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This proposal aims to analyze the militarization of US-Latin America foreign relations by discussing the role played by the U.S. Southern Command in the implementation of U.S. foreign policy for the region in the aftermath of the September 11th 2001 attacks. Since the last decades of Cold War, civilian and diplomatic agencies stationed in the region, notably the State Department and the USAID, suffered budgetary constraints that were aggravated at the beginning of the Global War on Terror. For instance, in Latin America, the Southcom has been adapted to perform the so called "military missions other than war," including non-military functions such as the provision of humanitarian assistance, law enforcement, and the management of security assistance programs aimed to dismantle drug trafficking networks. As we intend to argue, the overreliance on security and military means reflects the militarized character of U.S. influence in the region and has impacts on how the local coercive systems are organized and deployed by the domestic political elites. By analyzing the annual posture statements and the initiatives conducted in the field by the Southcom, between 2001 and 2021, we hope to clarify how the violence structures from abroad are connected to those from within. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores contemporary understandings of military duty and dynamics of cohesion during deployment with a focus on host–citizen relations. Duty is treated as a perception-based dynamic construct shaped, in part, by operational experiences. Traditionally, Western military duty is defined by conventional obligations of loyalty to the military unit and mission in the context of combat operations, in these ways linked to military cohesion. However, in response to increasingly "population-oriented" military operations, I argue the need to broaden the study of military duty and cohesion beyond interpersonal bonds of the military organization to include the role of host–citizen relations. In-depth interviews with Swedish service members reaffirm the centrality of conventional duty to the mission and military unit, yet also indicate varying levels and forms of obligations to local actors. Overall, understandings of duty matter to cohesion both as a unifying force and source of tension within the mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian foreign policy traditionally claims middle power and good international citizenship credentials, although it also resorts to unilateral actions due to its deep-rooted condition of ‘frightened country’. This article argues that the country's irregular migration governance embodies this tension, and thus seeks to shed light on this increasingly-neglected aspect of Australian external engagement. Following a theoretical understanding of Australian foreign policy, it investigates the country's irregular migration policies between 2000 and 2024. The article finds that there is a strong continuity in such policies irrespective of the type of government in power, supported by foreign policy bipartisanship, resulting in specific foreign policy tools to stem seaborne arrivals. These include military missions; territorial excisions from the migration zone; offshore processing and/or externalisation agreements with Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka; pushback manoeuvres, and at-sea processing of asylum claims. Inevitably, such measures complicate Australia's international status as they emphasise the uneasy coexistence of both the globalist middle power and the self-interested nation images in its foreign policy, therefore warranting new research on this under-examined condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a significant response to the war in Ukraine on the part of the European Union (EU). Particularly noteworthy is its support for Kyiv via measures in the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and especially in the defence field. It has provided substantial assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces through the European Peace Facility (EPF); the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) and the EDIRPA common procurement instrument; and its military assistance mission (EUMAM Ukraine). These initiatives show how, in the wake of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the CSDP has made unprecedented, yet still only partial steps to allow the EU to progress towards moving beyond its traditional status as a small power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have shown their superiority for applications in complicated military missions. A cooperative attack–defense decision-making method based on satisficing decision-enhanced wolf pack search (SDEWPS) algorithm is developed for multi-UAV air combat in this paper. Firstly, the multi-UAV air combat mathematical model is provided and the attack–defense decision-making constraints are defined. Besides the traditional air combat situation, the capability of UAVs and target information including target type and target intention are all considered in this paper to establish the air combat superiority function. Then, the wolf pack search (WPS) algorithm is used to solve the attack decision problem. To improve efficiency, the satisficing decision theory is employed to enhance the WPS to obtain the satisficing solution rather than optimal solution. The simulation results show that the developed method can realize the cooperative attack decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned mine detection vehicles (UMDVs) have been used for military missions to detect