Refugee operations

This thesis examines the 1980 cuban refugee operation in which the United States military was an active participant. The purpose of this project was to examine the undesirable phenomena at the refugee centers and develop cultural indicators which may predict their occurrence. Information was gathered from official records, periodicals, and personal interviews with a variety of participants. These interviews ranged from the refugees themselves, to the installation commanders. After action reports from both the Vietnamese and Cuban operation were reviewed in detail. The results of this project clearly reveal that serious incidents occurred in all Cuban refugee centers. Cultural issues surrounding the serious incidents were discussed and contributing factors developed. An examination of the contributing factors using cultural concepts was also presented. (Author)