms races in both dyads that could prove destabilizing in a crisis. This thesis finds that assumptions based on Cold War-era analyses do not accommodate the geographic, bureaucratic, operational, or strategic realities of South Asia. Thus, this thesis concludes that traditional assumptions about SSBNs fail to acknowledge the conditionality of their strategic value while overlooking the potential dangers posed by the introduction of these systems."
Wueger, Diana
Influence of Strategic and Organizational Cultures on the Revolution in Military Affairs Within the U.S. Army
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis explores the influence of culture on the requirements for a Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA). It assesses how cultural factors at the strategic and the U.S. Army organizational levels may affect the changes required for realizing an RMA. Defined as a paradigmatic shift in the conduct of military affairs spurred by the confluence of organizational change with new and existing technologies and concepts of operations, the RMA has long been a controversial analytical construct. This thesis accepts the premise that the history of warfare can be interpreted as a series of RMAs. It explores the complex and powerful influence of American strategic culture and the organizational culture of the U.S. Army on the organizational, doctrinal, technology, funding and other factors vital to the realization of an RMA. The thesis compares the influence of U.S. strategic and Army organizational culture on the RMA during the interwar period (1919-1941) and the contemporary period (since the 2011 withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq) to highlight similarities and differences that U.S. military and civilian leaders can learn from to change the paradigm of military affairs in America's favor."
Kamara, Hassan M.
Norwegian Cyber Defense
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis postulates the need for a more proactive approach to cyber defense in Norway and offers recommendations about how Norway can be better prepared to counter cyber threats. It finds that Norway's strategic infrastructure is vulnerable to cyber attacks and that Norway has no coherent strategy for meeting this challenge. The thesis argues that an effective cyber defense requires a wide range of offensive and defensive measures as well as a central authority for command and control. Norway must increasingly be perceived as a serious and tough player in cyberspace; this requires proactive thinking and offensive capabilities. An important first step would be to make the Ministry of Defense responsible for the nations cyber defense."
Stensboel, Karl Birger
China's Role in Counter-Piracy Operations
From the thesis abstract: "Piracy threatens commercial shipping passing through major choke points and sea lines of communication in regions such as the Gulf of Aden (GOA) and Southeast Asia. Piracy has become a larger security issue in the international community as the number of attacks has increased and ransoms have escalated. Countries such as China have become more involved in counter-piracy operations; however, China has neither joined the Combined Maritime Forces task force in the GOA to combat piracy nor been completely transparent about its maritime strategy in either region. There are varying theories about what is motivating China's behavior. Why is China involved in counter-piracy operations?: This thesis will attempt to answer the question, by comparing and contrasting China's behavior in these two regions. Three possible explanations will be analyzed in an attempt to answer the research question. Is China trying to meet the challenges of its rivals and establish a geopolitical position, safeguard its economic interests, or cooperate within the international community as a good global citizen? The research reveals that there is some truth to all three explanations that help to explain China's involvement with counter-piracy operations. Therefore, counter-piracy is a concern but more so a stepping-stone for a much larger maritime strategy."
Patterson, Ann K.
Analysis of the Defense Acquisition Strategy for Unmanned Systems
From the thesis abstract: "In the past 12 years of sustained conflict, the Department of Defense (DoD) has procured thousands of unmanned systems, from ordnance disposal robots to airborne surveillance platforms to unmanned cargo helicopters. These assets have saved countless lives and have become critical to DoD strategy. The health of the U.S. robotics industry must become a national strategic imperative in order to maintain technology dominance. The cyclical nature of DoD funding inevitably results in industry expansion and consolidation. The unmanned systems industry will be subject to consolidation pressures. Keeping unmanned system cost-per-copy low is critical; thus, economies of scale should be highly valued. However, premature robotics industry consolidation could threaten innovation and competition that will be critical for the U.S. military to maintain its dominance. With impending budget reductions, there will be increasing pressure to narrow down on robotics technologies to achieve efficiencies and reduce costs. However, to maintain the health of the robotics industry, the acquisition strategy must be contingent on the evolution of industry. This thesis examines the defense robotics industry and historical technology S-curves for comparable industries and evaluates unmanned system acquisition strategies."
Jones, Courtney D.
Optimization Case Study: ISR Allocation in the Global Force Management Process
From the thesis abstract: "Global Force Management (GFM) is a force-allocation process-driven system that distributes military forces across the globe to meet Combatant Commander objectives. The goal is to match military capabilities provided by the military services to Geographic Combatant Commander requirements. This thesis is a proof of concept for an optimization model that maximizes the distribution of a finite number of full motion video intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) assets to a prioritized list of requirements to meet national security objectives. This thesis examines the ISR GFM process. With the insight gained to the process, the model applies a mixed integer linear programming formulation to provide an optimized force allocation recommendation The model's objective function managed the trade-off between FADM [Force Allocation Decision Matrix] priority and platform consideration, which optimized the allocation 902 hours per day of full motion video to meet 1902 hours per day of 20 CCDR [Combatant Commander] requirements. The research, methodology, and analyses presented in this thesis is a successful proof of concept proving that this optimization model will objectively inform senior decision makers in the Department of Defense for intelligence surveillance reconnaissance Global Force Management allocation."