and deactivate mines and reduce military and civilian casualties. UMDVs must cover an area of several kilometers to detect mines. Hence, a central coordination system is required for these UMDVs, and it has been achieved via the development of a vehicular ad hoc network (VANET). UMDVs can communicate with each other by broadcasting mine detection messages (MDMs) to incoming vehicles in VANET without infrastructure installations. Therefore, a novel mine detection vehicle routing (MDVR) protocol has been developed to create an ad hoc communication network among UMDVs. The protocol performs cluster-based multicast communication in real time. It adapts to dynamic scenarios by proposing a priority-based cluster head election scheme (PBCHE) and introducing cluster adaptability level schemes. Network simulator results show that the MDVR protocol can reduce the overhead and delay in MDM dissemination. In addition, the MDVR protocol shows promising results in terms of throughput, packet delivery ratio, and cluster stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the activities of those British travellers and settlers who carried out open field research in the Andean northwest of Río de la Plata during the 1820s. The focus is set upon Doctor Joseph Redhead, who became a regional expert on questions of mountain altitudes and natural portents such as giant fossil bones and large masses of native iron. Redhead was at the centre of a network of British doctors, entrepreneurs, adventurers and civil servants who crisscrossed the territory attracted by new mining ventures and the opening of trade, and driven by the need for geographical surveys implicit in the logic of empire. James Paroissien, Woodbine Parish, Joseph Pentland and others managed to combine research on the natural environment while engaged in their commercial, diplomatic or military missions. Particular attention is paid to the interactions of Redhead and his fellow countrymen with Humboldt and the kind of science cultivated by him, as well as to issues of scientific authority at the time of deciding on the cause of unexplained natural phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of SIRIUS - Zeitschrift fur Strategische Analysen is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Given the gravity of the element of surprise in modern warfare, military forces worldwide are constantly attempting to achieve and maintain operational readiness of their critical military equipment. Selective Maintenance (SM) is considered an effective approach for achieving system operational readiness. Effective use of the SM approach for military equipment requires considering various military-specific factors such as multiple deployment roles, distinct operating profiles, human reliability, and the use of refurbished or non-OEM spares. This makes the SM approach for military systems very challenging. This paper presents an approach that formulates the SM problem intending to achieve and maintain the required level of operational readiness for predefined future missions from a military viewpoint. This approach employs a novel methodology that estimates the mission reliability of military equipment while modeling the combined impact of several important military-specific factors. This complex yet necessary integration of various military-specific factors makes the present approach accurate and apt to the exact modus operandi of the armed forces. The developed approach is demonstrated for the maintenance of armored vehicles deployed on distinct missions under different operating conditions. Numerical investigations illustrate the efficacy of the present approach and highlight its advantages over the conventional maintenance approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, technology has experienced a rapid and widespread evolution, resulting in new capabilities across the defense sector. While these capabilities often bring about beneficial changes, they can also beget unforeseen consequences. As a result, it is becoming increasingly important for the military to understand how this changing technological landscape can impact its missions. To address this issue, we have developed an Integrated Mission Simulation (IMS) to assess the potential impact that different technologies may have on a given mission. The Integrated Mission Simulation combines a mission context model with several technology performance models, which enables users to assess the results of different 'what‐if' scenarios on key performance parameters for a given mission. To illustrate its utility, we present two publicly available scenarios and simulate how known technological advances could have altered the outcomes of those scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Military missions, especially those involving combat exposure, are associated with an increased risk of depression. Understanding the long-term course of depressive symptoms post-deployment is important to improve decision-making regarding deployment and mental health policies in the military. This study investigates trajectories of depressive symptoms in the Dutch army, exploring the influence of factors such as demographics, early-life trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and deployment stressors. A cohort of 1032 military men and women deployed to Afghanistan (2005–2008) was studied from pre- to 10 years post-deployment. Depressive and PTSD symptoms were assessed using the Symptom CheckList-90 and the Self-Rating Inventory for PTSD. Demographics, early trauma, and deployment experiences were collected at baseline and after deployment, respectively. Latent Class Growth Analysis