Advanced Project Management unit 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advanced Project Management unit 2 - Essay Example Unless the basic guidelines of BoK are adhered to, organizations would not be able to achieve competitive advantage through effective PM. Changes in technology, changes in HRM and constraints of time require organizations to be more efficient. The Maturity Models provide a logical path for progressive development. The PM team at Toyota could achieve significant competitive advantage and respond to the changing business environment through the application of the principles, and the tools and techniques of PM (Maylor, 2010). Procedurilisation has to be adhered to and then creativity can be implemented, if projects have to be completed successfully. If it was not for the BoK, project managers would not know how to organize, manage and control projects (Evans, n.d.). BoK helps organizations to deal with critical issues and project planning is at the heart of project management. BoK does not encourage autonomy and empowerment. On the contrary they insist that procedures should be adhered to. If procedures are adhered to creativity is stifled. Without creativity and innovation projects may not achieve the desired level of success. According to PMI, the standards have to be ‘consistently applied’ to achieve organizational excellence (PMI, 2012). BoK does not merely provide the basic guidelines, but the standards have to be consistently applied! If the organization or the project manager has to adhere to the five processes containing nine knowledge areas as per the BoK, there is little room for individual growth and development. If all projects follow the same nine principles, all projects are likely to follow the same mundane path and may not be able to cope with or respond to changes in technology. Certification programs in PMP are supposed to enhance eligibility to engage in the principles of BoK. However, failures of projects are a common phenomenon. This explains the importance of innovation in project management. This also implies that BoK restrict

Obsession and the consequence Essay Example for Free

Obsession and the consequence Essay Agrippas work inspired Frankenstein and he describes the effect of it, as a new light seemed to dawn upon my mind. This is the birth of his obsession As Frankenstein grows older his craving for knowledge dwells and if anything becomes more potent as his obsession grows. One could think that Frankensteins thirst for knowledge is partly driven by his fathers comments such as calling the work of Agrippa and such scientists trash, Frankenstein later explains that if instead of such remarks his father had taken time to explain that Agrippas principles had all become highly disreputable he would have thrown Agrippa aside. Instead he was left to read the book and decide for himself if it was trash or the highest level of intelligence. During the novel Frankenstein even names his father as the sole contributor to his obsession with science if instead of his remarks my father had taken the pains to explain that the principles of Agrippa had been entirely exploded I should certainly have thrown Agrippa aside. Frankensteins obsession for knowledge is constantly growing especially during his days at Ingolstadt but is accelerated when M Waldman starts to teach him. Frankenstein immediately gains a good understanding and high mutual level of respect for each other an aspect expressive of the greatest benevolence. Waldman later explains that miracles can happen, this gives wind to Frankensteins imagination and after Waldmans Death ultimately leads him to fulfill his wildest dreams to be respected, obtain more knowledge and most importantly play God. Frankensteins obsession is at its strongest during the creation of the monster. By this point the thirst for knowledge has even started to take over his inner thoughts Cornelius Agrippa, Albertus Magnus and Paracelsus the lords of my imagination. This shows that due to Frankensteins self isolation, working through both day and night darkness has no effect upon my mind he has lost all touch with the borders of society and even reality, furthermore the use of the word Lord implies that Frankenstein looks up to Agrippa etc as if they were Godly figures. One very powerful point that Shelley puts across during the novel is that with desire and obsession come consequences; the most potent example of this comes with the consequences that come with Frankensteins ambition that leads to the creation of the monster. After the monsters creation Frankenstein quickly comes to his senses and sees the now dubbed monster for the monstrosity it is and rejects it how can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe. Now rejected the monster soon learns that rejection and hatred are the only affection he will receive from man, although he does find friendship with an old blind man for a while but he is soon discovered by the mans family, beaten and driven away. This shows that although he meant well only hatred and loneliness came as a consequence of Frankensteins selfishness. Now realizing he must live in solitude the monster goes back to Frankenstein to ask him to create a companion for him, you must create a female for me with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being I demand it of you as a right that you must not refuse to concede. This statement shows that there is a degree of control about the monsters persona with regards to Frankenstein; furthermore the word demand implies that instead of asking Frankenstein to do this he is now ordering him as if he were a superior power and intellect, this is another consequence. Frankenstein is reluctant to fulfill the monsters request as he knows it will more than likely double the problem, Frankenstein explains his reasons for this to the monster, the monster brushes these aside and blames Frankenstein solely for any misfortunes he has endured and uses persuasive and empathetic language in order to change Frankensteins mind, have I not suffered enough that you seek to increase my misery this language Shelley uses makes the reader start to sympathise for the monster. In addition to this the monster threatens not just Frankenstein but his loved ones also, if I cannot inspire love I will cause fear this is a threat aimed at Frankensteins one real weak point his family. Frankenstein eventually agrees to make his companion and is told I shall watch the progress with unutterable anxiety when you are ready I shall appear, this implies that now that Frankenstein has agreed to take the task he cannot escape it unscathed. When Frankenstein eventually decides not to complete his most abhorred task the monster is enraged and holds to his threat if I can not inspire love I will cause fear. Because of Frankensteins refusal to make the monster a companion the monster starts to kill his family, starting with his younger brother Will, he later kills his wife Elizabeth on their wedding night and then his father dies, this is but another consequence of his obessesion. The death that seems to effect Frankenstein most is that of Elizabeth, he describes the effect as why am I here to retale the destruction of the best hope an purest creature of Earth, this means that he has played a major part in the destruction of not only his wife but the purest being on Earth. Frankenstein eventually pays the ultimate consequence for his creation of the monster with his life. After all the death of his loved ones that he has had to endure Frankenstein finally decides he has nothing more to loose and decides he will find and confront the monster but because of exhaustion he cannot go on, there is a strong sense of irony about the deaths of Frankenstein and his loved ones as they all came as a consequence of Frankenstein wanting to create life. Frankenstein is a well-known classic about on mans ambition to create life, but ironically as a result of its creation; ultimately life is destroyed. 1 Jack Sponder Explore Discuss and Consider the ways in which Shelley Presents the Discovery Scientific Possibilities, Obsession and Consequences of desire In Frankenstein Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

State Bank of Patiala Analysis

State Bank of Patiala Analysis State Bank of Patiala is a public sector bank in India with its headquarters at Patiala, a city in the state of Punjab. The bank is an associate of the State Bank Group and offers core banking solutions to its customers. State Bank of Patiala (SBP) was established in 1917 by the king of the then princely state of Patiala. It was then called Patiala State Bank. After independence in 1947, the bank became a subsidiary of the state government of Punjab. In 1960, it became an associate bank of the State Bank Group. With the nationalization of the State Bank Group in 1969, SBOP became a public sector bank. The State Bank of Patiala has identified specialized segments and designed varied products to meet the needs of such segments. The segments are for the purposes are as follow: Personal banking Agriculture rural banking NRI banking SME corporate banking Government banking Internet banking Mobile banking The bank has now added a golden chapter to its history by fully networking all its branches on Core Banking Solutions on 08.08.2005 and become the first fully networked Public Sector Bank in the country. Bank distribute through As far as the distribution channel of products and services of the bank is concerned, I have come to know that state bank of Patiala has mostly indirect channels of distribution of its products and services but direct channels also to some extent. The bank is having various tie ups with many companies for the distribution of its products. If the loan section is taken bank maximum use its indirect channel for the distribution of the products which are as follow:- Scheme for Financing of Commercial Vehicles under Tie-up with:- Ashok Leyland Limited Eicher Motors Limited Force Motors Limited Tata Motors Limited Maruti udhyog ltd. Mahindra motors Scheme for finance of Motor Cycles and Scooters under Tie-up with:- Hero Honda Motors Limited: Scheme for extending facilities to Franchisee outlets in the form of Bank Guarantee/Term Loan. Monte Carlo Cotton County Bank is also under the Tata nano special financing scheme with the Tata motors. Moreover the bank is in the MOU for loan to the students of the Frankfinn Aviation Services Ltd. which will ensure 100 per cent financing of the tuition fee of its students for the one-year courses in aviation crew and hospitality and travel industry. Moreover for the NRI banking bank is having again indirect distribution channel and having various tie