Promissory Estoppel Essay

Sometimes an agreement without consideration will be enforced. This happens when a promise which foreseeably induces promisee to act or forebear becomes binding because injustice can only be avoided by enforcement of the promise. Promise A promise is an assurance, in whatever form or expression that a thing will or will not be done. Actual Reliance The promisee must actually and justifiably rely on the promise by the other. Detriment Promisee must have relied on the promise to his detriment. Foreseeable Reliance The promisee’s reliance must be reasonably foreseeable to promisor. Injustice Cannot be Avoided In deciding if injustice can be avoided courts will consider: 1.Availability and adequacy of other remedies, particularly restitution or cancellation. 2.The definite and substantial character of the action or forbearance in relation to remedy sought. 3.Extent to which the action or forbearance corroborates evidence of the making and terms of the promise. 4.Reasonableness of action or forbearance. 5.Extent to which the action or forbearance was foreseeable by promisor.

Big Five Personality Traits and Age Essay

The aim of the present study was to investigate the comparison between the big five personality traits and males and females between 15 to 30 years and 50 years and over. 26 females and 26 males completed a Big 5 Personality Test online, using the internet. The hypothesis that, males and females, between the ages of 15 to 30 years, would score higher in Openness to experience and Extraversion than males and females who are 50 years and over, was supported. It was concluded that Openness to experience and Extraversion were higher in those who were between the ages of 15 to 30 years old than those who were 50 years and older. Based on these findings it could be generalised that people between the ages of 15 to 30 are more imaginative, outgoing and energetic than those who are 50 years and older, whereas those who are 50 years and over are more organised, reliable, kind and modest. Introduction Age-related differences in personality have captured the attention of many people. Personality can be defined as â€Å"an individual’s unique pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviour that are relatively stable over time and across situations†. (Grivas & Carter, 2010) Costa and McCrae (1999) had developed a five-factor model to explain the five big factors that make up a personality, the five factors are: Openness to Experience (includes traits such as imaginative, curious, artistic, excitable, insightful and unconventional), Conscientiousness (includes traits such as organised, thorough, efficient, competent, reliable and self-disciplined), Extraversion (includes traits such as outgoing, sociable, talkative, energetic, assertive and adventurous), Agreeableness (includes traits such as cooperative, compliance, sympathetic, kind, affectionate, forgiving and modest) and Neuroticism (includes traits such as tense, anxious, moody, irritable, impulsive, self-conscious and vulnerability). Past research had been conducted to investigate age differences in personality across the adult life span in five different cultures. Costa and McCrae (1999) used samples from Germany, Italy, Portugal, Croatia, and Korea and found that Extraversion and Openness to experience were lower in older participants than younger participants whereas Conscientiousness and Agreeableness showed the reverse pattern. Neuroticism was found to be lower in older participants than younger participants in Germany, Portugal, and Korea whereas age differences were not detectable in Italy and Croatia. (Donnellan and Lucas, 2007) At present, a comparison between the five factors and age has not been investigated in males and females between the age of 15 to 30 years and 50 years and over. The aim of the present study was to investigate the comparison between the big five personality traits and males and females between 15 to 30 years and 50 years and over. It was hypothesised that males and females between the ages of 15 to 30 years would score higher in Openness to experience and Extraversion than males and females who are 50 years and over. Method Participants- The sample consisted of 52 participants (26 males and 26 females). Participants were put into 2 groups depending on age. 13 males and 13 females were between 15 and 30 years of age, and 13 males and 13 females were 50 years or over. Materials- A Big 5 Personality Test was completed online, which was accessed at the following website: http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/ Procedure- Participants provided written informed consent and were informed of their withdrawal rights and confidentiality of their personal details. Participants were to complete a Big 5 Personality Test online which was accessed on the website. Participants received a score out of 100 for each of the traits. Data was collected, summarised and interpreted. Figure 1: Mean scores on each of the five personality traits. As shown above, on average participants between the age of 15 to 30 scored 58 on Openness to experience and participants who are 50 years and over got a score of 30. Participants who are between 15 to 30 years of age scored 50 on Conscientiousness whereas participants who are 50 years and over got a mean score of 75. Participants 15 to 30 years scored 66 on Extraversion and participants 50 years and older got a score of 35. Participants 50 years and over got a mean score of 60 on Agreeableness whereas participants who are 15 to 30 years got a score of 45. Participants who are 15 to 30 years of age got a mean score of 53 in Neuroticism and participants 50 years and older got a mean score of 45. Discussion The hypothesis that, males and females, between the ages of 15 to 30 years, would score higher in Openness to experience and Extraversion than males and females who are 50 years and over, was supported. These findings show that the younger age group (15-30 years) scored higher in Openness to experience and Extraversion whereas the older age group (50+ years) scored higher in Conscientiousness and Agreeableness. The group consisting of 15 to 30 year old participants scored higher in Neuroticism but had close mean scores to those in the 50 years and over group. The results were similar to the evidence found by Donnellan and Lucas (2007) that â€Å"Extraversion and Openness to experience are negatively associated with age whereas Agreeableness is positively associated with age. â€Å" Future research should focus on exploring the five-factor model in different age groups with varying cultural backgrounds. The present study has a number of limitations; a limitation could be that the online test may not be valid so it does not accurately access personality. It is uncertain whether an adequate sample size was obtained. In addition, possible extraneous variables may have also played a role, including the participant’s mood at the current time of completing the online test and personal characteristics such as their motivation to complete the online personality test. These extraneous variables should be minimised or controlled for in future studies focusing on the five factors of a personality. In conclusion the present study found that Openness to experience and Extraversion were higher in those who were between the ages of 15 to 30 years old than those who were 50 years and older. Based on these findings it could be generalised that people between the ages of 15 to 30 are more imaginative, curious, outgoing, excitable and energetic than those who are 50 years and older, whereas those who are 50 years and over are more organised, reliable, kind, affectionate and modest. However, the findings of the present study should be considered with caution, given the number of limitations discussed above. References Costa, T.R. & McCrae, R.R. (1999) Age Differences in Personality Across the Adult Life Span: Parallels in Five Cultures. Developmental Psychology, 35, 466-477 Costa, T.R. & McCrae, R.R. (2010) Theories of Personality – Costa and McCrae Five-Factor Model. Psychology for the VCE Student Units 1&2 5E, 531-534 Donnellan, M.B. & Lucas, R.E. (2007) Age Differences in the Big Five Across the Life Span: Evidence from Two National Samples. Psychology and Aging, 23, 558-566 Grivas, J. & Carter, L. (2010) Ways of Describing Personality. Psychology for the VCE Student Units 1&2 5E, Chapter 12