was used to explore heterogeneity in trajectories of depressive symptoms over time. Four trajectories were found: resilient (65%), intermediate-stable (20%), symptomatic-chronic (9%), and late-onset-increasing (6%). The resilient group experienced fewer deployment stressors, while the symptomatic-chronic group reported more early life traumas. Trajectories with elevated depressive symptoms consistently demonstrated higher PTSD symptoms. Potential nonresponse bias and missing information due to the longitudinal design and extensive follow-up times. This study identified multiple trajectories of depressive symptoms in military personnel up to 10 years post-deployment, associated with early trauma, deployment stressors, adverse life events and PTSD symptoms. The prevalence of the resilient trajectory suggests a substantial level of resilience among deployed military personnel. These findings provide valuable insights and a foundation for further research. • Four depression trajectories were observed in deployed military personnel. • Healthy trajectories included resilient (65%) and intermediate-stable (20%). • Depression trajectories included symptomatic-chronic (9%) and late-onset-increasing. • Trajectories were associated with deployment stressors, life events and PTSD symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article looks at the life of Henry Holdship Ware (1908-1999), the grandson of the founder of Atlanta University. Captain Henry H. Ware was an aide and interpreter to Major General John Deane, Chief of the U.S. Military Mission to the Soviet Union during World War 2. In this capacity, he was an interpreter with the U.S. Army assigned to the Tripartite Conference in Moscow (1943) and Conferences at Tehran (1943) and Yalta (1945), and a liaison officer and interpreter during Operation Frantic, a joint American-Soviet campaign of shuttle bombing missions in Poltava, Ukraine, in June–September 1944. He was also present at the official surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany at Karlshorst on May 8, 1945, and interpreted toasts at the banquet of celebration after the ceremony. Henry Ware learnt Russian during his five-year stay as a student at Plekhanov Institute in Moscow, where he studied economics and was recruited by the NKVD to report on the American community in Moscow. Back in the USA, he was independently recruited by the Golos-Bentley Soviet espionage network under the codename ‘Vick”. In 1975, probably inspired by his study of the Soviet economy, he founded the Useful Services Exchange (USE), a community-based organization in Reston, Virginia, enabling neighbors to help each other through the exchange of services. The discussion draws on available visuals, memoirs, newspaper sources, and declassified documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This narrative review comprehensively examines the impact of oxidative stress on military personnel, highlighting the crucial role of physical exercise and tailored diets, particularly the ketogenic diet, in minimizing this stress. Through a meticulous analysis of the recent literature, the study emphasizes how regular physical exercise not only enhances cardiovascular, cognitive, and musculoskeletal health but is also essential in neutralizing the effects of oxidative stress, thereby improving endurance and performance during long-term missions. Furthermore, the implementation of the ketogenic diet provides an efficient and consistent energy source through ketone bodies, tailored to the specific energy requirements of military activities, and significantly contributes to the reduction in reactive oxygen species production, thus protecting against cellular deterioration under extreme stress. The study also underlines the importance of integrating advanced technologies, such as wearable devices and smart sensors that allow for the precise and real-time monitoring of oxidative stress and physiological responses, thus facilitating the customization of training and nutritional regimes. Observations from this review emphasize significant variability among individuals in responses to oxidative stress, highlighting the need for a personalized approach in formulating intervention strategies. It is crucial to develop and implement well-monitored, personalized supplementation protocols to ensure that each member of the military personnel receives a regimen tailored to their specific needs, thereby maximizing the effectiveness of measures to combat oxidative stress. This analysis makes a valuable contribution to the specialized literature, proposing a detailed framework for addressing oxidative stress in the armed forces and opening new directions for future research with the aim of optimizing clinical practices and improving the health and performance of military personnel under stress and specific challenges of the military field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores different socio-ethical and behavioural aspects on the implementation of exoskeleton systems, providing an overview of current debates in this rapidly developing field. It examines the benefits and risks of implementing exoskeleton systems in specific military missions by improving soldiers' physical performance and endurance, reducing the risk of injury, and increasing operational effectiveness. Alongside these positive aspects, the socio-ethical and behavioural implications of the use of these technologies are also considered, with concerns relating to morality and accountability. The research presents a literature-based assessment of the impact these technologies may have on the psychology and behaviour of military personnel, including