ups with: Thomas cook money transfer Wall Street money exchange Western union money transfer SBOP has also various tie ups with foreign banks for the transfer of funds, currency etc  . The SBOP also provides the various services like insurance, mutual funds etc. and for its distribution the bank is having SBI- life, oriental insurance ltd, SBI- mutual funds SBI- card etc. As far as direct channels are concerned bank used the internet banking and mobile banking for its distribution of the products. Why SBOP use indirect channel so Now the next thing arises that why SBOP mostly use the indirect channel. As it is known that there are mainly two channels of marketing which are: Direct Channel A direct distribution channel is where a company sells their products direct to consumers. Indirect Channel The indirect channel is used by companies who do not sell their goods directly to consumers. But the direct channel has one major drawback i.e. characteristically present in conventional retailing which means it doesnt allow any options. Moreover, although direct selling saves channel costs, commission paid to as high as 30-35% of retail price. Also recruiting training motivating and retaining good sale people is difficult and expensive task. For direct selling face-to-face interaction must be capable of producing a significant value addition to the consumer, compared to be purchasing from retail shop. Finally channel becomes fail when circumstances changes. So in order to overcome from all these problems bank mostly uses the indirect channels of distribution. Moreover Suppliers and manufacturers typically use indirect channels because they exist early in the supply chain. Companies choose the indirect channel best suited for their product to obtain the best market share; it also allows them to focus on producing their goods. So in nutshell it would be suggested to bank that the bank should try to use direct channels in more terms because while direct channels were not popular many years ago, the Internet has greatly increased the use of direct channels. Additionally, companies needing to cut costs may use direct channels to avoid middlemen markups on their products. Depending on the industry and product, direct distribution channels have become more prevalent due to the Internet. Like in present scenario everyone use the internet for any sort of information so now the days banks are concentrating more upon direct channels rather to distribute indirectly. SBOP is also doing the same.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Malaysia

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Malaysia Introduction Corporate social responsibility (CSR) implied that the firms consideration of, and response to, issues beyond the narrow economic, technical and legal requirements of the firm and to accomplish social benefits along with the traditional economic gains which the firms seek.(Husted 2003). The inception and framework of CSR was first created by the European Union in promoting the CSR to the environment and society that is related to business. European Commission (2001) defined CSR as a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis that by developing awareness and responsibility that leads to enhance the success of the business. CSR implementation can be divided in two areas which are Internal and external. In internal area, CSR practices basically deals with the people that are related to the business internally such as employees and any other issues that is involved to the management of the production and resources such as safety environment and health assurance in investing in human capital. On the other hand, in external area, the socially responsibilities involved a large range of stakeholders to the company business such as suppliers, customers, government and shareholders. CSR is defined as open and transparent business practices that are based on ethical values and respect for the community, employees, the environment, shareholders and other stakeholders. It is designed to deliver sustainable value to society at large. CSR supports Triple Bottom Line reporting which emphasizes the economic, social and environmental bottom-line wellness. CSR goes beyond compliance to laws. And we wish to emphasizes this. It is important to avoid a legalistic way of thinking when considering CSR. There is no universal approach to CSR. Companies are free to adopt what suits them. However there are some basic concepts that cut across all definitions and these should be considered in crafting a companys CSR vision. CSR is not about compliance or philanthropy or public relations. It often involves cultural transformation in a company as it integrates CSR concepts into its operations and decision making. Vitally, CSR involves communicating the companys actions to its stakeho lders and encouraging their feedback. Only in this way can a company have a dynamic and relevant CSR vision. Literature Review In Malaysia, the disclosure of CSR on annual report is voluntary. The choice of social issues disclosed tends to reflect the Malaysian Governments priority or the particular obligations which companies have. Corporate Social Disclosure (CSD) may have the potential to strengthen stakeholder relationships as reporting promotes corporate transparency and instills greater confidence and trust amongst stakeholders. CSD represents an additional channel for engaging stakeholders in a dialogue, and it enables companies to identify and address key issues of concern to their stakeholders. CSR disclosure has been the subject of substantial academic accounting research (Farook and Lanis 2005; Gray, Owen and Maunders 1987), however, while there has been research relating to annual reports in general, little has been undertaken focusing on CSR disclosure by PLCs, which can influence many people in society, view their social responsibility, and if indeed they discharge their social accountability b y voluntarily disclosing CSR information (Gray, Kouhy and Lavers 1995). Announcement of YAB Prime Ministers Budget 2007 has stated the requirement for all Public Listed Company (PLC) to disclose any CSR activities in the Company Annual Report and to adopt and manage the CSR activities in their own business practices. There is also stated the Bursa Malaysias CSR framework for PLCs guideline in promoting CSR practices. Bursa Malaysia CSR framework has outlined 3 critical elements in CSR practice. The first element is the establishment framework created from the national policies and aspirations, so that the establishment of CSR is towards to national goals and objectives. The second element is the flexibility of the disclosure framework. PLCs are required to disclose CSR statement in the company annual report. The framework gives opportunity to PLCs to practice CSR in their own creativity and action as they manage the best action for the company. Lastly, this framework is not just a step by step prescription but it is a guideline for the PLCs in promoting CSR practices. This is important for the company to establish efficient CSR practices and policies. Every PLCs need to create their own creative and effective CSR practices relevance to the framework guidelines. The Bursa Malaysia CSR Framework looks at 4 main focal areas for CSR practice. They are the environment, the workplace, the community and the marketplace, in no order of priority. In the environment area, CSR focus on a variety of issues such as the use of energy on how the company allocates its usage effectively and to reduce any damages that can adverse effect to environment. In the community area, the relation of the company and the community is a two way communication. For example supporting employee involvement in community issues enriches the community and the company. Companies can be creative in looking at how they can contribute to children, youth development and the under-privileged. The opportunities for company interaction with the community are vast. In the marketplace area, the important stakeholders such as shareholders, suppliers, and customers can be identified so that companies can interact responsibly with this group in a number of ways, such as raising the standar ds of Corporate Governance within the company so that it meets shareholder expectations is a further consideration. Lastly, is in the workplace area. Employees are drawn from society and so everything that related to staff needs to be socially responsible, whether we are dealing with basic human rights or gender issues. A quality work environment and health safety are obvious considerations in inculcating in the employees and the values which the company holds dear if the CSR is practiced in that company. A company should focus on areas such as economic, environmental and social when developing sustainability strategy (Szekely Knirsch 2005). Sustainability strategy development can be based on legitimacy, economic and social theories. These theories explain social disclosures pattern by organizations (Haniffa Cooke 2005) and thus, practicing of CSR. Legitimacy theory is whereby corporate social disclosures were motivated by the corporate need to legitimize activities (Hogner 1982). This is where corporate management will react to community expectations (Guthrie Parker, 1989). Thus, companies are expected to carry out activities that are acceptable by the community. Corporate social disclosure can be used to appease some of the concerns of the relevant publics and also as a proactive legitimation strategy to obtain continued inflows of capital and to please ethical investors (Haniffa Cooke 2005). Second, economic theory reflects the degree of association of CSR and financial perform ance by taking consideration of cost-related advantages, market advantages and reputation advantages (Chamhuri Wan Noramelia 2004). In the business, CSR is concerned with employment, lifelong learning, consultation and participation of workers, equal opportunities and integration of people towards restructuring and industrial change to promote quality and diversity in the workplace and health and safety strategy. Lastly, the social issues include the benefits offered in terms of training related to safety, health and environment, donations, education scheme, medical benefits and others. (Chamhuri Wan Noramelia 2004). Environmental issues emphasize on preserving and conserving natural resources such as conducting recycling activities, water and process treatment and compliance with authority regulations and requirements. Many enterprises recognized the importance of their responsibilities towards the environment and take them seriously by setting targets for continually improving t heir performance