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 32

Management - Essay Example For exmaple: the goods are passed on by the manufacturer to the wholeseller in bluk form, the goods are then broken down into units by the wholeseller and passed on to the retailer, the retailer further breaks down the units opf products and sells them to the customer. A manufacturer needs to consider various factors while deciding about the channel of distribution through which the product will reach the customer. These factors include the price, technicality, size and shape of the product. The manufacturer even pays emphasis to the channel of distribution selected by the competitors and other factors include size of the customer, production channel expenditure and the setting where the manufacturing outlet is located. While selecting the channel of distribution, managers have to ensure that the goods are easily accesible and always available to the customers disposle. This factor needs to be given importance because if a good or service is not easily acceible, custonmers tend to lo ok for other alternatives and close substitute. One of the main element within the process of marketing is advertising, advertising is just an element and can not be replaced with the marketing process, but it is a key element and impacts other parts of the marketing process. Advertising is used by marketers to create an image which is favorable and which the marketers want to create in the eyes of the customer (Plessis 93). Advertising is used in various stages of the marketing process in order to shape a favorable image. Marketers use advertsiing of price to create an image of the product, prices are set high to create an image of product which is of high quality and prices are set low to create an image of an inexpensive but high quality product. Low pricing can back fire as low prices create an image of a low quality product. Makrters even use the place of advertising to create an image of the product, if the product is not easily avilable and is availble in specific

Question and Answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Question and Answer - Essay Example For example, large fonts get associated with adult characters or the volume of voices that are ‘heard’ by the children. Children are able to articulate the non textual content of the books through their observation and interpretation which they express by enacting the roles of the characters. Thus, postmodern picture books help to create three dimensional interactive narration from two dimension picture books where the gap between the fantasy and reality considerably reduces. It suggests that postmodern picture books greatly influence children’s power of critical thinking, imagination, theatrical ability to enact the role of characters of the story and significantly impact the development of cohesive process of constructing meaning to pictures. The conventional picture books were confined to traditional fonts and pictures where children’s ability to interact was considerably restrained, both in terms of interaction and construction of new meaning to the narration. The postmodern picture books are highly creative in their content and pictorial narration which often provokes the reader to respond in constructive imagery. Its pictorial narration is often interspersed with characters from different stories which forces children to construct new meaning to the text. Most importantly, it also hugely facilitates in the integration of children coming from diverse socio-cultural background. Thus, it is not only highly interactive but also defies con ventional narration of pictorial text by its innovative modeling of characters that draws out responses from children in myriad ways. Azripe, E. & Styles, M. with Cowan K., Mallouri, L. & Wolpert, M. (2008) ‘The voices behind the pictures: Children responding to postmodern picturebooks’, in S Pentaleo & L. Sipes (eds.), Postmodern Picturebooks: Play, Parody and Self Referentiality, Routledge, London, pp.

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Summary - Essay Example At next stage the company may ensure its web presence through a corporate website. This web presence is then used to provide details of company’s products or services. At the next level of B2C e-business implementation the company may accept online orders and integrate it with its finance department and later on customer may be enabled to make online payments. This requires an integration of website with company’s financial system. In today’s global markets customer acquisition, retention and extension are ensured through used of Customer Relationship Management Systems (CRMs). A B2B e-commerce system facilitates interoperability between supply chain organizations and other business organizations. It is also integrated with local information systems of the organization. These systems are supplier-facing and are known to be Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) systems. The performance of these systems is analyzed in terms of time they take to complete a procurem ent process. B2B e-commerce systems have significantly squeezed the delays and most of the activities are automated and processed online. Closely related to e-commerce is the procurement process, this process is usually considered to cover all activities of supply chain process and it has a separate model for e-procurement process. Examples of e-business and e-commerce systems http://www.ibm.com/us/en/sandbox/ver2/ http://www.walmart.com/ Chapter 8: Knowledge & Systems for Communicating Online Knowledge is the purified form of information. We come across information in our routine life very frequently and by processing this information we accumulate knowledge that has some value to us. Using information is an important aspect of our daily life. It is important to know how to deal with information we come across and embed it with our previous knowledge to purify existing knowledge. Imagination is the other source of knowledge and we tend to imagine whatever we need to know. Imaginati on is a very important tool used for enhancing our knowledgebase. Knowledge management is essential for its systematic acquisition and various fields of knowledge are combined to make a new field of knowledge. Our professional knowledge is a combination of theoretical, empirical, personal, procedural knowledge and practical wisdom. Practicing several knowledge domains with varying depths formulate professional competence. Sharing, collaboration, participation and building knowledgebase are common functions to generate, acquire and retain knowledge. ICT technologies have contributed a lot towards building and enhancing all these knowledge functions. Wikipedia, e-mails, blogs, forums are few to mention the contribution of ICT technologies. Knowledge Management (KM) is an important organizational objective to utilize the scattered knowledge resources like experiences, insights, and various information systems and databases to ensure learning and sharing from existing knowledge. Knowled ge Management can be utilized to create a competitive advantage, to avoid repetition of mistakes and to achieve sustainable growth and improvement at organizational level. KM can also give powerful and useful inferences form an organizational CRM to make intelligent and aware business decisions. Examples of Knowledge and online Communication Systems