Carrillo, Guillermo I.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Survivability: The Impacts of Speed, Detectability, Altitude, and Enemy Capabilities
From the thesis abstract: "Warfighters are increasingly relying on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems at all levels of combat operations. As these systems weave further into the fabric of our tactics and doctrine, their loss will seriously diminish combat effectiveness. This makes the survivability of these systems of utmost importance. Using Agent-based modeling and a Nearly Orthogonal Latin Hypercube design of experiment, numerous factors and levels are explored to gain insight into their impact on, and relative importance to, survivability. Factors investigated include UAV speed, stealth, altitude, and sensor range, as well as enemy force sensor ranges, probability of kill, array of forces, and numerical strength. These factors are varied broadly to ensure robust survivability results regardless of the type of threat. The analysis suggests that a speed of at least 135 knts should be required and that increases in survivability remain appreciable up to about 225 knts. The exception to speed's dominance is in the face of extremely high capability enemy assets. In this case, stealth becomes more important than speed alone. However, the interactions indicate that as both speed and stealth increase, speed yields a faster return on overall survivability and that speed mitigates increased enemy capabilities."
McMindes, Kevin L.


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Home > Economy > Pandemic Exacerbating US Wealth Disparity
Pandemic Exacerbating US Wealth Disparity
Mansco Perry, Carlos Rangel, and Tim Recker comment on the widening of the wealth gap creating both risks and opportunities for asset owners.
An already wide gap in wealth disparity among Americans was only magnified and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a panel discussion at CIO's virtual conference "Inside the Minds of CIOs."
The panel, which was moderated by Chief Investment Officer managing editor Christine Giordano, included Carlos Rangel, CIO of W.K. Kellogg Foundation; Mansco Perry, executive director and CIO of the Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI); and Tim Recker, CIO and treasurer of The James Irvine Foundation.
Along with civil unrest, there is also concern that the wealth disparity negatively affects gross domestic product (GDP). Rangel cited data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics that showed the median weekly earnings in 2017 for someone with Ph.D. were $1,743, while the median weekly earnings someone with a bachelor's degree were $1,173, and the median weekly earnings for someone with a high school diploma were $712.
The data look even more stark when wealth is accounted for by race. Black men and women and Hispanic men and women own just pennies to the dollar compared with white men and women. In 2019, the median wealth for white men was $28,900; it was $15,640 for white women. Comparatively, median wealth was $950 for Hispanic men; $300 for Black men; $200 for Black women; and just $100 for Hispanic women.
Then 2020 rolled around and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated wealth and racial disparities. According to data from KKR Global Insights, the unemployment rate for Americans with a high school diploma in January 2020 was 3.8%, while the unemployment rate for Americans with a bachelor's degree or higher was 2.0%.
But as Rangel pointed out, just four months later in April when lockdowns over the pandemic began, the unemployment rate for high school graduates soared to 17.3%, while the unemployment rate for college graduates and above also rose sharply, but only hit 8.4%.
The situation was even more dire for those with less than a high school diploma, whose unemployment rate during that four-month span nearly quadrupled to 21.2% from 5.5%.
"When you have a shock like COVID hit, it dramatically impacts your ability to respond to a lack of employment," Rangel said. "So we don't have a lot of buffers available for part of our society, particularly communities of color, when there are crises."
Rangel said he's also concerned that a rise in automation could magnify the wealth disparity, particularly if there is a sudden increase in automation that displaces workers in the US. "One of the concerns that we have is when you look at public expenditure for retraining unemployed workers," he said.
Rangel cited data that showed that the US spends only 0.1% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on assistance and retraining for unemployed workers, which was 31st out of a group of 32 developed economies, ahead of only Mexico. This is compared with Finland, France, and Sweden, which spend more than 1% of their GDP on retraining, while Denmark allots more than 2% of its GDP toward retraining.
"What happens if all of a sudden we have an increase in automation that displaces workers in the United States?" Rangel asked.
Another sign of the wealth gap in the US can be seen in the distribution of stock ownership. According to Perry, the top 1% of the wealthiest Americans own 53% of stocks, and the next 9% own about 40% of stocks.
Meanwhile the bottom 90% own just 7% of stocks. That means that the top 10% of the wealthiest Americans own 93% of all stocks. Perry also noted that the wealth gap led to a divergence of the economy and the stock markets when the pandemic hit.
"I think we all began to notice this after the pandemic started when both the economy and the stock market were cratering last February and March, but then all of a sudden in April we began to see a significant rebound in the stock market," while unemployment rates surpassed that of the Great Depression, Perry said. "There truly is a big disconnect between the market and the economy."
Perry explained that the main reason for this disconnect is that the economy is made up of "pretty much the entire populace whereas the market is made up of very few people within society."
There is also a disconnect between the market and the economy due to the makeup of the companies represented by the S&P 500. According to Recker, only 10% of companies in the S&P 500 are in industries that are on the decline due to the pandemic. He notes that most of the companies in the index are related to technology and health care, which aren't as labor-heavy as other industries.
"Small businesses like restaurants are not represented broadly in the financial markets from a market cap point of view," said Recker, who added that as a result you can end up having stock markets doing exceptionally well while the overall economy struggles.
Recker also said the wealth concentration gap can create both an investment risk and an untapped opportunity for portfolio managers. He pointed out that the most wealth is being generated in technology and innovation.
"We're in a highly disruptive environment with extreme innovation, so it's not illogical to expect significant wealth creation for the founders of disruptive companies," Recker said. "So for an asset owner, if you could identify those companies early that are disruptive it's obviously an investment opportunity."
However, Recker added that it does create some risk for portfolios in the short term. For example, if less mature growth companies go public with attractive valuations, there's a risk for the owners that those values could change materially if the markets decide they want to value more fundamentally based on earnings, rather than growth.
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Tags: Carlos Rangel, Christine Giordano, Mansco Perry, Minnesota State Board of Investment, The James Irvine Foundation, Tim Recker, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, wealth disparity
By Michael Katz
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