while ensuring the compliance with all relevant legislation. Organizations also have a range of impacts on the communities within which they operate and in at least some measures, disclosed these issues in their own CSR reports and information. CSR social activities may include charitable contributions to local and national organizations such as fundraising, donations and gifts in areas where it trades and others like regeneration of deprived communities, reclamation of derelict land and creation of new regeneration jobs. Development of strategies and programs on social and environmental issues enabled firms to gain close relationship with community. Firms could take initiatives by conducting campaigns, seminars, workshops and giving donation to the society. This way enables a company to meet its CSR commitment and indirectly acts as a marketing and promotional strategy. As the result, higher market share can be obtained, which lead to higher revenues from larger sales. Policies, strategies and programs that are associated with social activities can be used to indicate the level of CSRs commitment of an organization. Organizations too, need to meet the customers demand and expectations. As to maintain good relationship and attract more customers, enterprises are taking initiatives to fulfill the demand of providing such information. For instance, eco-labeling is a way of communicating organizations social responsibility to public. Besides, CSR is also concerned with employment, equal opportunities and integration of people towards restructuring and industrial change. Employees who feel protected and appreciated will increase their productivity in production and thus, achieving economies of scale. Comparable in CSR Perspective of KFC Holdings (M) Bhd PJ Development Holdings Bhd KFC Holdings (M) Bhd KFC Holdings take into account the priority of CSR by continuing put a great emphasis on conducting business in a responsible and ethical way. From improvement on their products and services to helping the communities in which they operate, they continue to seek out ways to enrich the responsibility to their stakeholders. In ways of strengthening local communities, promoting equal opportunities in the workplace, developing human capital, enhancing customers experience and improving the lives around the company. The Board and management at KFCH will continue to adhere to the values of responsibility, integrity and compassion in all areas of our business. In doing so, they are determined to make a positive contribution to society while building confidence and goodwill among stakeholders. To achieve this they adhere to wide-ranging Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs spread out over six pillars. These are, to champion the Halal cause, to improve educational standards, to encourage entrepreneurial development, to promote a healthy lifestyle, to foster a sense of national unity, and to help the less fortunate. KFCH has disclosed their CSR activities in Annual Report 2009 by following the 4 main local area as stated by Bursa Malaysias CSR Frameworks. The first area is community. KFCH remains committed towards giving, whenever the opportunity arises, to anyone in need of a helping hand and recently, KFCH proposed the incorporation of Yayasan Amal Bistari, a corporate foundation which will be the means through which CSR activities, endeavours and programmes of all KFCH entities and brands are carried out. Projek penyayang is held by giving KFC to the less fortunate, the elderly and orphans throughout Malaysia, every quarter of the year. KFCH also held Walk For Charity and giving aid where needed in support of Hunger Relief 2009. KFCH, Johor Corporation and Bistari young entrepreneur Sdn Bhd (Bye), the developers and marketeers of Catur Bistari, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that will allow KFC to sell the Cilik Bistari board game, a simplified version of Catur Bistari for younger children, at all its outlets. The KFC sailing team raced alongside other competitors at every regatta organized by the Malaysian yacht Associatio n. Elsewhere, KFC futsal teams competed with the best in the JKing Futsal Challenge Johor 2009, as well as i-Futsal championship organized by Harian Metro. KFC also involved with International Kite Festival in Pasir Gudang, Johor and Bintulu, Sarawak. KFCH also held Annual Buka Puasa session at Ayamas Port Klang in 2009 and saw a turnout of over 2,500 employees and were joined by 400 orphans who received goodie bags and food from KFC and RasaMas. KFCH had the privilege of sponsoring two episodes of Tijarah Ramadhan, a television program dedicated to featuring companies which donate to the underprivileged. Second area is marketplace. KFCH interacts and communicate with customers, suppliers, governmental and non-governmental bodies and observe how corporate initiatives and products affect the communities and the environment. Marketplace CSR initiatives include programs towards improving Halal standards and building future entrepreneurs. KFCH participated in the World Halal Forum, which participation was in the form of sponsorship and product showcase. KFCH once again participated in Malaysias largest food and beverage exhibition and the worlds largest international Halal trade fair by setting up a booth and promoting Halal certified products and services to the thousands of visitors from all over the world. KFCH also participate in Halal Food Standards Realisation (Hafstar) event organized throughout the country to promote Malaysian Halal Standards and to regularise and discuss the standard procedures of handling, processing and storing of food based on Shariah and Malaysian Standards. The Gerak Usahawan Siswa initiative was undertaken in the hope of imparting an interest in business and entrepreneur development amongst university students. The Group collaborates with the Bistari Young Entrepreneur Sdn Bhd in mentorship programmes and educational lectures that help develop young Malaysian entrepreneurial talents. This includes the Tunas Bistari, Didik Bistari and Siswa Bistari Entrepreneur Programmes. The third area is workplace. KFCH has more than 18,000 employees go to work every day striving to be the best in the business. KFCH implement varios of activities to create individuals who are the best-in-class in their awareness, capability, proficiency and drive for success. KFCH implement Pedoman 2009, the annual event to appreciate their employees loyalty and effort. The one day event was attended by all Restaurant Managers from KFC, Pizza Hut, RasaMas and Kedai Ayamas, as well as support staff from all over the country. KFC and Pizza Hut organized the National Champs Challenge in Kuala Lumpur with the best of the best from Restaurant Managers and staff coming together to play off intensely in the final rounds, competing to emerge as National Champions and represent Malaysia at the Regional Champs Challenge. KFCH also carried out the Management Associated Program to recruit new graduates who have now become part of our permanent staff. KFCH also held annual Hari Mekar competition as teams from throughout the Group battled it out in various categories in an effort to be crowned the Overall Champions. The winners then represented KFCH at the Grand Finals of Hari Mekar organised by Johor. The last area is the environment. KFCH conscious of the responsibility towards the environment and as such have taken steps to understand and minimize the impact of ther business on the environment without compromising operational standards or shareholder value. A major environmental challenge that has been undertaken continues to be in the area of waste water management. This waste water management measure has been undertaken by KFCH plants that have problems with waste water such as Ayamas Port Klang, Ayamas Bandar Tenggara, Johor, Bakery Outlet at Kompleks KFC Glenmarie and Region Food Industries. These KFC plants and outlets have been treats the final discharge waste water in compliance with the DOE Standard for discharge. KFCH also agreed with proposed treatment process will use the Biological Treatment System, which uses a UASB (Up-Flow Anaerobic Sludge Bed) and AICAR (Alternative Intermittent Cyclic Reactor) and also using a chemical and bio treatment continuous processor, the plant treats 250 cubic meters per day. PJ Development Holdings Bhd On the other hand, PJHD outlined the CSR events in their annual report 2009. These CSR activities are Bukit Bintang Central Gotong Royong, Charity Christmas Carolers, Charity Outreach Project to Trinity Childrens Centre, Christmas Cheer with House of Joy, Beach Gotong Royong, Mooncake Festival Celebration, Earth Day, Turtle Conservation Week, PJD Green the Day, PJD Kids, Tree Planting, Charity Buka Puasa, Blood Donation Drives and Provision of Garbage Compactor Recycle Bins. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities for PJD Group have become more focused in the last financial year under review. PJDH efforts in becoming a more responsible corporate citizen have led us to contribute more towards the well-being of the community surrounding us. In community area, PJDH held activities such as outings and festive cheers with orphanages continue to be on each of our divisions CSR agenda. On a Group basis, they organized an outing with 4 orphanages, namely the Sinthamani Divine Life Ashram, Rumah Amal Baitul Kasih, Lifesprings Childrens Welfare Home and Good Samaritan Home and other charity drives raising over RM40,000. In workplace area, the Group also organized several Blood Donation Drives throughout all its office locations nationwide. The blood donation drives conducted at our head office, branches, factory and hotels were well participated by employees, friends and public alike and that will be a regular activity on PDH CSR agenda. In environment are, the Group still maintains its CSR programs to protect the environment such as provision of garbage and recycle bins, recycling rain water, recycling excess concrete in our construction sites and championing the localized version of the United Nations Local Agenda 21 Waste Management Project within the Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur area and Green Tree Planting Day. PJD Group now has an internal CSR portal where all CSR activities are shared amongst all office locations. Given the fantastic response, this portal has proven its role in encouraging employees to contribute ideas toward developing initiatives that benefit the Group and its stakeholders in line with our CSR slogan, Together We Build a Brighter Future. Conclusion Both of the company fulfilled the CSRs frameworks as stated by the Bursa Malaysia which are the environment, the workplace, the community and the marketplace except for PJDH that did not disclosed any marketplace area of CSR

