Here is my web.xml file's contents:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE web-app PUBLIC "-//Sun Microsystems, Inc.//DTD Web Application 2.3//EN" "http://java.sun.com/dtd/web-app_2_3.dtd">

<web-app>
 <display-name> Application</display-name>
 <!-- Session Passive Listener -->
 <listener>
 <listener-class>com.hello.security.SecurityServletListener</listener-class>
 </listener>
 <session-config>
 <session-timeout>20</session-timeout>
 </session-config>
 <!-- Action Servlet Configuration -->
 <servlet>
 <servlet-name>action</servlet-name>
 <servlet-class>org.apache.struts.action.ActionServlet</servlet-class>
 <init-param>
 <param-name>definitions-config</param-name>
 <param-value>/WEB-INF/tiles-defs.xml</param-value>
 </init-param>
 <init-param>
 <param-name>definitions-debug</param-name>
 <param-value>1</param-value>
 </init-param>
 <init-param>
 <param-name>definitions-parser-details</param-name>
 <param-value>0</param-value>
 </init-param>
 <init-param>
 <param-name>definitions-parser-validate</param-name>
 <param-value>true</param-value>
 </init-param>
 <init-param>
 <param-name>config</param-name>
 <param-value>/WEB-INF/struts-config.xml</param-value>
 </init-param>
 <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
 </servlet>
 <!-- This servlet is used by the reporting engine to create images. -->
 <servlet>
 <servlet-name>ReportImageServlet</servlet-name>
 <servlet-class>com.hello.utils.ImageServlet</servlet-class>
 <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
 </servlet>
 <!-- This servlet is used by the reporting engin when creating a pdf document. -->
 <servlet>
 <servlet-name>PdfServlet</servlet-name>
 <servlet-class>com.hello.utils.PdfServlet</servlet-class>
 <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
 </servlet>
 <!-- This servlet is used by the export funcationality, specifically survey report. -->
 <servlet>
 <servlet-name>DownloadFileServlet</servlet-name>
 <servlet-class>com.hello.utils.DownloadFileServlet</servlet-class>
 <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
 </servlet>
 <!-- This servlet is used by the map applet for exposing delegate methods. -->
 <servlet>
 <servlet-name>DelegateServlet</servlet-name>
 <servlet-class>com.hello.utils.DelegateServlet</servlet-class>
 <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
 </servlet>
 <servlet>
 <servlet-name>AppletServletDB</servlet-name>
 <servlet-class>com.hello.core.actions.AppletServletDB</servlet-class>
 <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
 </servlet>
 <!-- For hello WebService -->
 <servlet>
 <servlet-name>IntegrationDelegate</servlet-name>
 <servlet-class>org.jboss.webservice.server.ServiceEndpointServletJSE</servlet-class>
 <init-param>
 <param-name>WebServiceID</param-name>
 <param-value>hello.ear/my.war#PortComponent</param-value>
 </init-param>
 <init-param>
 <param-name>ServiceEndpointImpl</param-name>
 <param-value>com.hello.core.delegate.IntegrationDelegateImpl</param-value>
 </init-param>
 <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
 </servlet>
 <!-- This servlet is used to perform any application startup initialization -->
 <servlet>
 <servlet-name>ApplicationStartupServlet</servlet-name>
 <servlet-class>com.hello.utils.ApplicationStartupServlet</servlet-class>
 <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
 </servlet>
 <!-- Action Servlet Mapping -->
 <servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-name>action</servlet-name>
 <url-pattern>*.do</url-pattern>
 </servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-name>action</servlet-name>
 <url-pattern>*.public</url-pattern>
 </servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-name>ReportImageServlet</servlet-name>
 <url-pattern>/report_image</url-pattern>
 </servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-name>PdfServlet</servlet-name>
 <url-pattern>/pdf_report</url-pattern>
 </servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-name>DownloadFileServlet</servlet-name>
 <url-pattern>/download_file</url-pattern>
 </servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-name>DelegateServlet</servlet-name>
 <url-pattern>/delegate</url-pattern>
 </servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-name>AppletServletDB</servlet-name>
 <url-pattern>/geozone/bridge</url-pattern>
 </servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-name>IntegrationDelegate</servlet-name>
 <url-pattern>/hellodelegate</url-pattern>
 </servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-mapping>
 <servlet-name>ApplicationStartupServlet</servlet-name>
 <url-pattern>/applicationStartupNoAccess</url-pattern>
 </servlet-mapping>

