EVALUATING OPERATIONAL MANEUVER IN A COMPUTER-AIDED EXERCISE

Kevin Peter Brown-Captain, United States Army
B.S.,United States Military Academy, 1987
Master of Science in Operations Research-September 1996
Advisor:Sam Parry, Department of operations Research
Second reader:George Connor, Department of Operations Research

Abstract

The development of proficient Joint Staffs at the Joint Task Force level is receiving increased emphasis. One of the primary training tools available is the use of computer-aided exercises. In utilizing these devices for training Joint Task Force Staffs, many observations can be made over the course of the exercise which aid in assessing readiness. The primary document used to focus the training and assessment effort is the Universal Joint Task List. The list provides both the staff and evaluators with a common document outlining critical events and activities which require successful accomplishment. The document is organized in a manner which defines activities associated with the many functional areas of staff activity including logistics, intelligence, force protection, and operational firepower planning. It is the purpose of this thesis to provide a methodology for objectively assessing the staff's ability to conduct operational maneuver. Experimental runs using the Joint Theater Level Simulation (JTLS) demonstrate how critical events and command control decisions affect the tempo of battle and produce data elements which are useful in developing measures of performance for operational maneuver.