Essay --

A good day being crawled up on the couch watching television socializing and stacking. Snacks are great! So just chips, cookies, ice cream especially those Caramel choose. Food is not the easiest thing to understand. Food is much more complicated than just eating it, because many foods can lead to a deadly epidemic called obesity. Obesity, a disease of the 21st-century, is causing millions to die each year because of health issues such as, heart disease and diabetes. "Obesity is defined as having excess body fat"(CDC) obesity is quickly spreading and is very dangerous. Obesity is very different than being overweight. Overweight is just another term for being "fat" were as, obesity means that your body is made up of 30% or more fat. (CDC) "Globesity," The term was first used by World Health Organization meaning obesity is affecting a great portion of the population. W. H.O. Termed the word globesity because obesity has turned into a global epidemic and is very popular. (WHO) The older you get the harder it is to lose weight. As you get older is harder to lose weight because your metabolism slows down.(Allman) When it comes to your Weight, a good way to find out if you are overweight or even obese is your BMI or body mass index. If you BNI is between 25 and 29 you were considered overweight. If your BMI is 30+ then you're considered overweight. (Overweight) Many parents often claim that their kid is not overweight and just has a little baby fat. In fact, babyfat often turned into obesity by second-grade. (Robbins) 27% of America is obese and only 35% of America Holds a normal weight. That leaves an additional 35% of Americans that are overweight. Over 40 million, or one out of three children and teens are overweight or obese. Over ... ... understand is that obesity is a problem of its own. Obesity is classified as a disease! If someone is obese they have a disease and they sooner than later will die! However, like all diseases, obesity can be cured. Type 2 diabetes is one of obesity’s biggest causes, it often times makes people very irritable and is a result of low insulin. Obesity causes heart disease such as heart attack and stroke. this is from lack of cardio-vascular exercise. Obesity also cause bone and joint issues, and the main three are, charcot joint, diabetic hand syndrome and osteoporosis. Walking running and standing are all part of bone and joint issues. Obesity also causes sleep apnea and asthma. Sleep apnea causes you to have trouble breathing when you are sleeping and also causes you to have trouble sleeping. Asthma is the shortage of the breath due to the bronchi of the lungs. (CDC)

Ulysses S. Grant Essay -- biographies bio biography

Ulysses S. Grant   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On April 27, 1822 a boy was born to Jesse Root Grant and Hannah Simpson Grant in the small town of Point Pleasant, Ohio. They named their son Hiram Ulysses Grant. In 1823 the family moved to a town nearby called Georgetown, Ohio, where Ulysses’ father owned a tannery and some farmland. Grant had two brothers and three sisters born in Georgetown.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ulysses attended school in Georgetown until he was 14. He then spent one year at the academy in Maysville, Kentucky, and in 1838, he entered an academy in nearby Ripely, Ohio. Early in 1839, his father learned that a neighbors son had been dismissed from the U.S. Military Academy. Jesse asked his congressman to appoint Ulysses as a replacement. The congressman made a mistake in Grant’s name. He thought that Ulysses was his first name and his middle name that of his mother’s maiden name. But Ulysses never corrected the mistake.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grant was an average student at West Point. He spent most of his free time reading novels and little time studying. He ranked high in math and was very good at horsemanship. Ulysses did not like the military life and had no intention of making it his career. Instead he considered teaching mathematics in a college.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grant graduated from West Point in 1843 and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He was assigned to the 4th Infantry Regiment stationed near St. Louis. It was there that he met Julia Dent. They fell in love and soon became engages. The threat of war with Mexico delayed their wedding plans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1847, Grant took part in the capture of Mexico City and won a promotion for his skill and bravery. He reached the rank of 1st Lieutenant by the end of the war. Grant returned to St. Louis as soon as he could and on Aug. 22, 1848, he was married to Julia Dent. During their marriage, the Grant’s had four children: Frederick, Ulysses S. Jr., Ellen, and Jesse Root Jr.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Civil War Era   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grant was almost 39 years old when the Civil War began in 1861. He had freed his only slave in 1859 and strongly opposed secession. After President Abraham Lincoln called for Army volunteers, Grant helped drill a company that was formed in Galena. Then he went to Springfield, the state capital, and worked for the Illinois assistant general. Grant asked the federal government for a commission as colonel, but his requ... ...e ring from exposure. Grant stoutly defended Babcock, who was cleared of the charges. Many other officials were convicted of defrauding the government. In spite of the growing list of scandals, many Republican leaders wanted to nominate Grant for a third term as president. But Grant refused to run again. In June 1876, the Republicans nominated Governor Rutherford B. Hayes of Ohio for president. Hayes won the presidency by a margin of only one electoral vote.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Grant retired in 1879, he had about $100,000 in savings and decided to invest it in a banking firm called Grant & Ward. His son was a partner in this company. Grant knew nothing about banking, but his son assured him that Ferdinand Ward was a financial genius. The collapse of the company came in 1884 leaving Grant almost penniless. In order to make a living after this great loss, Grant began writing magazine articles about his war experiences. Soon he began to write his memoirs. The memoirs were a great success and earned Grant’s family about $500,000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1885, Grant moved to Mount McGregor, New York, near Saratoga. Grant died on July 23,1885 from cancer. His wife later died in 1902. Ulysses S. Grant Essay -- biographies bio biography Ulysses S. Grant   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On April 27, 1822 a boy was born to Jesse Root Grant and Hannah Simpson Grant in the small town of Point Pleasant, Ohio. They named their son Hiram Ulysses Grant. In 1823 the family moved to a town nearby called Georgetown, Ohio, where Ulysses’ father owned a tannery and some farmland. Grant had two brothers and three sisters born in Georgetown.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ulysses attended school in Georgetown until he was 14. He then spent one year at the academy in Maysville, Kentucky, and in 1838, he entered an academy in nearby Ripely, Ohio. Early in 1839, his father learned that a neighbors son had been dismissed from the U.S. Military Academy. Jesse asked his congressman to appoint Ulysses as a replacement. The congressman made a mistake in Grant’s name. He thought that Ulysses was his first name and his middle name that of his mother’s maiden name. But Ulysses never corrected the mistake.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grant was an average student at West Point. He spent most of his free time reading novels and little time studying. He ranked high in math and was very good at horsemanship. Ulysses did not like the military life and had no intention of making it his career. Instead he considered teaching mathematics in a college.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grant graduated from West Point in 1843 and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He was assigned to the 4th Infantry Regiment stationed near St. Louis. It was there that he met Julia Dent. They fell in love and soon became engages. The threat of war with Mexico delayed their wedding plans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1847, Grant took part in the capture of Mexico City and won a promotion for his skill and bravery. He reached the rank of 1st Lieutenant by the end of the war. Grant returned to St. Louis as soon as he could and on Aug. 22, 1848, he was married to Julia Dent. During their marriage, the Grant’s had four children: Frederick, Ulysses S. Jr., Ellen, and Jesse Root Jr.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Civil War Era   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grant was almost 39 years old when the Civil War began in 1861. He had freed his only slave in 1859 and strongly opposed secession. After President Abraham Lincoln called for Army volunteers, Grant helped drill a company that was formed in Galena. Then he went to Springfield, the state capital, and worked for the Illinois assistant general. Grant asked the federal government for a commission as colonel, but his requ... ...e ring from exposure. Grant stoutly defended Babcock, who was cleared of the charges. Many other officials were convicted of defrauding the government. In spite of the growing list of scandals, many Republican leaders wanted to nominate Grant for a third term as president. But Grant refused to run again. In June 1876, the Republicans nominated Governor Rutherford B. Hayes of Ohio for president. Hayes won the presidency by a margin of only one electoral vote.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Grant retired in 1879, he had about $100,000 in savings and decided to invest it in a banking firm called Grant & Ward. His son was a partner in this company. Grant knew nothing about banking, but his son assured him that Ferdinand Ward was a financial genius. The collapse of the company came in 1884 leaving Grant almost penniless. In order to make a living after this great loss, Grant began writing magazine articles about his war experiences. Soon he began to write his memoirs. The memoirs were a great success and earned Grant’s family about $500,000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1885, Grant moved to Mount McGregor, New York, near Saratoga. Grant died on July 23,1885 from cancer. His wife later died in 1902.