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Case study - Essay Example The following study will analyze and deduce the feasibility of the company and its requirement of $1 million. Joe’s Enterprises for Fast Food is a premium brand in the market of fast foods. It has gained immense popularity in the downtown Chicago, even though it does not have many selling points or carts at present. The USP of Joe’s is to provide healthy, natural and fresh food at competitive prices. It has grown impressively from a single cart company to a more than a million dollar enterprise. The company is primarily targeting the office workers with competitively priced fast food, which are high in nutritional value and are fresh and hygienic. The company wants to As mentioned the company is looking at a micro but profitable market. But again, it is a risky proposition to depend on a single market, even though it is competitively priced and has gained popularity. The present market may be the â€Å"star† for the company, but it still requires â€Å"cash cows† to boost its revenue and operating profit. Joe’s Enterprises should look beyond its present market and should implement plans to venture into new markets with innovative distribution system. The company can foray into restaurants and take away outlets to have a large bas of customers. And with its popularity will definitely reap returns in the long run. The current ratio is a very popular ratio and measures the ability of the firm to manage current liabilities. The higher the current ration the higher the short-term solvency. The current ratio of the firm is not high and hence it is looking for the loan for expansion. This ratio measures how efficiently assets are employed. This ratio is also akin to the output-capital ratio used in financial analysis. At the current rate we can assume that there is a proper utilization of assets and this may also help

A Comparison of two poems based on the same thematic concern Essay

A Comparison of two poems based on the same thematic concern - Essay Example All these are used differently by poets to portray the message that they intend to even when the subject matter at hand is the same. Both Dylan Thomas and Wilfred Owen have based their poems, ‘Do Not Go Gentle into the Good Night’ and ‘Disabled’ respectively, on the subject matter of death. To portray this theme, both poets have effectively used language and different literary devices like repetition and similes. Despite the fact that they portray the same thematic concerns, the literary devices have been used in different ways to signify different aspects. This paper will compare and contrast the two poems based on the use of literary devices. Similes have been used as literary devices in both poems. In the poem ‘Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night’, the use if simile is evident in the line ‘blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay’. Here, Thomas compares blind eyes to meteors, the word blaze signifies the fact that blind m en burn with a zest for life and do not give up. The simile shows that even though blind men may be helpless, they still strive to live and not die. This contributes to the theme in that many people do not wish to die. ‘Saddening like a hymn’ is the simile in the poem ‘disabled’. Sadness is being compared to something so happy like a hymn.

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing - Essay Example Moreover, it has also established low ratings in aspects such as the satisfaction of customers, how loyal customers are and consumers behaviours through word-of-mouth. Significant, positive relationships have been found between customer satisfaction and each of the aspects of service quality that were discussed above; as well as between satisfaction with service and customer loyalty; and word-of-mouth consumer behaviours with customer loyalty. There was no significant correlation found between cultural values and service quality assessments. To measure the degree to which customers uses word of mouth in line with the services provided by the Saudi Telecom Company. To analyse and examine the relationship that is present between customer satisfaction and the quality of service in Saudi Telecom Company. To analyse the relationship between the satisfaction and the loyalty of customers in Saudi Telecom Company. To analyse the relationship that has developed between word-of-mouth and custo mer loyalty in Saudi Telecom Company. ... Is the loyalty of customers and their satisfaction related in Saudi Telecom Company? Are customer loyalty and word-of-mouth linked in Saudi Telecom Company? The model presented above serves as the present study’s theoretical framework. It has been influenced by the studies conducted by Parasuraman et al. (1988). Upon the formulation of the framework, the hypotheses would be tested for validity purposes (Parusaraman, Zeithamal, Berry, 1985; Newman & Benz, 1998). 8.2.1. Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction Mittal and Kamakura (2001) stated that an individual’s satisfaction is the general assessment of a performance of a particular item or service at present. The significance of the role of customers in business is emphasized by Kassim (2001) through stating that 75 percent of a firm’s budget allocated for marketing purposes should be allotted for strategies that would retain customers, as well as to build and reinforce relationships with profitable ones. Mitta l and Kamakura (2001) discussed that a customer’s satisfaction towards an item, service or the company, is in accordance with the degree of relationship that will be formed between the consumer and the company, as satisfaction is tantamount to one’s predilection to repurchase (Kassim, 2001; Mittal and Kamakura, 2001). The hypotheses for the research questions above are: H1aa: A positive relationship exists between the level of customer satisfaction and tangibles in relation to the services that are provided by the Saudi Telecom Company. H1a0: There is no relationship present between tangibles in the services that Saudi Telecom Company provides and the amount of customer satisfaction. H1ba: Customer

Alzheimers Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alzheimers Disease - Essay Example As the discussion highlights, stage 1 has symptoms like losing way, asking something repeatedly, taking longer to perform daily tasks, having trouble in decision-making, putting things in weird places, and withdrawing from social life. Stage 2 shows symptoms like requiring assistance in performing daily tasks, forgetting recent happenings, mixing up distant past with recent past, having language problems, depression, insomnia and eating troubles. Stage 3 has symptoms like being unable to feed one, control bowel and urinary movements, speak, or recognize members of the family. Memory vanishes away. Objective findings include: Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) which are unusual clumps or tangles of a protein, known as tau, and are present within neurons and result in the malfunctioning of neurons; and, Amyloid plaques which are anomalous collections of a protein, known as beta-amyloid, inside the neurons, and may form due to abnormal processing of this protein. When an inflammation occurs in the region of these plaques, it causes the death of the neurons. Tangles and plaques make neurons lose connections with one another. This causes their death. The affected brain areas and brain tissues begin to shrink. Alzheimer’s disease does not have a specific treatment; however, measures can be taken to help patients maintain their mental health and normal behavioral patterns to slow down the progress of the disease. The treatment is based upon the study of the causal process. Although there are drugs available which are helpful for Alzheimer’s patients but those can only slow down or delay the process and cannot stop or reverse it.

