Limits on U.S. Military Involvement in Humanitarian Crises essays

Limits on U.S. Military Involvement in Humanitarian Crises essays The primary purpose of setting up armed forces of any country is to ensure the stability of the nation in times of war. Further to this mission is to defend the country against foreign or domestic (with regulations) aggression. Hence, the military is there to conduct offensive and defensive combat operations as mandated by the chain of command. The United States military establishment especially has a long tradition of war fighting capabilities and history, but in some areas it has been called upon to handle humanitarian missions such as peacekeeping, relief operations, infrastructure buildup and related stability operations. The 1990s was the first decade in nearly half a century in which the U.S. military was deployed on missions that involved the reconstruction of governments, infrastructure, and economies after quelling the chaos of internecine conflicts. (Serafino, 2006) Majority of humanitarian missions involve peacekeeping duties and during a humanitarian intervention, the mi litarys mission is expected to derive from the U.S. national security strategy.1 The objective could be to support U.S. interests on behalf of allies, public concern, to support democracy, etc. These objectives are often different from those of the humanitarian action organizations involved, especially those of NGOs and IGOs. (Hinson, 1998) The involvement of the U.S. military in whatever humanitarian missions is still dependent on the National Command Authority. Although the missions are altruistic and serves a more positive output rather than the natural warfighting premise, humanitarian missions taxed the capability of the military from what their actual missions are. As Serafino reports (2006): For well over a decade, some Members of Congress expressed reservations about U.S. military involvement in peacekeeping operations. The Bush Administration initially opposed such missions and took steps to reduce the commitment o...

Become an Adjunct Professor

Become an Adjunct Professor In the academic world, there are several types of professors. In general, an adjunct professor is a part-time instructor. Instead of being hired on a full-time, long-term basis, adjunct professors are hired based on the number of classes needed and by the semester. Usually, they are not guaranteed work beyond the current semester and are not given benefits. While they may be retained over and over again, being an adjunct is more of a temporary role in general. Adjunct Professors Contracts Adjunct professors work by contract, so their responsibilities are limited to teaching the course they have been hired to teach. They are not required to conduct research or service activities at the school, as a typical professor would participate in. In general, adjunct professors are paid $2,000 to $4,000 per class, depending on the university or college at which they teach. Many adjunct professors hold full-time jobs and teach to supplement their income or to expand their networking capabilities. Some teach simply because they enjoy it. Other adjunct professors teach several classes at several institutions each semester in order to earn a living from teaching. Some academics argue that adjunct professors are taken advantage of because many so desire to keep a foot in academia despite heavy workloads and poor pay, but it still makes good financial sense for different professionals and institutions. Pros and Cons of Adjunct Teaching There are advantages and disadvantages to becoming an adjunct. One perk is that it can bolster your image and help you develop a professional platform; another is that you will not have to get involved in organizational politics that plague many institutions. The pay is much lower than a regular professor, though, so you may feel like you are doing the same amount of work as colleagues and getting paid less. Its important to consider your motivations and goals when considering a career or job as an adjunct professor; for many people, its a supplement to their career or income instead of a full-time career. For others, it can help them get their foot in the door to becoming a tenured professor. How to Become an Adjunct Professor To be an adjunct professor, you will need to hold a masters degree at the least. Many adjunct professors are in the middle of earning a degree. Some have Ph.D. degrees. Others just have a lot of experience in their respective fields. Are you an existing graduate school student? Network in your department to see if there are any potential openings. Also, inquire locally at community colleges to break in and get some experience.