their sense of autonomy and control. In order to achieve the proposed objectives, a careful analysis of these socio-ethical and behavioural issues will be conducted and measures will be developed to minimize the risks of integrating exoskeleton systems into military missions through deployment strategies and regulatory frameworks that maximize the benefits of exoskeleton systems while reducing the risks and negative impacts on individuals and society as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We create a retirement pay multiple (RPM) to assist military service members, at any point in their career, with determining whether they are on track to retire and maintain their living standard. This strategic financial planning tool helps these servicemembers assess whether they are fully mission capable (FMC) in their personal financial lives. The RPM incorporates myriad relevant financial factors, including taxes, Social Security, participation in the Department of Defense's recently established Blended Retirement System (BRS), actuarial life expectancy, inflation, and military pay growth rates. An associated online calculator also permits customization of these factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Path searching is challenging problem in many domains such as simulation war games, robotics, military mission planning, computer generated forces (CGF), etc. Effectiveness problems in military route planning are related both with terrain modelling and path planning algorithms. These problems may be considered from the point of view of many criterions. It seems that two criterions are the most important: quality of terrain reflection in the terrain model and computational complexity of the on(off)-line path planning algorithm. The paper deals with two above indicated problems of route planning effectiveness. Comparison of approaches used in route planning is presented. The hybrid, terrain merging-based and partial path planning, approach for route planning in dynamically changed environment during simulation is described. It significantly increase effectiveness of route planning process. The computational complexity of the method is given and some discussion for using the method in the battlefield simulation is conducted. In order to estimate how many times faster we can compute problem for finding shortest path in network with n big squares (b-nodes) with relation to problem for finding shortest path in the network with V small squares (s-nodes) acceleration function is defined and optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Military Science Review / Hadtudományi Szemle is the property of National University of Public Service and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The demand for protection for civilians threatened by direct violence is huge, and most responses draw on 'Protection of Civilians' (PoC) by military peacekeepers. In Myanmar and the Philippines, civilians use nonviolence to protect people in their communities from direct violence showing that PoC is carried out by local actors and in sites outside military peacekeeping missions. Evidence from those communities, and the use of Unarmed Civilian Protection, challenges the assumption that only the military can do PoC, and provides the basis for broadening the scope of PoC to better protect civilians from direct violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms of the visceral arteries are a rare pathology with a prevalence of 0.1-2% in the general population, most common in men. Despite low prevalence, visceral aneurysms pose a significant threat to the patient's health and life; a ruptured superior mesenteric branch aneurysm carries mortality rates of 10-25% and up to 30-90%. This article presents a case of a 50-year-old former active duty soldier and veteran of a military combat mission in Afghanistan, during which he sustained a traumatic injury resulting from a mine explosion under a vehicle. After completing the mission and returning home, the patient developed abdominal pain. The diagnosis made in the general surgery department of the district hospital was upper gastrointestinal obstruction and aneurysmal rupture of the superior mesenteric branch with inflammatory infiltration of the pancreatic–intestinal area. The patient underwent emergency gastrointestinal anastomosis and Braun enteroenterostomy. The aneurysm was not resected. One month later, the patient underwent a follow-up abdominal angiotomography, which revealed an approximately 20-mm aneurysm of a branch of the superior mesenteric artery and celiac artery subocclusion (Dunbar syndrome) with extensive collateral circulation. A diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm/traumatic aneurysm was made, and the patient was referred to a vascular surgery center for endovascular treatment. Following CT angiography, a decision was made to perform a two-stage endovascular repair. The first stage was a bridge therapy aimed to release celiac artery subocclusion with a stent; after 3 weeks, pseudoaneurysm embolization was performed. The decision to use two-stage endovascular treatment was attributable to the risk of gastrointestinal ischemia that might result from intraoperative technical difficulties and complications, coil dislocation, and thrombosis of the superior mesenteric artery or its branch; the coexisting subocclusion of the celiac artery was also considered. The patient was discharged in good condition and returned to normal everyday activities. He also continued follow-up appointments with a vascular surgeon. An angiotomography performed at 1 year of endovascular treatment confirmed good effects of