Medical Ethics in Palliative Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Medical Ethics in Palliative Care - Essay Example This begs the question, just how precious or sanctified is human, life? That is probably the most subjective moral question one can posit , and the answers will vary widely based on the respondent religious humanist beliefs or lack of thereof. Many people hold that life is indeed priceless and/or sacred, however their view of how it should be treated in different circumstances tend to be radically different, under the phase sanctity of life, the idea of life’s sacredness is widely applied by pro-life activist to argue against issue such as abortion, euthanasia and abortion (Doerflinge and Gomez, 2010). Central to the debate on life sanctity is the subject of euthanasia which is one of the most controversial moral, religious and medical issues of all times (Baranzke 2012, p.295). The setting in which it most frequently arises is in palliative care where many patients spend the last days of their lives under medical care without any hope of recovery only awaiting what is assumed to be a certain death. In some cases, patients in this situations or their family may request that treatment is stopped or that the patient is given a lethal dosage or drugs such as morphine to â€Å"save† them from pain. While it is allowed in some states and countries but the legality has not significantly served to reduce the amount of controversy surrounding the issue. This paper will discuss the importance of sanctity of life through several arguments against euthanasia for patients undergoing palliative care and then examining and disproving some of the opposing views that have been used to trivialize sanctity by pointing out their underlying weakness with a view to prove that; irrespective of the intentions, euthanasia is morally and medically unjustifiable. The concept of euthanasia has been in existence for almost as long as the

A Variety of Society Factors Cause Homelessness Essay Example for Free

A Variety of Society Factors Cause Homelessness Essay National Coalition for the Homeless is a charity that fights to end the homelessness through grassroots organizing, public education, and policy advocacy. They have pointed out the causes for the increasing number of homeless people in the U.S since 2000 in the article â€Å"A Variety of Social Factors Causes Homelessness.† Why is the number of the homeless people increasing day after day in the U.S? Poverty and the homelessness are the current controversial problem that has so many different causes from different countries all over the world. There are three main factors that the National Coalition for the Homeless pointed out in their article such as eroding work opportunities, a decline in public assistance, and a lack of affordable housing in the U.S. Do the authors clearly explain the problem in their article? For an article to be effective, it is imperative that it is clear on its purpose. In the previous essay, the author is successful in identifying the principle behind the article. From the first paragraph, the author is focused on addressing the causes of homelessness in the society (National Coalition for the Homeless 1). Therefore, the reader is aware of the rationale behind the article and its functions after reading the first paragraph. Importantly, this is observable in the consequent paragraphs of the article. The heading choice is consistent with the purpose of the article. The key words in the heading depict that the author is exploring the issue of homelessness in the society. The topic depicts that there are numerous social factors that contribute to the issue of homelessness. This influences the mindset of the readers when they are engaging the article, since they are aware of the contents of the essay, which clarifies that homelessness is a result of complex social factors. This is instrumental in ensuring that the readers comprehend the contents of the article better. When exploring the problem in the article, the author focuses on the predicament of homelessness. In addition, the author uses relevant examples to highlight the problem in depth. This is evident in the statistical data in the third paragraph, which is relevant to the U.S. society: In 2000, 11.3% of the U.S. population, or 31.1 million people, lived in poverty. While the number of poor people has decreased a bit in recent years, the number of people living in extreme poverty has increased (National Coalition of Homelessness, paragraph 3, page 1). The author uses information on poverty levels, and current housing situations to explore the issue of homelessness comprehensively. The author is also clear on the causes of the previous problem. In the article, the author identifies poverty and lack of housing, which is affordable as the primary cause for homelessness in the society. These statistics from the Institute for Children and Poverty are particularly revealing: In the institute fo r Children and Poverty study, 37% of homelessness families had their welfare benefits reduced or cut last year. Additionally, a second study of six states found that between 1997 and 1998, 25% of families who had stopped receiving welfare in the last six months doubled-up on housing to save money, and 23% moved because they could not pay rent (National Coalition of Homelessness, page 2 – 3). However, other secondary causes are also highlighted in the article, and this includes lack of employment, low wages, and a decrease in social support, among others. The author correlates the secondary and primary causes to explore the problem. Despite the author actively highlighting the homelessness problem being experienced in the society, there is not solution provided for the problems. The author concentrates on the social factors which contribute to the problem and how they contribute. The essay is exhaustive when exploring the topic. The author uses numerous examples to explain the significance of the problem. For instance, the author explores the significance of the health sector in the issue of homelessness. This example gives a new dimension to the topic and shows the complexity of the social issues causing homelessness. In addition, the article is valid. This is due to the author’s use of authoritative sources in the field. This is evident in the statistical data, from studies by the Housing and Urban Development (HUD), on the previous problem. The author also engages credible and accurate information on the issue giving the article authority on the topic. The author uses relevant evidence to support the claims of the article. For instance, on this issue of poverty, the author quotes data of average incomes, which is earned by American families: In the data, a 1998 study estimated that 46% of the jobs with the most growth between 1994 and 2005 pay less than $16,000 a year; these jobs will not lift families out of poverty. Moreover, 74% of these jobs pay below a livable wage ($32,185 for a family of four) (National Coalition of Homelessness, page 2). This shows the level of income earned by the American population and its influence in the housing sector. The article also has other relevant examples to support the author’s sentiments. The argument of the author also appeals to the readers emotions. This is clear in the approach of the author to highlight the effect of poverty on society and its influence on homelessness. This elicits emotions from the audience since the issues affect are relatable to the human situation. The article is characterized by the use of data and studies from various authorities on the issue. The author has been effective in making the key words in these studies clear for the audience through elaboration. Therefore, the important words in the article are defined effectively. In the second article, Homelessness is not societys problem, the author uses a challenging title, in that the view is provocative to the addressees. This appears to be a controversial perspective concerning the issue of homelessness due to the emotions related to the topic (Carnacchio 1). Despite the rationale of the article, the argument is not valid since the society cannot disassociate itself from social problems. However, the second article gives for the readers more sides of view about the homeless people. Only some of the homeless people who are not willing to assume the responsibilities associated with maintaining a job and a permanent residence. As White points out, â€Å"In Los Angeles’ inner city, Paul Koegel and M. Audrey Burnam found that nearly 80% of alcoholics in their sample of homeless adults ‘reported that their first alcoholic symptom occurred before they were first homeless’ and that in 57% of the cases this occurred at least five years before their first episode of homelessness.† (Carnacchio, page 2). The article A Variety of Social Factors Causes Homelessness provides a solid argument concerning the issue of homelessness. The author appears to be conversant with the topic and cites authoritative sources on the issue. The topic is instrumental in highlighting the numerous social factors that contribute to homelessness in the American society. Furthermore, homelessness is still a serious problem which has so many different causes but the society have not had the solutions for this problem. From all information of the article, I have learned more knowledge about the causes of homelessness in the U.S. which is a well-developed country but it does exist the homelessness. The cause is not only from the society, but it is also among to all people who are living in this world assume the responsibility for their life and their families. Works Cited National Coalition for the Homeless. A Variety of Social Factors Causes Homelessness. Current Controversies: Poverty and the Homeless. Mary E. Williams. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints Resources Center. Gale. Houston Community College. 18. Jan 2013. Carnacchio, C. J. Homelessness Is Not Societys Problem. Opposing Viewpoints: The Homeless. Ed. Jennifer A. Hurley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Houston Community College. 21. Jan 2013.