Military Downsizing

Running Head: WHAT OPTIONS MIGHT THE PENTAGON CONSIDER What Options Might the Pentagon Consider When Discussing the Downsizing of the Services as Well as Change Overseas Basing Richard Giadone Columbia Southern University MBA 5652 Research Methods Running Head: WHAT OPTIONS MIGHT THE PENTAGON CONSIDER Permanently stationing forces overseas gives the U. S. military a strategic advantage–but at a price. That price is paid not only in terms of budgetary cost but in terms of the personnel, units, and equipment needed to support forces stationed outside the United States. We will compare the U. S. forces stationed in Europe and East Asia against the monetary and personnel cost of keeping them there. Forward Based Versus Forward Deployed Forces The U. S. forces can be maintained overseas on either temporary or a permanent basis. Units or personnel that are in a foreign country on a permanent basis are said to be forward based or forward stationed. In contrast, units and their associated personnel that are in a foreign country for a limited time, typically six months or a year, while taking part in exercises or operations are said to be forward deployed. An example of such forces is those now deployed in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. ) Although the distinction may appear to be minimal, it has important consequences for military forces and personnel. Forward Based Units Units that are permanently based outside the United States remain in place while individuals assigned to the units come and go. For example, the 2nd Infantry Division (2nd I D) has been stationed in South Korea since the 1950s, as a result of the Korean War armistice. While the division, with its headquarters and subordinate units, remain in place, some 13,000 Army soldiers rotate through it on one-year unaccompanied tours. The services are now allowing families to accompany service members to Korea for two Running Head: WHAT OPTIONS MIGHT THE PENTAGON CONSIDER year tours. Korea has an 8% personnel turnover each month. And, 20% of all Soldiers on assignment to Korea never show. In other locations, such as Germany, U. S. military personnel serve three year tours with units stationed there and can bring their families with them. With the help of allies, the United States has built up large infrastructures overseas to support forward stationed units, assigned personnel, and their families. Almost all overseas bases that permanently house large numbers of U. S. service members include all of the amenities of bases in the United States, such as commissaries, chapels, exercise facilities, and post offices. In addition, in places where families may accompany service members, the Department of Defense (DoD) has established schools for military dependents. In Germany alone, DoD runs 70 schools for more than 30,000 children who are dependents of U. S. military personnel and DoD civilians. Another aspect of forward based units is that personnel serving with them are considered on permanent assignment instead of temporary duty and thus undergo a â€Å"permanent change of station† (PCS) when they move from an assignment in the United States to an assignment overseas. In a PCS move, service members can take along their household goods (including automobiles) at the government's (taxpayer’s) expense, regardless of whether they are accompanied by family members. The fact that personnel are assigned to, and move in and out of forward based units on an individual basis creates continual turnover in those units. With the three-year tours common in Germany, one-third of the individuals in a particular unit will turn over every Running Head: WHAT OPTIONS MIGHT THE PENTAGON CONSIDER year and the entire population will turn over in three years. Moreover, when individuals complete a tour with a forward-based unit, they are generally assigned to a different unit in the United States than the one they served in before going overseas. Forward Deployed Units Forward deployed forces, such as those now in Afghanistan or Kosovo, are overseas on a temporary basis only. The United States does not anticipate having forces stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan for the next 50 years, as it has done in Germany. Rather, it anticipates that once Afghanistan is secure, U. S. troops will be withdrawn and not replaced. As a consequence, the United States has no plans to build elaborate bases to house U. S. forces in Afghanistan. Likewise, for the most part, military personnel are not assigned to duty in Afghanistan the same way they are to duty in South Korea or Germany. If a unit based in the United States, such as the 25th Infantry Division, is assigned to duty in Afghanistan for nine months to a year, all of the personnel associated with the division who are eligible will deploy to Afghanistan for the length of the tour. Neither soldiers' personal belongings (excluding some individual items) nor their families will accompany them. Furthermore, as much as possible, all of the individuals assigned to the unit will deploy and stay with it for the entire period and return to the home base together. Those deployed forces are often included in tallies of U. S. forces overseas, but in fact they are officially considered to be overseas on a temporary basis, even though some operations supported by rotational deployments have continued for years    Running Head: WHAT OPTIONS MIGHT THE PENTAGON CONSIDER U. S. Forces Based in Europe The United States has about 100,000 military personnel forward based in Europe. The bulk of them are stationed in Germany, where the United States has maintained forces since the end of World War II, originally as an occupation force and later as part of NATO's defense during the Cold War. Although the size of U. S. forces in Europe declined by two thirds after the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, the need to maintain the current levels is being questioned by some defense analysts and Administration officials. Army Forces The Army accounts for about 60 percent of active duty U. S. personnel stationed in Europe. Despite significant cuts in those personnel after the unification of Germany and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the Army continues to base two of its 10 divisions and one of its four corps in Europe. Thus, a significant portion of the Army's combat power is stationed on that continent, primarily in Germany. Nevertheless, the Army's combat units (divisions and brigades) account for less than half of the service's active duty personnel in Europe. The 1st Armored Division and the 1st Infantry Division (mechanized) has only two of its three combat brigades and about 12,500 of its total 16,000 personnel based in Germany. The Army's other combat unit in Europe–the 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy–has about 1,000 personnel assigned to it. Thus, the Army's permanent active-duty combat forces in Europe total about 26,000 people. Running Head: WHAT OPTIONS MIGHT THE PENTAGON CONSIDER Another 27,000 or so active-duty personnel are assigned to what the Army calls combat-support (CS) units, such as artillery, and combat-service-support (CSS) units, such as transportation. CS and CSS units provide various kinds of support to combat brigades and divisions. The other 7,000 or so active-duty Army personnel based in Europe are assigned to what could be termed administrative units, such as medical facilities, NATO headquarters in Brussels, and contracting agencies. In all, about 43 percent of Army forces in Europe are assigned to combat units, 45 percent to support units, and 12 percent to administrative duties. (The breakdown for Army forces in Germany is similar: 45 percent combat, 45 percent support, and 10 percent administrative. ) Army Bases The Army maintains an extensive network of bases in Europe, encompassing almost 300 installations. Like its personnel, the vast majority of the Army's overseas infrastructure (255 installations) is in Germany. The largest and some of the most expensive Army bases in Europe are at Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels, Germany. Those two training facilities–which provide ranges and space where Army units can practice tactics and maneuvers–cover 52,000 acres and 40,000 acres, respectively, and have a combined replacement value of more than $1. 5 billion. (6) The Army also maintains 33 barracks for unaccompanied soldiers and 36 â€Å"villages† for family housing in Germany, which have a replacement value of roughly $14 billion. Other Army installations in Germany include five hospitals, five hotels, 15 smaller training areas, nine airfields, four Running Head: WHAT OPTIONS MIGHT THE PENTAGON CONSIDER depots, three golf courses, a Boy Scout camp, and a Girl Scout camp. That infrastructure is designed to enhance soldiers' morale and, to some extent, replicate the facilities and conveniences that would be found around many Army bases in the United States. