Endgame for the West in Afghanistan? : explaining the decline in support for the war in Afghanistan in the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, France and Germany /

Analyses of the War in Afghanistan frequently mention the declining or shaky domestic support for the conflict in the United States and among several U.S. allies. This paper dates the beginning of this decline back to the resurgence of the Taliban in 2005-06 and suggests that the deteriorating course of the war on the ground in Afghanistan itself along with mounting casualties is the key reason behind this drop in domestic support for the war.

The PLA at home and abroad : assessing the operational capabilities of China's military /

The chapters presented in this volume have demonstrated first, Chinese and PLA leaders have a strong sense of mission and concern for China's security and well-being. Second, the PLA is committed to the transformation in military affairs with Chinese characteristics. Third, the PLA is eager to learn from the U.S. military to expand and improve its operational capabilities. Finally, the PLA has made progress in its transformation and operational capabilities. For a long time, American leaders have been surprised with the PLA's advances. This volume (and many of the previous volumes from past PLA conferences) show that these advances did not come out of the blue. Although much of the learning and many of the improvements are still far from what is desired (from Chinese expectations and American critiques), and some of the learning has even created contradictions for the PLA, these persistent and diligent learning practices will eventually bring the PLA to a higher level of proficiency in its capabilities. The emergence of a much more sophisticated PLA in the coming years should not be a surprise.

Towards a U.S. Army officer corps strategy for success : employing talent /

Efficient talent employment is at the core of the Army Officer Human Capital Model. However, the Army's current employment paradigm is unequal to the needs of a professional, volunteer Army facing the twin challenges of a competitive labor market and an increasingly complex global operating environment. It unduly prioritizes "fairness" when making assignments, has a narrowly defined pathway to senior leadership ranks, cannot see the talent it possesses, and suffers from severe principal-agent problems. Optimal employment theories, information age tools, and well-regulated market mechanisms can help the Army match individual officer talents against specific work requirements, reducing risk and achieving the depth and breadth of talent it needs, both now and in the future.

Child welfare and juvenile justice : federal agencies could play a stronger role in helping states reduce the number of children placed solely to obtain mental health services : report to congressional requesters /

"GAO-03-397."

Antibiotic resistance : federal agencies need to better focus efforts to address risk to humans from antibotics use in animals : report to congressional requesters /

"GAO-04-490."

Private health insurance : access to individual market coverage may be restricted for applicants with mental disorders : report to congressional requesters /

"GAO-02-339."

Social security disability : disappointing results from SSA's efforts to improve the disability claims process warrant immediate attention : report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Social Security, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representative /

"GAO-02-322."

Medicare : communications with physicians can be improved : report to congressional requesters /

"GAO-02-249."

Epiphanius.

Accompanying CD-ROM (inside back cover of Bd. 4) contains all the indexes found in Bd. 4 as a PDF file, readable and searchable using Adobe Acrobat software.

Earth for homes /

Bibliography: p. 59-70.

Real leadership and the U.S. Army : overcoming a failure of imagination to conduct adaptive work /

This monograph begins with a case study that provides a means for analyzing the complexity of organizational leadership in the contemporary security environment. As such, it presents a high stakes problem-set that required an operational adaptation by a cavalry squadron conducting combat operations in Baghdad. This problematic reality triggered the struggle to find a creative response to a very deadly problem, while cultural norms served as barriers that prevented the rejection of previously accepted solutions that had proven successful in the past, even though those successful solutions no longer fit in the context of the reality of the present. The case study highlights leaders who were constrained by deeply-held assumptions that inhibited their ability to adapt quickly to a changed environment. The case study then moves on to provide an example of a successful application of adaptive leadership and adaptive work that was performed by the organization after a period of reflection and the willingness to experiment and assume risk. The case study serves as a microcosm of the challenges facing the U.S. Army, and the corresponding leadership framework presented in this monograph can be used as a model for the Army as it attempts to move forward in its effort to make adaptation an institutional imperative. The paper presents a more holistic approach to leadership where the leader transcends that of simply being an authority figure and becomes a real leader who provides a safe and creative learning environment where the organization can tackle and solve adaptive challenges. The paper concludes by recommending that U.S. Army leaders apply Harvard Professor Dean Williams's theory to the challenges confronting the Army's leader development process thereby fostering a culture of adaptive leaders.

Skilled nursing facilities : available data show average nursing staff time changed little after Medicare payment increase : report to congressional committees.

"GAO-03-176."

Building on A time to act : an advisory document to the Secretary of Agriculture, Ann M. Veneman, from the USDA Advisory Committee on Small Farms /

"Strategies for implementing sections of the National Commission on Small Farms report, "A Time to Act"--P. 1.

Education insight /

Caption title.

Illinois detailed annual report of revenues and expenditures.

Includes 2 or more report data disks and 1 Adobe Acrobat reader software disk per report.