Application On Blood Donation Using Android Platform

Application On Blood Donation Using Android Platform Android powers hundreds of millions of mobile devices in more than 190 countries around the world. Its the largest installed base of any mobile platform and growing fast-every day another million users power up their Android devices for the first time and start looking for apps, games, and other digital content. Android gives you a world-class platform for creating apps and games for Android users everywhere, as well as an open marketplace for distributing to them instantly. Android is revolutionizing the global cell phone market. Its the first open source mobile application platform. Android is a Linux based operating system designed primarily for touch screen mobile devices such as smart phones and tablet computers ,which Google backed financially and later brought in 2005, in collaboration with the open handset alliance. Android is an open source market where user can develop any application and get it publicized in the market. Android market is having approximately 4, 50,000 apps but there is no application available in the android market which motivates the public regarding blood donation. There are many factors that have allowed Android to become the worlds most widely used Smartphone platform, overtaking Sembilan in the fourth quarter of 2010, and the software of choice for technology companies who require a low-cost, customizable, lightweight operating system for high tech devices without developing one from scratch. As a result, despite being primarily designed for phones and tablets, it has seen additional applications on televisions, games consoles and other electronics. Androids open nature has further encouraged a large community of developers and enthusiasts to use the open source code as a foundation for community-driven projects, which add new features for advanced users or bring Android to devices which were officially released running other operating systems. In this paper we propose algorithm which mainly aims at developing an android application which motivates the youngsters for donating blood and check whether they are eligible for donating or not. This application will serve as an effective tool for creating awareness in public. . Furthermore, we will try to demonstrate with an application that might be used by the people using android phones. Objectives By developing this application, we want to create awareness among the android users and motivate them to help the needful. This application will help the user in all the possible ways helpful in blood donation. Detailed problem Definition After a long research we found that there are no apps in the Google play store which motivates the public in donating blood and clearing there misconceptions. We found out that there is a requirement of an application which is helpful for people in many ways. As we all know that donating blood is a good deed but due to some misconceptions people hesitate in donating blood. By going through the applications already available, we found out that all the applications are lacking the feature of connecting the people who are interested in either donating the blood or they urgently require the blood. The main feature of our application is connectivity provided by us. The donors and receivers can contact to each other depending on their needs. Sometimes in urgency u may have thought of any platform from where we can get the details of hospitals, blood banks, important contact numbers and contact numbers of social organizations but we fail to get such an application or platform. We found out that there are apps on internet but they are lacking some of utilities which we had developed in our application. Solution Methodology Registering Donors The one who would be using this application is requested to register for the cause. The process of registration is simple no complex interface is used for the same, everyone is welcome for registration. Even a person can register for other person. The following fields for registration: Name Contact Number Gender Blood Group Last Date of Donation Regular Donor/not Email Address It creates a hub of donors who are available of android. People who are under age are also welcome for registration for prospective donation. The Process and fields are made simple or possible so that the user should not feel hectic while providing the details. Database The secondary utility of this application is to provide the user the details of various hospitals and blood banks. Irrespective of the application usage, if user wants the contact of hospital or blood bank he can easily get. Efforts are made to provide the nearest hospital and blood bank details with assistance of GPS technology Bulk Messaging For Camps. As we know social organizations and NGOs come in front for organizing blood donation camps at various places with this application we provide another platform for broadcasting about the event. For this cause, the NGOs can contact using email or Face book page which is also is also administrated. About checking the genuine news of the event the registered donor will be send a message automatically. Even if the user is not under donation period he can spread the news to his friends or relatives regarding the blood donation camp. Motivation and clearing the misconceptions related to blood donation Our application contains videos and photo albums which plays a very important role in motivating the public. The videos contain motivational quotes and phrases. For clearing the doubts and confusions of the users regarding blood donation, we have created a FAQ section in which all the important questions are displayed. We had also introduced ask questions by using this user can ask questions. Working User Interface of this application asks the user to choose an option by displaying an option menu. Menu includes the various tabs namely registering donors tab, direct link to some hospitals, motivational videos, and social networking links. A very special thing about this application is that it includes FAQs (Frequently asked questions) section which is fastest way to clear the doubts of the users. Addition to that, application includes another option through which user can raise his personal questions; the question will be replied by the application administrator at earliest so that the dignity of application is maintained. The interface of the application is made as simple as possible so that even a new user can get familiar to it and use it to full extent. The On-device view icon of the application looks like: When the user click the application icon then the second page opens displaying various menu options. On clicking the first option of the menu that is ABOUT. The following page opens and it contains the details regarding the application. When the user clicks the registration menu option the following page is displayed which registers the users and save all the details. When the user clicks on the option CMC Hospital it redirected to the CMCs Blood Bank Homepage. Motivation videos Option open the following page which contains some motivational videos. If the User will have any queries regarding our application and its working he can contact the developer/Administrator. Conclusion This application will help the android users to get information about blood donation. The need of blood donation and all the queries related to that. We had focused on the productivity of the application by maintaining a database of the donors containing their contact numbers and email ids so that we can make the most of it. We had designed the application in such a way that it helps the user in all possible ways when he or she needs help. If time will permit we will add more features and improve the productivity of the application. Referential Web Wikipedia http://www.wikipedia.org/ Google http://www.google.co.in/ Android.com http://developer.android.com/guide/components/index.html