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps Forces and Bases The other three services have fewer forces stationed in Europe than the Army does. In addition, they have not concentrated their forces and bases on that continent in Germany to the extent that the Army has. The Air Force maintains the second largest presence in Europe after the Army, with 34,000 active-duty personnel and 201 installations in 12 countries. The largest contingent (15,000 active-duty personnel) is based in Germany, but the Air Force also has relatively large numbers of people in the United Kingdom (10,000) and Italy (4,000). The service's major combat units are distributed similarly, with Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy each hosting one fighter wing. The greatest numbers of Air Force installations in Europe are located in Germany. The base at Ramstein, Germany, is the main air hub for U. S. forces from all services flying to or from other parts of the world, including the United States and the Middle East. The Air Force also has strategically important installations in the United Kingdom and Greenland. The air bases at Mildenhall and Lakenheath in the United Kingdom were used extensively to support U. S. operations against Libya and during Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. The Air Force's facility in Thule, Greenland, includes radar Running Head: WHAT OPTIONS MIGHT THE PENTAGON CONSIDER that is designed to provide early warning of an intercontinental ballistic missile attack and is expected to be part of the Bush Administration's network of missile defenses. Thus, although the Air Force does not have as many installations in Europe as the Army does, several of its bases have played–and continue to play–major roles in supporting U. S. military operations. The Navy and Marine Corps, because of the nature of their activities, have a far smaller onshore presence. Neither service bases any combat forces on shore in Europe, although the Navy has 10,000 support and administrative personnel there, nor the Marine Corps has 1,000. (7) In addition, the Navy maintains 15 installations in Europe, including two air stations (in Iceland and Italy). U. S. Forces Based in East Asia and the Pacific After Europe, the region with the largest permanent U. S. military presence overseas is East Asia and the Pacific, where approximately 80,000 personnel are stationed (see Table 2-1). Virtually all of them are based in two countries: Japan, where all four services have a significant presence, and South Korea, where the Army and the Air Force have stationed combat forces. In addition, the Navy and Air Force maintain a small number of installations (and fewer than 1,000 permanent personnel) in Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Singapore. Army Forces Since the Korean War, the Army has maintained a major presence in South Korea, where 28,000 Army personnel are now based. Their mission is to enforce the 1953 Running Head: WHAT OPTIONS MIGHT THE PENTAGON CONSIDER cease-fire that ended hostilities under the auspices of the United Nations as well as to deter an attack by North Korea–or, should deterrence fail, help to repel an invasion or mount a counterattack to expel the invading force. Today, the 2nd ID is stationed in northern South Korea with two of its combat brigades, accounting for about 13,000 troops. The division's third brigade is based at Fort Lewis, Washington. ) Of the other 15,000 Army personnel in South Korea, about 13,000 are assigned to combat-support and combat-service-support units that are part of the Eighth Army, which serves as the high-level command organization for the Army in South Korea. The remaining 2,000 Army personnel in that country are assigned to units that perform administrative ta sks. The Army's representation elsewhere in the region is limited to Japan, where about 2,000 personnel are stationed. Those forces provide forward presence and support for regional contingencies and are also charged with helping to defend Japan if necessary. They include one special-forces battalion, some CS and CSS units, and several hundred soldiers assigned to administrative units. Army Bases The Army has a total of 95 installations in East Asia–80 in South Korea and the rest in Japan. The most expensive Army installation in the region is Yongsan Garrison, located in the center of Seoul. It is home to 7,000 military personnel assigned to the headquarters of U. S. Forces Korea and other command organizations and has a replacement value of $1. 3 billion. The Army's 15 installations in Japan, which support a Running Head: WHAT OPTIONS MIGHT THE PENTAGON CONSIDER much smaller force, include a housing area, three ammunition depots, and other logistics facilities, such as a port, a pier, and a fuel-handling facility. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps Forces and Bases Although both the Navy and the Air Force have installations in several East Asian countries, their bases and forces are concentrated in Japan (see Appendix A for more details). On the basis of replacement value, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force installations in Japan represent 88 percent of the three services' investment in the region. Air Force. The Air Force has 23,000 airmen stationed in East Asia and the Pacific, with more than half of them based in Japan. Half of the personnel in Japan are assigned to support and administrative units, although 7,000 are associated with the tactical fighter units stationed there. In contrast, the majority of the 10,000 Air Force personnel stationed in South Korea are combat forces, associated with the two fighter wings based in that country. The Air Force maintains a total of 67 installations in Asia to support and house its forces. Japan hosts the majority of them (44) as well as several large or valuable installations, such as Kadena Air Base, the nearby Kadena Ammunition Storage Annex, and Misawa Air Base. Together, those three installations have a replacement value of $9 billion. Air Force installations in South Korea are not as extensive as those in Japan, but they include two large air bases: one at Kunsan on the western coast and one at Osan, less than 50 miles south of the North Korean border. Those two bases have a combined replacement value of about $3 billion. Navy. Since World War II, the Navy has had a significant presence and interest in East Asia. The base at Yokosuka, Japan–home to the Seventh Fleet and the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk–is considered the Navy's largest and most strategically important overseas installation in the world. Furthermore, the Kitty Hawk's air wing, which is based in Japan when the carrier is in port, is the Navy's only forward-stationed air wing. All told, the Navy has about 6,000 personnel based on shore in Japan. To support its presence in Japan, the Navy maintains 12 installations, six of which are estimated to have a replacement value of more than $1 billion each. Its facilities at Yokosuka alone have a combined value of $5. 7 billion. The Navy also operates a base at Sasebo, which hosts an amphibious squadron, and a naval air facility at Atsugi. In all, the Navy's installations in Japan have an estimated replacement value of approximately $9 billion. Naval forces and installations in South Korea are much less extensive. Because the primary mission of U. S. Naval Forces Korea is to provide leadership and expertise in naval matters to area military commanders, there are no naval seagoing units permanently assigned to South Korea. Most of the Navy's facilities in South Korea are colocated with those of the Army at the Yongsan Garrison. Marine Corps. The Marine Corps's only division-sized unit stationed overseas–the III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF)–has been based on the Japanese island of Okinawa since 1971. To support the 20,000 marines stationed in Japan, including the MEF's 17,000 personnel, the Marine Corps maintains two large installations: Camp Butler, which covers 78,500 acres (or about one-quarter) of Okinawa, and Iwakuni Air Station on the island of Honshu. Those two installations represent a total U. S. investment of $6. 5 billion. Concerns About the Current Basing of U. S. Forces Overseas Asserting that the current basing structure is incapable of meeting future U. S. needs, the Administration accelerated an ongoing strategic review of that structure. The goal of the review is to develop a plan for forward basing that will make U. S. forces more agile and better able to respond to an unpredictable and ever changing global geopolitical situation. Defense analysts outside the Administration have voiced similar criticisms of the military's current basing structure. Below are some of the concerns that have been raised from both inside and outside the Administration about the forward basing of U. S. forces. Issues Common to Various Services Some concerns apply, to varying degrees, to all four services and their bases outside the United States. Those concerns include frictions with host nations, the cost of maintaining forward bases, the ability of forces stationed overseas to respond to likely conflicts, and the enduring utility of U. S. installations overseas. Host Nation Conflicts. All of the services are subject to disputes with the governments of host nations and their citizens over land use and the proximity of U. S. forces to civilian population centers and activities. Conflicts about land use have arisen because U. S. bases that were originally in remote locations have become increasingly surrounded by suburban or urban development. An example is the land occupied by the U. S. Yongsan Garrison in what is now downtown Seoul, land that local South Koreans envision using for other purposes. I was stationed in Tongduchon Korea in 1998 and again in 2008. Within that 10 year timeframe remote U. S. training areas were turned into greenhouses and cities. In various places around the world, U. S. training exercises conducted near sizable local populations have disrupted the lives of residents because of noise, destroyed private property, and resulted in the loss of life through accidents. As U. S. military