the embolization procedure and coagulation of the aneurysm. Visceral aneurysms are a rare vascular pathology but are associated with significant morbidity and mortality rates. The incidence of ruptured aneurysms is probably underestimated as some patients may be operated on for acute abdominal symptoms, e.g. bowel obstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Appendectomy is the treatment of choice for acute appendicitis. The procedure can be performed open or laparoscopically. However, laparoscopy is not available on military missions abroad. It is unclear whether treatment outcomes differ between the two surgical approaches. Materials and Methods Treatment data of all patients undergoing open and laparoscopic appendectomies in the German Armed Forces Hospital of Ulm from 2013 to 2017 were collected retrospectively. A propensity score matching analysis was performed to minimize the influence of potential confounders and to assess the influence of surgical approach on outcome (reoperations, superficial and deep surgical infections, length of postoperative ileus, need for intravenous analgesics, and operative time). Results A total of 542 patients with complete datasets were included in the propensity score matching analysis, among these 64 with open and 478 laparoscopic procedures. There were no statistically significant differences between open and laparoscopic surgeries with respect to all outcome variables, with the exception of a 25-minute prolonged operative time for the open approach. Conclusions Open appendectomy can be considered equivalent in outcome to the laparoscopic procedure and thus can be performed on military missions abroad without compromising outcome. Military surgeons must continue to be trained and confident in open appendectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the twenty-first century, providing humanitarian assistance to other nations forms an essential part of the U.S. military's mission. Designed to "relieve or reduce endemic conditions such as human suffering, disease, hunger, [and] privation," the military's humanitarian tasks include such activities as assisting refugees, delivering food and medical equipment to partner nations, and removing unexploded landmines. But among the most recognized—and best publicized—of the U.S. Armed Forces' humanitarian activities are its foreign disaster relief operations. In response to such recent catastrophes as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the 2011 tsunami in Japan, 2019's Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, and the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey, the Department of Defense launched extensive humanitarian operations. Taking advantage of the U.S. military's vast global footprint, military leaders dispatched ships and aircraft, service personnel, relief supplies, equipment, and other material and logistical aid to the scene of these crises and to many others like them globally. Carried out for the humanitarian goals of saving lives and reducing suffering, each of these foreign disaster aid operations also shared a critical diplomatic objective: "generating goodwill" for the United States and creating a "favorable impression" of its armed forces. Never purely altruistic, the U.S. military's responses to global disasters also function as a valuable instrument of contemporary U.S. foreign policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author analyzes the results of a three-move space war game conducted by the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center in 2021. The game focused on a possible lead up to a Chinese commercial blockade of Taiwan in the 2027–29 time frame. In the game, China attempts to deter Japan and the United States from coming to Taipei's aid by threatening and then attacking US and Japanese satellite systems. Results of the game – conducted with the assistance of current and former senior State Department, NASA, intelligence, space industry, and Defense Department officials – suggest that space combat is unlikely to be waged only between dedicated military systems. Instead, many of the ground- and space-based threats the United States and its allies face – including laser satellite trackers, commercial space surveillance systems, space debris-removing satellites, and refueling spacecraft – will have legitimate civilian uses but can be flipped to conduct military missions against critical, targeted satellites. The author provides four "takeaways" from the space war game, one of which involves much closer coordination among the United States and its allies in regard to space security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The development of resilience is of the utmost importance in military training due to the demanding and high-stress nature of combat situations. Although there have been numerous studies on resilience competencies in the military, there is a research gap when it comes to identifying the most essential competencies that should be prioritized in training programs, particularly within compressed timeframes. With the current geopolitical landscape and ongoing military conflicts in Europe, it is necessary to expedite training of soldiers, including resilience training, without compromising the effectiveness of the program. This study aims to address this research gap by using a reductionist approach to resilience training and identifying the critical competencies that senior soldiers need to be trained to coach younger soldiers to maintain psychological strength during deployment. By filling this research gap, the study will contribute to the development of more efficient and targeted