History About Ebay In Japan Marketing Essay

History About Ebay In Japan Marketing Essay eBay is an online auction service that has gained much publicity since their inauguration in the September of 1995 by a 28 year old software developer, Pierre Omidyar of Apple Incorporated. A pet project he initially called AuctionWeb, he posted up a faulty laser pointer to test his algorithm in the web application he created, someone actually offered him $14.83 for the faulty laser pointer stating that he collects such items. That incident started Pierre thinking and eBay was formed. Since then, eBay has been expanding their business worldwide. One of the countries which eBay has failed badly was Japan. They had a joint venture with NEC Corporation to form eBay Japan but the final results after 3 long years of fight that has been proven as futile attempts to make a foot hold in Japan, eBay Japan had no other choice but to withdraw because they lost out for not being there earlier, not enjoying a first mover advantage, the rise of the Rakuten Auctions as contender against Yahoo! Japan Auctions further dug eBay deeper into the oblivion against ever seeing themselves as a leader in Japan. Hiring the right country manager makes all the difference, eBay did not ensure the credentials and expertise of their country manager appointed for the task. Apart from that, the typical American style of Announcing their grand arrival even before they could sniff the air in Japan, gave competitors a chance to prepare themselves against anyone trying to steal their piece of the pie in Japan. Introduction of eBay When we hear of the word, Auction we often think of the famous Christie Auction house in England, located at King Street in St. James. The function of an auction house is to showcase rare or prized items that could fetch the highest price through an elaborate process that allows individuals with deep pockets to out-bid one another to purchase these items. Thanks to modern technology, these auctions are being brought on-line via the use of the Internet. Users can buy or sell items online through the same elaborate process, but at the comfort of their room, in front of their computers without the need to physically be at the location. eBay is one such on-line auction service that has gained much publicity since their inauguration in the September of 1995 by a 28 year old software developer, Pierre Omidyar of Apple Incorporated. A pet project he initially called AuctionWeb, he posted up a faulty laser pointer to test his algorithm in the web application he created, someone actually offered him $14.83 for the faulty laser pointer stating that he collects such items. That incident started Pierre thinking and eBay was formed. AuctionWeb became a new focus for Pierre. It occupied his entire domain, www.ebay.com, acronym for Echo Bay (the name of his consulting firm). By 1996, the company was large enough to require professional help to make the concept, even more profitable. Jeffrey Skoll, Stanford MBA graduate, went onboard the profit spinning ship. Meg Whitman, a Harvard graduate soon joined the `crew and together with a formidable business team, created the modern day eBay that we know today. By 1998, the pioneers of the company were billionaires. Entry Strategies Entry Strategy 1 eBay Join Hands with NEC Corporation to enter Japan Market The joint venture with NEC Corporation to form eBay Japan seemed like a great idea. Infact, it is a great idea. Having a localized corporation to enter the Japanese market builds the credibility any foreign company will need. Having a myriad of possibilities from because they could trade with anything. eBay gained exposure through NECs contact with Biglobe, an Internet Service Provider. Much hype was anticipated as the CEO for eBay, Mr. Okawara, looked forward to bringing online auctioning to the Japanese people. However, the Japanese culture amongst the younger generation is to meet at malls, to try out new introductions into the Japanese market. Touch and Feel is what they prefer. Also, its a social norm in Japan that people meet at malls to socialize or just to look at people. What eBay tried to do, was to introduce another cultures norm into Japan. Though a workable and definitely profitable business model in the states and probably even in the western world, they failed to garner enough market sampling to warrant an entry into the Japanese market. Thats just part of the challenge they face. The other factor that had brought forth the early retreat from Japan is the presence of Yahoo Auctions in Japan. Yahoo entered the market in 1996, together with Softbank. The collaboration between Yahoo and Softbank was at the right time where the fad of the internet is still hot. They built the largest portal in Japan which in turn means their presence already had a huge market share from consumers and sellers alike who has loyalty to the company. Japanese people have high level of loyalty to product brandings and service providers. Another thing eBay Japan did not forsee is that, Japanese people, do not appreciate hand-me-downs, second hand goods. Entry Strategy 2 eBay Joins Hands with Yahoo! in Japan eBay has about 83 million users and Yahoo Japan has about 6.6 million registered users. eBay and Yahoo agreed to link their auction sites to facilitate cross-border trading and invigorate the online auction market. This would enable users of Yahoo Auctions Japan to bid for items listed on eBays US site using their Yahoo Japan ID, and eBay users in the US to buy items auctioned on Yahoo Japan using their eBay ID. The plan, which will enable registered users from Japan and North America to participate in a single marketplace. Japanese-language Website sekaimon.com, unveiled by the companies will enable Yahoo Japan users to take part in eBay auctions and is part of a strategy to implement the integration. A reverse setup, enabling North American users to shop for items from Japan under an English-language bidding system. The eBay portal will initially feature Japanese licensed-character goods, comic books, and other collectibles listed on the Yahoo Japan auction site. The integrated marketplace will also offer services to streamline payment, shipping and customs clearance. International users were able to use the US based web site consumers craved trading in local currencies and the ease that domestic transactions presented. Disadvantages of Non-first movers for Auction Disadvantage 1 Unable to garner the interested customers The first disadvantage of not being the first mover to launch the online auction services has caused eBay Japan to lose the opportunity to garner the interested customer base who are first timers that really wanted to attempt the Online Auction services. Being the first mover would have allowed the first timer customers whom are interested to sign up and attempt this online auction services that has never been provided in Japan as many analyst believes that the launch would not have been successful due to the image consciousness character of the Japanese. Therefore, being only the second launching provided, eBay Japan has lost the genuine interested first timer customers as they have already signed up for the online auction services provided by Yahoo! Japan Auction when they launched the service in September 1999, which was five months before eBay Japan. Disadvantage 2 Unable to attract over Yahoo! Japan Auction loyal customer base The second disadvantage is eBay Japan is unable to attract over the loyal customer base garnered by Yahoo! Japan Auction five months before their launch. All the loyal customer base has already been used to the services provided by Yahoo! Japan Auction has got no intention to move over to eBay Japan. In addition, Yahoo! has been an established and best known brand in Japan for other services such as Yahoo! Email, search, etc however, in contrary, eBay has only been known for online auction services and limited to overseas which is outside Japan. Therefore, Japanese, who generally only trust reputable, well-known and established brands, are more comfortable using Yahoo! instead of eBay. Disadvantage 3 Comparison of first and second online auction service launcher The third disadvantage of not being the first mover is being compared to the first launcher. The customers has done a comparison between Yahoo! Japan Action and eBay Japan on the difference in the different areas such as charging listing fees, final value fees, branding strength. Yahoo! Japan Auction has launched the online auction services before eBay Japan with all services free and no any transaction charges at all. Therefore, in comparison, Japanese who are not willing to pay for the service are not willing to sign up for services for eBay Japan. Also, it has also proven that when eBay Japan has stopped the charging the fees as per the usual practice, the customer base and the number of listings has increased. Cultural