personnel come into closer proximity with spreading urban or suburban populations, such incidents could become more common and affect support for the continued presence of large U. S. forces on foreign soil. The Cost of Basing Forces Overseas Maintaining forward based forces entails a marginal cost, in part because installations overseas, particularly in Europe, are more expensive to operate and support than those in the United States. Additional marginal costs include the family separation pay given to military personnel on unaccompanied tours and the cost of moving active duty service members, their goods, and sometimes their dependents to and from assignments overseas. The Congressional Research Service estimated that the total annual cost of basing 100,000 U. S. forces from all services in Europe rather than the United States was on the order of $1 billion to $2 billion in 1996. The Ability of Forces Based Overseas to Respond to Likely Conflicts Administration officials have questioned whether U. S. orces that are stationed primarily in Germany and South Korea are positioned appropriately to respond to probable future conflicts. They argue that conflicts are much more likely to occur in Africa, Western Asia, or the Middle East than anywhere in Western Europe. Similarly, conflicts may occur in Asia at locations other than on the Korean Peninsula like the civil unrest that has occurred recently in Indonesia and t he Philippines. Although all of the services have personnel stationed in Germany and all but the Navy in South Korea, that concern is most relevant for the Army because of its oncentration of forces in those countries. Most of the Administration's public statements about altering the current basing of U. S. forces abroad appear to focus on Army units. The Utility of the Current Overseas Basing Structure Although Administration officials have questioned the usefulness of some of the military's existing overseas infrastructure, they have said that some bases have obvious enduring utility. For example, the Air Force's Ramstein and Osan air bases serve as major hubs in Germany and South Korea, respectively. Army and other personnel and some equipment pass through those facilities when they arrive from the United States or depart for other parts of the globe, such as the Middle East. Those large installations, in which the United States has invested heavily to expedite the movement of forces and equipment into and out of Europe and Asia, are of high strategic value, and the Administration has explicitly stated that it will retain them. The training areas at Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels, which provide facilities unavailable anywhere else in Europe, will also be retained. Issues Specific to the Army As noted above, various characteristics set the Army apart in terms of forward basing: it has far more personnel stationed overseas than any other service, those forces are located in places that appear to be legacies of the Cold War, and Army units require the most time and expense to be transported to conflicts away from where they are based. For those reasons, many concerns about the present U. S. basing structure focus on that service. Army Forces in Europe The main concern expressed by Administration officials about the Army forces now based in Europe seems to be the amount of time they would need to respond to a conflict in the region. Although the two Army divisions stationed in Germany were well placed to defend NATO from Soviet attack, they cannot deploy quickly to conflicts outside Germany. For example, three months elapsed between the decision to move the 1st Armored Division from Germany to Iraq in March 2003 and its arrival in that theater. Military and Administration officials have indicated that the need for U. S. intervention s much more likely in Africa, Eastern Europe, or Western Asia than in Western Europe. Statements by U. S. commanders in Europe suggest that the Administration may be assessing how to speed the deployment of U. S. forces to places such as Nigeria, Uganda, Azerbaijan, and Djibouti. (Nigeria and Baku, Azerbaijan, are sources of oil; Uganda and Djibouti are potential staging bases for conducting operations in Africa to counter instability and terrorism. ) As was the case with Iraq, moving a division, or even part of one, from Germany to any of those locations would take a considerable amount of time. The units in Germany are heavy divisions equipped with tanks and armored vehicles, so the most efficient way to transport their equipment is by sea. Moving one heavy brigade combat team from Germany to locations in Africa or the Caspian region would take between 20 days and a month, and transporting an entire division's equipment would take another four days in all cases, only about five days faster than moving the same types of units from the United States. Those lengthy deployment times have raised questions about the utility of the Army forces now based in Germany. Another issue concerning those forces is the cost of keeping them in Europe rather than at bases in the continental United States. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that it costs about $1 billion more per year to maintain about 56,000 Army forces in Germany than if those troops were stationed in the United States–both because running bases and providing family housing and schools is more expensive in Germany than in the United States and because the Army must pay for overseas allowances and moves to and from assignments in Europe. If those forces are not needed to respond to any likely future conflict in the immediate region, observers might ask, why should the United States spend $1 billion each year to keep them there? Army Forces in South Korea Concerns about the 28,000 Army forces stationed in South Korea differ from those associated with Army forces based in Europe. Very few defense analysts question the need to keep substantial U. S. forces based in South Korea to deter North Korea from invading or attacking its southern neighbor. Instead, their concerns relate to four main issues: the condition and location of U. S. bases in South Korea, the instability in Army units that results partly from supporting large numbers of one year tours in South Korea, the quality of life of soldiers assigned to those tours, and whether Army units based in South Korea should be made more available to respond to conflicts elsewhere in the region. Problems with Bases in South Korea The condition and location of the Army's installations in South Korea are less than desirable. According to U. S. ilitary officials in that country, many of the Army's bases are obsolete, poorly maintained, and in disrepair, including some Quonset huts from the Korean War era that still house soldiers. Most lack the amenities found at other U. S. bases overseas, and soldiers assigned to them are authorized to receive hardship duty pay of $150 per month. In addition, Army bases in South Korea are relatively small, spread out, and vulnerable. Units of the 2nd ID are scattered among 17 installations located north of the capital, Seoul, and within 30 miles of the North Korean border. That area is well within range of North Korean artillery placed along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that runs between the two countries. Should North Korea attack South Korea, U. S. forces at those bases would be vulnerable to barrages from large numbers of artillery tubes. Secretary of Defense Donald Gates has argued that removing U. S. soldiers from such an immediate threat would give them an advantage in surviving and responding to an attack. Another issue about U. S. bases in South Korea that has been raised recently concerns the large U. S. resence in the center of Seoul known as the Yongsan Garrison. That 640 acre installation was on the outskirts of the city when it was built, but it is now in downtown Seoul, occupying valuable real estate and causing tensions with the local populace. Instability in Army Units The need to support forces stationed in South Korea causes turbulence in Army units based in the continental United States (CONUS). Because duty in South Korea is conside red hazardous and bases there are poorly equipped, family members do not accompany 80 percent of the soldiers serving tours in South Korea. Unaccompanied tours are limited to one year to minimize family separation, which means that almost the entire population of Army personnel in South Korea turns over every year. That turnover has a ripple effect on Army units based in CONUS, which must provide soldiers to replace those leaving South Korea and integrate new personnel. CBO estimates that, on average, war fighting units in CONUS experience turnover of 37 percent of their enlisted personnel every year, as soldiers leave for tours outside the continental United States, take administrative assignments in places such as the Pentagon, or leave the Army altogether. Some Army officials have asserted that high turnover in Army units reduces their cohesion and war fighting capability. The need to replace virtually all of the enlisted personnel in South Korea each year contributes about 6 percentage points of the total 37 percent turnover in CONUS war fighting units, CBO estimates. Quality of Life in South Korea Maintaining Army forces in South Korea on unaccompanied tours adversely affects the quality of soldiers' lives by contributing to family separation. An enlisted soldier spending 10 years in the Army could, on average, expect to spend a total of . years on unaccompanied tours, according to CBO's