USMC SCHOOL AND COURSE CHOICES AND SUCCESS WITH TUITION ASSISTANCE: AN ANALYSIS OF PARTICIPATION AND OUTCOMES 2014–2021

This study examines the relationship between tuition assistance usage, academic success, and Marine Corps retention from 2014 to 2021. Using descriptive statistics, logistic regression models, Kaplan-Meier survival curves, and Cox proportional hazard models, the analysis assesses the effects of tuition assistance on Marines of ranks E1 to E5. Public institutions accounted for 50% of courses taken by Junior Marines, while for-profit and non-profit schools made up 20–25% each. Non-Commissioned Officers saw a decline in for-profit enrollment from 46% to 32%, while public school enrollment increased from 37% to 42%. Private non-profit schools had the highest success rates at 87% for Junior Marines and 92% for Non-Commissioned Officers. Trades and applied professions and military courses had the highest success rates, while STEM and social sciences and humanities had the highest failure rates. Retention rates between three cohorts of Marines showed that those who used tuition assistance were significantly more likely to remain in service. Marines who did not use tuition assistance had a 69% separation rate between years four and six, compared to 44% for successful tuition assistance users and 25% for those who failed at least one course.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Captain, United States Marine Corp

REBALANCING RETENTION: ORGANIZATIONAL SOLUTIONS FOR THE MARINE CORPS CAREER PLANNING PROGRAM

This thesis investigates the structural and organizational challenges facing Marine Corps Career Counselors and the Career Planning Program amid increasing enlisted retention demands following the publication of Talent Management 2030. Using a grounded analysis approach, the research analyzes data from 25 in-depth interviews conducted with active-duty Career Counselors across multiple billet types to identify key drivers of performance and systemic barriers within the Career Planning Program. This research informs the development of the Human Performance Drivers framework with two core dimensions: Workload Management and Resource Allocation, and a Systematic Approach to Retention. The analysis findings reveal a disconnect between growing performance expectations and available institutional support, including staffing, training, and administrative resources. To identify actionable recommendations, the thesis conducts a comparative case analysis of the Marine Corps’ recruiting and retention structures, highlighting transferable practices from Marine Corps Recruiting Command that may enhance the Career Planning Program.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Gunnery Sergeant, United States Marine Corp

THE MENTAL OPERATING ENVIRONMENT: SUPPORTING THE DISASTER RESPONSE WORKFORCE

Disaster response operations expose incident support responder personnel to psychosocial hazards, including mental fatigue, stress, and sleep deprivation, which can impair both responder well-being and operational performance. This thesis adopts a readiness-oriented approach to mental health and frames the psychological demands of disaster work as a critical policy and organizational design challenge. It investigates the question: Which organizational strategies can mitigate the impact of mental fatigue and stress in disaster response personnel? Drawing on interdisciplinary literature from emergency management, occupational health, and psychology, this thesis analyzes current practices in the disaster response sector and applies Bardach’s eightfold path for policy analysis to evaluate alternative organizational approaches. The thesis finds that implementing “guardrails,” or procedures and best practices that can be used with supervisory guidance and leadership enforcement in specific scenarios, is the appropriate level of organizational action on psychosocial hazards. Empowering incident leaders with adaptable tools like guardrails can sustain workforce readiness while maintaining flexibility to meet the increasingly complex and expanding homeland security mission.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Civilian, Department of Homeland Securit

Faces of NPS: Lt. Cmdr. James Phan, USN

Faces of NPS features interviews spotlighting the students, faculty, staff and alumni of our Nation's premier defense education and research institution

EXPANSION AND STABILITY ANALYSIS OF A DUAL ATOMIC BEAM GYROSCOPE

Modern Naval vessels utilize Inertial Navigation System (INS) as a navigation tool. Roll, pitch, and yaw data, commonly referred to as attitude data, require onboard gyroscopes and accelerometers. Many weapon systems such as the Navy’s Standard Missile (SM) family require inertial navigation data for operation. Current inertial navigation data for linear acceleration is provided by accelerometers, and rotational acceleration data by optical gyroscopes. However, there are inherent sensitivity limitations to these systems that are fundamentally related to the properties of measuring acceleration changes with a massless photon. If an INS system is being used as a primary method of navigation, it does not have the ability to be checked against another source to reset the drift. This happens when operating in a GPS-denied environment or other situations. Atom interferometry shows promise to provide both linear and rotational data simultaneously with an increase in sensitivity by orders of magnitude relative to current systems, all while being less affected by drift due to the intrinsic characteristics of the atoms which, by definition, do not change over time. Improving the attitude data that INS have access to will significantly enhance both the duration of time they are accurate, and the degree to which they maintain accuracy. This research will continue to investigate the physics of atom interferometry, and the application of this technology as an accelerometer and gyroscope.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Lieutenant, United States Nav

Faces of NPS: Lt. Cmdr. Corey Rollins, USN

Faces of NPS features interviews spotlighting the students, faculty, staff and alumni of our Nation's premier defense education and research institution

Self-Sealing Hose

A self-sealing hose includes an inner rubber layer compris­ing a first rubber material; and an outer rubber layer com­prising a second rubber material. The second rubber material has an ultimate strain of at least 100% and an elastic limit of at least about 7 MPa. The first rubber material has a modulus measured at 250% elongation of less than about 10 kPa

QUANTIFYING TURBIDITY IN THE NEARSHORE OCEAN

Naval mine countermeasure operations in the littorals depend on water visibility; however, turbid behavior in nearshore environments is largely unknown. This study investigates turbidity in the nearshore/lagoon environment to the 15 m isobath, in relation to hydrodynamic regimes of the Pajaro River estuary in Monterey Bay, California. Observations were made on how turbidity changes through a tidal river into the open ocean, over space and time, and whether the drivers are tides, waves, precipitation, or river discharge. Pairs of turbidity sensors at the top and bottom of the water column gathered data at various sites, along with salinity, temperature, pressure, and current. Data were collected from the October dry season continuously through April into the rainy season. Pajaro River discharge, local wave conditions, and tides were compared with observed turbidity. Findings indicate that the river regime is the dominant forcing mechanism. Shifts in turbidity behavior were also noted as rainfall increased. Tidal impacts were determined to be minimal; however, some indications suggest infragravity wave energy infiltration into the lagoon on flood tides may modulate turbidity signals. The U.S. Navy currently does not measure or forecast turbidity, and this study supports the need for such capabilities. Further study is needed to confirm results and determine definitive drivers of turbidity.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Ensign, United States Nav

FLOW CONTROL CHANNEL INSTRUMENTATION DESIGN AND MODELING

Primary causes of compressor stalls in gas turbines are tip leakage, casing corner leakage, and boundary layer separation flow over the rotor blades. With the fluctuation of static pressure, a self-recirculating flow channel can help increase the stall margin while still maintaining efficiency. To better visualize air flow in the recirculation passage, instrumentation will be added to the transonic compressor at Naval Postgraduate School. One aim of this study was to redesign the main structural casing that encompasses the casing insert with the flow channel to accommodate enhanced instrumentation. Another aim of this study is to create a new method that automates the development of the flow channel. Previous works have manually designed recirculating flow channels within a solid model that have proved to improve the stall margin of the transonic compressor. Using code, the flow channel was able to be changed according to the user's needs. The automated code developed allowed for multiple recirculation passages to be developed within the course of this study. Finally, the last aim of the study was to additively manufacture the two casing inserts with different flow channels. Both were tested in the transonic compressor. These were able to improve the stall margin while maintaining and improving the efficiency.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Ensign, United States NavyONR 35, Arlington V