resilience training programs that optimize the ability of soldiers to adapt and excel in challenging military environments. Methods: To address the issue, this study assessed the competencies comprising the master resilience training (MRT) program, widely recognized as one of the most effective military resilience training programs. Two groups of military experts, totaling 16 individuals, were involved in the evaluation process, representing two military contexts. The first group consisted of Ukrainian military experts whose experiences primarily focused on defending their own country's territory. The second group comprised Lithuanian military experts who had greater expertise in conducting military missions abroad. The assessment of resilience competencies was carried out using a deep analysis approach through the application of effective multicriteria decision making (MCDM). Specifically, the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method was used, which is a significant multicriteria technique used to determine relationships among criteria and assign weight coefficients. In this study, the DEMATEL model was extended using trapezoidal fuzzy numbers (TrFN-DEMATEL) to accommodate decision-making under uncertainty conditions. Results: The research findings highlight the critical importance of three core resilience competencies: self-regulation, mental agility and strength of character. The importance of each competency varies depending on the specific military context. When defending one's own country's territory, strength of character emerges as the key factor in enhancing soldiers' mental resilience. Conversely, during military operations abroad, self-regulation is the primary factor that promotes psychological resilience. Furthermore, the results show that these three primary competencies form a 'cause group' that influences other competencies through a cause-and-effect dependency. Conclusion: Based on the findings, the theoretical conclusion is drawn that the importance of resilience competencies is contextually differentiated. Furthermore, each resilience competency is associated with a set of causes or effects. These are valuable insights for improving resilience competency training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Croatica et Slavica Iadertina is the property of University of Zadar, Department of Croatian & Slavic Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Studies in Politics & Society / Polityka & Społeczeństwo is the property of University of Rzeszow and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The activities of European military missions in the Muslim countries of Asia and Northern Africa, at the end of the Enlightenment and the epoch of revolutions and Napoleonic wars that followed it, is fragmentarily represented in the historians' research works. The study summarizes the research of the activities of official European military missions in the Ottoman Empire, Egypt and Iran at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. In the context of the topic, the activities of military missions in Tunisia and some states of India are mentioned. The dispatch of officers to the East at that time was the first experience of the British, French and Prussian governments in using their military missions in Muslim countries. The time this way of interaction with Eastern states appeared, namely the last third of the 18th century - the first third of the 19th century was the subject of studies by some historians on specific countries. But summarizing work on the activities of European officers in Istanbul, Tehran, Cairo and Tunisia has not yet been created. The methodology of summarizing the activities of officers and sergeants from the European armies in this region allows us to come to important conclusions about the history of military modernization in the East. The work complements the history of European colonialism in Asia. This topic could not have been studied without the active assistance of European scholars. Literature on the topic of the study provided by colleagues and useful advice from professional historians contributed to the development of the researched problems. The study covers the initial stage of such a complex and intricate military-political process as the use of official military missions of European states in Asia and Muslim Africa and complements the author's previous works published earlier. The study shows versatile methods of influence on Muslim countries through the activities of military mission officers of European states. Espionage, ambitious adventures, latent arms trade, hidden influence on the military reforms of Asian countries and foreign policies of these states - this is by no means a complete list of the hidden work of military instructors sent from European capitals in the late 18th - early 19th centuries to a different cultural world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Tormented Alliance: American Servicemen & the Occupation of China, 1941–1949" by Zach Fredman explores the cultural divides and frictions that led to the failure of the Chinese-American relationship during the Chinese Civil War. The book examines the experiences of American servicemen in China, including their disgust at the local customs and living conditions, which led to a dehumanization of the Chinese people. The book also delves into the mistreatment of Chinese translators by American soldiers and the impact of sexual dynamics between American GIs and Chinese women on the relationship. While the book lays some blame on the United States for the outcome of the civil war, it also acknowledges the shortcomings of the Chinese Nationalist Party (GMD) regime. Overall, "The Tormented Alliance" provides valuable insights into the complexities of the U.S.