calculations. Although that is a small percentage overall, some specialties and junior enlisted personnel are more heavily represented in South Korea than in the Army as a whole, so their numbers could be much higher. Serving on unaccompanied tours has been shown to decrease the likelihood that a soldier will reenlist, which means that maintaining fo rces in South Korea under current basing arrangements may have an adverse effect on retention. Availability of Army Units in South Korea Because the Army forces based in South Korea are generally viewed as a deterrent to hostile behavior by North Korea, the 2nd ID and its two brigades have been considered unavailable to participate in any operations outside the Korean Peninsula. (By contrast, Army units based in Germany have been used in operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Iraq. ) The unavailability of the 2nd ID results partly because the division is based far from transportation hubs and partly because its units, which include many bulky and heavy vehicles, are not easy to deploy elsewhere. Secretary Gates recently raised the possibility of realigning the Army's forces in South Korea to make them more suitable for use in regional contingencies throughout Asia. He proposed making those forces more mobile by replacing their heavy armored vehicles with lighter and more modern vehicles and by moving them closer to transportation hubs south of Seoul. As we consider the world’s current economic state, what are we to do with such a large institution? 1. | Most of the roughly 15,000 soldiers assigned to units in South Korea other than the 2nd ID also rotate through their units on one-year unaccompanied tours. However, approximately 10 percent of them are on accompanied tours, in which the Army pays to move soldiers' families to South Korea and provides facilities for dependents while the soldiers are on assignment there. Those tours typically last for two or three years. | 2. | Not all of the soldiers assigned to a division would deploy with it. On average, 4 percent of Army personnel are ineligible to deploy overseas at any given time for various reasons, such as pregnancy, other health concerns, and family emergencies. Additional soldiers–as many as 35 percent in peacetime–may be ineligible because of Army personnel policies designed to ensure soldiers' quality of life. For a discussion of Army deployment rates in peacetime, see Bruce R. Orvis, Deployability in Peacetime, DB-351-A (Santa Monica, Calif. : RAND, 2002). | 3. | Some attrition, necessitating individual replacements, will inevitably occur over a deployment of six to 12 months. | 4. | For example, the United States has provided a small force to support the peacekeeping efforts of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai Peninsula since 1982. Battalion-sized units of about 1,000 soldiers deploy for six-month assignments with the MFO. Similarly, units have been supporting operations in Bosnia and Kosovo on six-month deployments since 1996 and 1999, respectively. All told, the Army maintained an average of about 15,000 soldiers on operational deployments from 1997 through early 2001. | 5. | The third brigade of each of those divisions is based at Fort Riley, Kansas. Although the 1st Armored and 1st Infantry Divisions each have about 16,000 personnel assigned to them, when taking part in an operation they would typically be accompanied by several support units, which might include total of about 24,000 personnel. As a consequence, a division and its accompanying support units–known as a division slice–would include a total of about 40,000 personnel. | 6. | That and other replacement values cited in this study are based on data from Department of Defense, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Insta llations and Environment, Department of Defense Base Structure Report: Fiscal Year 2003 Baseline (June 2003), available at www. defenselink. mil/news/Jun2003/basestructure2003. pdf. That publication lists the replacement values of current U. S. defense facilities, including excess facilities that the United States still owns. | 7. | The Navy and Marine Corps have additional personnel based on board ships that may be anchored in European waters. | 8. | For example, two South Korean girls were killed in 2003 when they were struck by an Army armored vehicle during training exercises. | 9. | Stephen Daggett, Defense Budget: Alternative Measures of Costs of Military Commitments Abroad, CRS Report for Congress 95-726F (Congressional Research Service, June 16, 1995). | 10. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps units can take a considerable amount of time to establish efficient operations in remote locations. Nevertheless, in some cases, they can provide a more rapid initial response than can Army forces that do not have staging bases near a conflict. | 11. | John T. Correll, â€Å"European Command Looks South and East,† Air Force Magazine, December 2003. | 12. | Ibid. | 13. | Vince Crawley, â€Å"Oil May Drive Troop Staging ,† Army Times, September 22, 2003, p. 30. | 14. | The reason is that U. S. transport aircraft (C-17s) can carry only one M1 tank at a time. Moving an entire heavy division would require about 1,500 C-17 flights, and moving one brigade combat team from the division would take up to 500 flights. Since the U. S. military is projected to have only about 140 C-17s by 2005, transporting heavy divisions and brigades by air is not practical. | 15. | Those numbers are explained in detail in Chapter 3. | 16. | General Accounting Office, Defense Infrastructure: Basing Uncertainties Necessitate Reevaluation of U. S. Construction Plans in South Korea, GAO-03-643 (July 2003), p. 5. | 17. | See David J. Lynch, â€Å"DMZ Is a Reminder of Status in Korean Crisis,† USA Today, December 23, 2003, p. 11; and Thom Shanker, â€Å"Gates Reassures Seoul on Regrouping G. I. s,† New York Times, November 18, 2003, p. A10. | 18. | Although most personnel sent to South Korea each year come from CONUS-based units (because the Army generally tries not to assign soldiers to back-to-back tours outside the continental United States), some are drawn from the pool of new recruits completing their training. | 19. | Personnel assignments and career tracks vary greatly between enlisted personnel and officers in the Army. This analysis focuses on the enlisted force because it represents the vast majority of Army personnel–approximately 400,000 out of the Army's total strength of about 480,000. | 20. | CBO used a model of personnel turnover in its analysis that is based on a model developed by RAND. In its analysis, RAND estimated similar rates for both total annual enlisted turnover and the contribution from the need to support tours in South Korea. See W. Michael Hix and others, Personnel Turbulence: The Policy Determinants of Permanent Change of Station Moves, MR-938-A (Santa Monica, Calif. RAND, 1998). | 21. | See General Accounting Office, Military Personnel: Longer Time Between Moves Related to Higher Satisfaction and Retention, GAO-01-841 (August 2001). | 22. | Robert Marquand, â€Å"U. S. Redeployments Afoot in Asia,† Christian Science Monitor, November 18, 2003. | http://www. eagleworldnews. com/2011/01/07/pentagon-plans-to-downsize-army-in-coming-years/ http://www. pacom. mil/we b/site_pages/uspacom/facts. shtml http://www. globalsecurity. org/military/ops/korea-orbat. htm http://www. stripes. om/news/pacific/korea/u-s-army-in-south-korea-begins-transformation-of-forces-1. 115890 Table 2-1. U. S. Bases and Forces Stationed in Europe and Asia | Forward-Based Personnel (Thousands) | Installations | | Combat| Support and Administration| Total| Total Number| Number with Replacement Value of More Than $1 Billion| Total Replacement Value (Billions of dollars)a| | Europe| Army|   | | Belgium| 0|   | 1|   | 1|   | 10|   | 0|   | 1|   |   | Germany| 25|   | 31|   | 56|   | 255|   | 3|   | 30|   |   | Italy| 1|   | 1|   | 2|   | 16|   | 0|   | 1|   |   | Other| 0|   | 1| 1|   | 13|   | 0|   | 1|   |   |   | Subtotal| 26|   | 34|   | 60|   | 294|   | 3|   | 33|   |   | Air Force| 14|   | 20|   | 34|   | 201|   | 5|   | 22|   | Navyb| 0|   | 10|   | 10|   | 15|   | 2|   | 7| à ‚  | Marine Corpsb| 0|   | 1|   | 1|   | 0|   | 0|   | 0|   |   | |   |   | Total | 40|   | 65|   | 105|   | 510|   | 10|   | 62|   |   | East Asia and the Pacificc| | Army|   | | Japan| 0|   | 2|   | 2|   | 15|   | 0|   | 3|   |   | South Korea| 13|   | 15|   | 28|   | 80|   | 2|   | 8|   |   |   | Subtotal| 13|   | 17|   | 30|   | 95|   | 2|   | 11|   |   | Air Force| 14|   | 10|   | 23|   | 67|   | 5|   | 18|   | Navyb| 0|   | 6|   | 6|   | 16|   | 6|   | 9|   | Marine Corpsb| 10|   | 10|   | 20|   | 2|   | 2|   | 6|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Total| 37|   | 43|   | 79|   | 180|   | 15|   | 44|   | Source: Congressional Budget Office based on data from Department of Defense, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment, Department of Defense Base Structure Report: Fiscal Year 2003 Baseline (June 2003), available at www. efenselink. mil/news/Jun2003/basestructure2003. pdf; Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate of Information Operations and Reports, Department of Defense Active-Duty Personnel Strengths by Regional Area and by Country (309A) (September 30, 2002); and other Defense Department data. Note: More-detailed breakdowns for the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps appear in Tables A-1 and A-2 in Appendix A. a. Includes the replacement value of excess facilities that the United States still owns.