National Security Research Division

Featured Research

Cover: The War Within

The War Within: Preventing Suicide in the U.S. Military— 2011

Rajeev Ramchand, Joie Acosta, Rachel M. Burns, Lisa H. Jaycox, Christopher G. Pernin

Since late 2001, U.S. military forces have been engaged in conflicts around the globe, exacting a substantial toll that goes beyond the casualty figures. This includes the stress that repetitive deployments can have on the individual servicemember and his or her family, manifested as increased divorce rates, spouse and child abuse, mental distress, substance abuse, and one of the most troubling: suicide. This report details a study, requested by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, that evaluates the efforts underway within the DoD to deal with the suicide rates and recommends ways to ensure that these reflect state-of-the-art prevention science.

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Non-Traditional Threats and Maritime Domain Awareness in the Tri-Border Area of Southeast Asia — May 17, 2012

The tri-border area (TBA) between the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia is a key hub of terrorist and related criminal activity in Southeast Asia, a well-known transit zone for weapons and explosives, and a principal logistical corridor for local and transnational terrorist groups. The authors analyze the security environment in the TBA, evaluate the Philippines' Coast Watch System (designed to improve maritime domain awareness in the Philippine archipelago), and examine the challenges the system must overcome.

New Counterinsurgency Assessment Methods Are Needed to Better Inform Policymakers — May 3, 2012

In counterinsurgency, or "COIN" operations, contextual assessment is proving to be a superior way to gauge success or failure. Ben Connable discusses his report Embracing the Fog of War, and how the Department of Defense can better use contributions from commanders on the ground to assess the results of COIN operations.

Bringing Libya Under Control — Feb 24, 2012

While NATO countries and allies like Jordan and Qatar have started to train and equip the security forces, there is more that outsiders can do to help, writes Frederic Wehrey.

Conference Call on Syria and Egypt — Feb 22, 2012

A panel of RAND experts to discuss the latest developments in Egypt and Syria. Highlights include Julie Taylor on Turkey and Iran's opposing position over Syria and stability in the region, Fred Wehrey on violence in Syria, and Jeffrey Martini on the issue of potential cuts to U.S. aid.

Israel's Risky Option on Iran — Feb 21, 2012

While a nuclear-armed Iran that hasn't been attacked is dangerous, one that has been attacked may be much more likely to brandish its capabilities, to make sure it does not face an attack again, writes Dalia Dassa Kaye.

Tracking Public Sentiment in Iran After the Contested 2009 Election with Twitter — Jan 17, 2012

Social media was used in the 2009 protests to organize and communicate under government censorship. An analysis of more than 2.5 million tweets discussing the Iran election holds promise for such policy uses as assessing public opinion and forecasting events such as large-scale protests.

Saving the Government Money: Examples from RAND's Federally Funded Research and Development Centers — Jan 12, 2012

RAND's three federally funded research and development centers apply research capital they have developed over the years to help decisionmakers solve problems and often save money as well. This publication lists and briefly summarizes some RAND projects undertaken over the past ten years that have helped save the government money or that have identified ways to do so. Amounts saved are estimated.

The Year of the Arab Spring — Dec 20, 2011

The Arab Spring demonstrated that leaderless revolutions are difficult to repress or co-opt. Unfortunately, it is also true that leaderless revolts find it difficult to make transition to authority, writes Charles Ries.

Resources for Veterans, Their Families, and Policymakers — Nov 9, 2011

In honor of Veterans Day and Military Family Month, RAND has created a special web resource with a variety of research-based materials on issues critical to veterans and their families.

Catalog Analyzes DoD-Sponsored Programs that Address Psychological Health — Nov 9, 2011

The U.S. Department of Defense sponsors many programs for servicemembers and their families. RAND compiled a searchable online catalog of 211 programs that address psychological health and traumatic brain injury.