Misunderstandings Cross cultural understanding simply refers to the basic ability of people within business to recognize, interpret and correctly react to people, incidences or situations that are open to misunderstanding due to cultural differences. If no cultural awareness, cultural sensitive was established before launching into a different culture, itll cause cultural misunderstanding, in long term, resulting in business failure. Misunderstanding 1 Not fully understanding the mindset of a different culture For eBay Japan, during the initial launch into Japan, they had not understood in depth the business dealing ways of Japanese. eBay instead of modifying the American-centric service model to fit the Japanese market needs, they chose to force the Japanese consumers to fit into the current American-centric company service model. eBay charged commissions of up to 5% and required acutely risk-averse Japanese users to submit credit card information on signup. This service model did not go well with the Japanese. Most of the internet savvy people come from the young Japanese who did not own any credit card. Even so, Japan was a largely cash-based society, they preferred to pay for purchases with cash or through banks transfers instead of online credit card payments. This has therefore resulted in the poor sign-up figures after the launch of eBay Japan. Misunderstanding 2 Failing to hire the right person eBay Japan also erred in selecting for country head. In the selection of country manager, the issue of language is overplayed. They can actually hire a bilingual executive assistant, translator, or interpreter for a fraction of what it costs to hire a country manager. Making language skills a key recruiting criterion severely reduces the pool of potential candidates. Rather than focus on language skills, eBay Japan has failed to care about the truly important things, like a country managers strategic thinking ability, his track record managing comparable businesses, industry knowledge, and, ultimately, whether or not he can successfully build and motivate a local team, introduce new products, and gain market share in a highly competitive market. In Japan organization structure, the HR organization in a leading Japanese company is at the top of the hierarchy. In the US, its at the bottom. It has to be empowered, it must have very top people, it must engage with peopleits not about recruiting-eBay Japan had failed to utilize the talents of Japan based foreigners who had many years of valuable experience managing in Japan, as well as relevant industry knowledge and connections, who can help successfully navigate Japan market entry, smoothen interactions between head office and Japan-based operations. Misunderstanding 3 Unprepared for new Culture eBay Japan did something that American companies are notorious for, something that had cost them dearlynamely, they made grandiose announcements about their entry into the Japanese market, well before they had a localized product ready to launch in Japan. While missing the first mover advantage was perhaps eBays Japan single biggest blunder, the lack of traction in Japan for eBay products had too caused the failure of entry. Therefore, with the culture shock, eBay has failed to penetrate the Japan market as eBay Japan was not accepted widely by the Japanese in terms of their entry to Japan and their working style when operating the online auction services. The Current Status of eBay To recap, eBay Inc. tried to open its popular auction service under its subsidiary eBay Japan established in 1999, withdraw in March 2002 after failing to capture significant market share against Yahoo! Auction. Ebay partnered Yahoo! Japan, the Japan biggest portal offering online auction services. Together both companies designed a separate stand alone site, Sekaimon. English meaning for the Japanese term Global Shopping. Sekaimon site is able to translate items listed on eBay into Japanese, help with payments, shipping and customs clearance for Japanese shoppers. The alliance benefits users of both sites. Sellers will be able to reach out to a wider audience for their goods, meanwhile buyers will able to choose from a richer selection of products that are on offer. The impact of the deal will mean more in certain areas. For example, U.S. music fans will be able to easily purchase many of the limited edition CDs that Western artists release in Japan, while Japanese movie enthusiasts will be able to find a wider array of DVDs that are not available locally. Ebay users to have an easier time buying Japanese goods that are popular abroad, such as popular manga comics books, CDs and merchandise that feature Japanese animation characters and mascots. Yahoo! Japan users can login using their Yahoo! Japan ID and purchase translated eBay items with customize Japanese menu and online agent support. Hence, in order to achieve their vision, eBay must overcome various issues such as language barriers, government regulations, internet access and cultural differences. Ebay attempt to deal with the challenge of conducting transactions in multiple languages, where the sellers interact in one language and potential buyers in another.   Sellers using eBays Japanese site, Sekaimon, who want to offer their items on any English language eBay sites will be able to enter descriptions of up to 200 Japanese characters and get them translated within a day for about $12.34. By enabling this translation service, it helps to boost and introduce more Japanese products into eBay sites. Thus, eBay has successfully turned a challenge to its global growth into a new revenue stream while increasing its value proposition. eBay has a significant challenge in dealing with cultural differences, such as high uncertainty avoidance culture in Japan. eBay is dealing with this by structuring strategic partnerships with reliable entity when it struck a deal with Yahoo! Japan, after numerous attempts yet failing to penetrate the market independently.  eBay adopts localization strategy, where it replicates smaller and culturally sensitive portions of its content in specific markets such as Japan and China. By doing so, it value adds towards ensuring easy usage and adaptability in new or low tech markets.   Conclusion eBay made all the wrong moves in their attempt to extend their services to Japan. Not hiring the right people who can competently study the market in Japan to know if it is a viable business preposition to even attempt the creation of eBay Japan. eBay did not understand the culture in Japan. Basic business ventures to a foreign country requires everyone to understand and work with the cultural styles. eBay tried to force their American centric service model upon the Japanese people, it will never work unless they were the first to setup the service in the country where people may just think that, thats the way eBay did not pay attention to the presence of Yahoo! Japan Auctions and went in blind. To make matters worst, they announced their plans and created quite a fanfare to path their way into Japan way before they could even set foot in the country. Its like telling the enemies at war, Were coming from the south island at dawn. Recommended alternatives Conducting a business in any country requires business planners to conduct extensive market research, sampling the market sentiments for products or services that are to be introduced into the country. The people after all, are the sources of income. How can a company sell a product or service to people of a different lifestyle, who have different needs and perception of how they want to be sold a service or product? After identifying what the people want, the company should look into competitors and their position in the market as well. Gauge their own size and see if they are able to go up against on a head-on battle or to find a niche market to carve out a position for themselves and slowly expand from there. Recommendation The most important point among the alternatives that is recommended to eBay during the new set-up is to identify what their target audience wants.It is imperative that the barrier for entries be understood prior embarking on any non-localized businesses. It is very important to understand the culture of the target audience, understand the needs and the wants of the target audience before entering into a brand new market that the organization has never had their presence before. It very important to understand the direction of the target audience before entrance, in which, refers to the current competitors in the market. The current market share of the competitors, the number of competitors in the market and how does the target audience view this competitor. Need be, make a joint venture with existing service provider that has already penetrated into the market in order to leverage on their expertise and also the expertise of local talents and foreign talents living in the country.