 <!-- The Welcome File List -->
 <welcome-file-list>
 <welcome-file>frames.jsp</welcome-file>
 </welcome-file-list>
 <!-- Web Application Error Pages -->
 <!-- Unauthorized Error -->
 <error-page>
 <error-code>403</error-code>
 <location>/unAuthorizedError.public</location>
 </error-page>
 <error-page>
 <!-- Role Error -->
 <error-code>400</error-code>
 <location>/unAuthorizedError.public</location>
 </error-page>
 <!-- Max Concurrent Users Reached -->
 <error-page>
 <error-code>900</error-code>
 <location>[CDATA[/systemAccess.jsp?error=900]]</location>
 </error-page>
 <!-- Localhost User and Server -->
 <error-page>
 <error-code>901</error-code>
 <location>[CDATA[/systemAccess.jsp?error=901]]</location>
 </error-page>
 <!-- Application Tag Library Descriptor -->
 <taglib>
 <taglib-uri>/tags/global</taglib-uri>
 <taglib-location>/tags/global.tld</taglib-location>
 </taglib>
 <!-- Struts Tag Library Descriptors -->
 <taglib>
 <taglib-uri>/tags/struts-bean</taglib-uri>
 <taglib-location>/WEB-INF/struts_tags/struts-bean.tld</taglib-location>
 </taglib>
 <taglib>
 <taglib-uri>/tags/struts-html</taglib-uri>
 <taglib-location>/WEB-INF/struts_tags/struts-html.tld</taglib-location>
 </taglib>
 <taglib>
 <taglib-uri>/tags/struts-logic</taglib-uri>
 <taglib-location>/WEB-INF/struts_tags/struts-logic.tld</taglib-location>
 </taglib>
 <taglib>
 <taglib-uri>/tags/struts-layout</taglib-uri>
 <taglib-location>/WEB-INF/struts_tags/struts-layout.tld</taglib-location>
 </taglib>
 <taglib>
 <taglib-uri>/tags/struts-tiles</taglib-uri>
 <taglib-location>/WEB-INF/struts_tags/struts-tiles.tld</taglib-location>
 </taglib>
 <taglib>
 <taglib-uri>/tags/struts-nested</taglib-uri>
 <taglib-location>/WEB-INF/struts_tags/struts-nested.tld</taglib-location>
 </taglib>
 <!-- ### Security -->
 <security-constraint>
 <web-resource-collection>
 <web-resource-name>Restricted</web-resource-name>
 <description>HELLO Module and Common Files Security</description>
 <!-- Module Directories -->
 <url-pattern>/community/*</url-pattern>
 <url-pattern>/fod/*</url-pattern>
 <url-pattern>/menu/*</url-pattern>
 <url-pattern>/message/*</url-pattern>
 <url-pattern>/report/*</url-pattern>
 <url-pattern>/survey/*</url-pattern>
 <url-pattern>/system/*</url-pattern>
 <url-pattern>/voicemail/*</url-pattern>
 <!--<url-pattern>/geoZone/*</url-pattern>-->
 <!--<url-pattern>*.properties</url-pattern>-->
 <!-- Common Files -->
 <url-pattern>/index.jsp</url-pattern>
 <url-pattern>/home.jsp</url-pattern>
 <!-- Struts Action -->
 <url-pattern>*.do</url-pattern>
 <http-method>HEAD</http-method>
 <http-method>GET</http-method>
 <http-method>POST</http-method>
 <http-method>PUT</http-method>
 <http-method>DELETE</http-method>
 </web-resource-collection>
 <auth-constraint>
 <role-name>SiteAdmins</role-name>
 <role-name>Yes</role-name>
 <role-name>BBS/VoiceMail</role-name>
 <role-name>EventTracker</role-name>
 <role-name>LaunchSession</role-name>
 <role-name>Mobilization</role-name>
 <role-name>Reports</role-name>
 <role-name>LaunchSession</role-name>
 <role-name>ok</role-name>
 </auth-constraint>
 </security-constraint>
 <login-config>
 <auth-method>FORM</auth-method>
 <realm-name> Secure Realm</realm-name>
 <form-login-config>
 <form-login-page>/login.public</form-login-page>
 <form-error-page>/loginError.public</form-error-page>
 </form-login-config>
 </login-config>
 <security-role>
 <description>A system adminstrative user.</description>
 <role-name>SiteAdmins</role-name>
 </security-role>
 <security-role>
 <description>A user: </description>
 <role-name></role-name>
 </security-role>
 <security-role>
 <description>A user: BBS/VoiceMail</description>
 <role-name>BBS/VoiceMail</role-name>
 </security-role>
 <security-role>
 <description>A user: EventTracker</description>
 <role-name>EventTracker</role-name>
 </security-role>
 <security-role>
 <description>A user: LaunchSession</description>
 <role-name>LaunchSession</role-name>
 </security-role>
 <security-role>
 <description>A user: Mobilization</description>
 <role-name>Mobilization</role-name>
 </security-role>
 <security-role>
 <description>A user: Reports</description>
 <role-name>Reports</role-name>
 </security-role>
 <security-role>
 <description>A user: LaunchSession</description>
 <role-name>LaunchSession</role-name>
 </security-role>
 <security-role>
 <description>A Person From : ok</description>
 <role-name>ok</role-name>
 </security-role>
</web-app>

The solution to this problem was to change the web.xml file's web-app_2_3.dtd DTD to a location on the server's file system, so that JBossWS, dom4j would not attempt to retrieve the dtd durring server startup. I used an absolute path to the file using the

file:///