-China relationship during this period. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the factors underpinning third-country participation in EU military and civilian missions, by focusing on one particular category of CSDP participating non-EU states, namely the Association Trio - Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. While these three states share several characteristics, including their form of association with the EU, their engagement in the Eastern Partnership, a similar geostrategic environment and common security threats, the extent of their CSDP involvement varies widely. The article explains this variation through a combination of third country-specific and EU-level variables, against the background of the broader post-Cold War security environment and the three countries' deepening integration with the EU. The role conceptions of the three countries stand out as a variable providing an accurate expectation of their foreign policy behaviour, anticipating Ukraine's prominent role in peacekeeping, Moldova's low-key involvement as a neutral state and Georgia's prioritisation of NATO. At a more practical level, the variation among the three countries' contributions to CSDP missions is to be understood in light of their human and financial resources, institutional capacities and adequacy of legal frameworks, as well as the EU's selective opening up of missions to third countries and the highly competitive selection process for civilian personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of a winter military field training course consisting of strenuous physical stressors (e.g. physical activity, sleep deprivation and cold weather) on cognitive performance among Finnish soldiers. Methods: Fifty-eight (age 19 ± 1 years, height 182 ± 6 cm, body mass 78.5 ± 7.2 kg) male soldiers took part in a 20-day military field training course in northern Finland. Cognitive performance was assessed before, during, and after the course four times on a tablet computer. Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) was used to assess soldier's executive and inhibitory function. Baddeley's 3-min reasoning task (BRT) was used to assess grammatical reasoning, and Change Blindness (CB) task was used to assess visual perception. Results: Strenuous winter field training had detrimental effects in all performance tests compared to baseline. SART response rate decreased 27.3% (p < 0.001), and BRT and CB task scores decreased 20.6% (p < 0.01) and 14.1% (p <.05), respectively. Conclusion: The present study showed a decline in soldier's cognitive performance after 20-days of physically demanding winter military field training. To be able to optimise field training, it is important to be aware of how cognitive performance changes during military exercises and missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unleashing of the Russian Federation's unprovoked and unprecedented war against Ukraine has led to significant risks, threats, and dangers in the socio-political and socio-economic spheres. The prevention and counteraction of these threats and dangers require strengthening state security and establishing close cooperation between the civilian and military sectors. The above indicates the chosen research topic's exceptional relevance and grounds its advanced study's expediency. This study aims to identify the issues of interaction between the civilian and military sectors in the context of state security and find ways to strengthen this interaction in the context of current challenges and dangers. General scientific methods of economic analysis and scientific knowledge form the methodological basis of the research. These methods include system analysis, synthesis, scientific abstraction, comparison, analogy, functional system approach, classification, graphical method, generalization, and systematization. The study findings show that the problems of interaction between the civilian and military sectors in the context of state security became particularly acute during the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. They have significantly intensified after its full-scale invasion in 2022 and threaten the system of ensuring peace and security on a global scale. The authors have found that strengthening the interaction between the civilian and military sectors will enhance the defense capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and their ability to withstand the war challenges. The greatest need for civil-military cooperation has been identified in such regions of Ukraine as Dnipro, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolaiv. Moreover, it has been found that the largest volumes of humanitarian aid and civil defense are directed to meet food and subsistence needs ($236.2 million), as well as to cover the costs of housing and non-food items ($143.1 million). The authors prove the necessity of adhering to the principles of military mission priority when civilian and military sectors interact to accomplish their tasks. The main directions for strengthening the interaction between the civilian and military sectors have been proposed. They include adopting the experience of civil-military relations units in NATO peacekeeping operations, improving the national system of civil-military relations and the structure of civil and military sector authorities, as well as ensuring the formation of appropriate conditions for the rapid achievement of goals during military operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]