The BMW Corporate Culture Essay example -- Business Analysis

When asked to describe the culture at BMW, to do that one must first give a few definitions of the word culture that would give the most accurate description. First would be â€Å"The sum of attitudes, customs, and beliefs that distinguishes one group of people from another. Culture is transmitted, through language, material objects, rituals institutions which can be connected to motivation, and art, from one generation to the next.† Motivated employees that show commitment to their tasks has proven to be a crucial factors that help to motivate employees to work in line with the goals and aspirations of the company. Secondly we would use â€Å"Intellectual and artistic activity and the works produced by it.† Thirdly one would use â€Å"The behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group.† At the German BMW Plant, employees there have the perception that their culture is quite unique because the atmosphere is very cheerful and friendly which allow everyone to be at ease with their work. The employees take pride in having the opportunity to express their opinions as well as their likes and dislike in their departmental meetings. BMW has proven to be a huge competitor in the auto industry with more than $60 billion dollars in sales, which is still much smaller than its American rivals. There are few companies that have been as consistent as BMW in integrating and producing its ever-changing product line, with its luxurious features and its unmistakable quality. Much of BMW’s highly rated success stems from an entrepreneurial culture that is rare in most corporations but is common in the ideology that the Germanys believe in. With diversity being a priority for the BMW Company still over three quart... ... one can be and making those around them be the best they can be as well. Also when one has a product that is second to none and one can be a part of a team that done so will give one a since of proud as that the BMW founders have in themselves and what they are able to build. Working in such an environment where diversity is what shows the people who they are and what they have done to make their product on the cutting edge of technology and performance will be an identity that one will be able to walk with your head held high knowing that they are the best. Works Cited Alvesson Mats & Berg Per Olof(1992). Corporate Culture and Organizational Symbolism. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter& Co Bang Henning(1999). Organisationskultur. Lund Studentlitteratur Hofsted, Geert(1991). Cultures and Organizations Software of the mind. McGraw Hill International UK

Nothings Changed :: Afrika Culture Cultural Poems Poetry Essays

Nothings Changed In ‘nothings changed’ Afrika describes the cultural difference between coloured people and whites. He represents this by using many different poetic techniques, he does this by emphasising that there is a cultural difference between them, he shows this by using a small village in Africa called District six. The Title of the poem suggests that when the whites destroyed District six and built a new village, for coloured and whites to mix, it did not work. He shows this with the feeling of being unwelcome, in the village that used to be his home when he was a child. In this poem the cultures are divided because of wealth and power. In stanza 1, Afrika clearly builds up a sense of his anger at the continuing injustice. As he walks through District six, once so familiar to him, he feels an outsider. He begins his poem with short monosyllabic words, ‘small round stones’, which adds a feeling of sharpness to the tone which suggests his anger. In addition, the onomatopoeia word ‘click’ emphasises his anger because of his sharp aggressive ‘ck’ sound. Secondly he begins to use harsh and aggressive words, for example the word ‘thrust’ is a very harsh and unwelcome word, and it sounds very violent and aggressive. In this poem Afrika uses the symbol of â€Å"weeds† as the weeds are unwelcome, the weeds and Afrika are similar because they are unwelcome as they are both outsiders. Afrika’s hatred for what he believes it continually discriminated, this it shown as a symbol with the ‘whites only inn’, Afrika uses a word ‘brash’ which shows his vulgar, garnish and ostentations into appearance. Also alliteration is used in ‘guards at the gatepost’ with its aggressive ‘g’ sound, to reveal how intimidating it feels. Secondly there is a sense of unwelcome ness this is symbolised with the imported trees, menus and luxury foods; additionally there is repetition of the word ‘glass’ this symbolises a barrier physical and psychological as he is not allowed in. In the poem ‘nothings changed’, Afrika compares the working-mans cafe to the up-market restaurant. He compares the imported trees, menu, to the cheap and basic cafe, this is shown by when he says ‘we know where we belong’, and this says that he knows that he can’t go into the up-market restaurant because of laws and feels that he doesn’t fit in there. Also in this stanza there is also a symbol ‘it’s in the bone’, this symbolises that his culture is inside like it is imbedded inside him, he also shows this by saying ‘wipe your fingers on your jeans’ it

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.