As the executors of missions, Joint Task Force (JTF) commanders and staffs face a widening spectrum of specified and implied tasks. These tasks often pertain to missions less focused on traditional military roles of conflict resolution, and more on stability promotion, humanitarian assistance, and peacekeeping operations. Yet, due to the uncertain nature of the environments in which military forces may be deployed, JTF commanders, with limited warning, must be prepared to execute the complete range of military requirements swiftly and effectively. This places a heavy burden on contingency planning and the integration of forces and elements into teams that may have limited time to rehearse missions. This paper describes how modeling and simulations can support JTF commanders and staffs. The paper posits a process by which modeling and simulation tools can be used to accomplish the key functions of mission analysis and current status assessment, and the availability and suitability of current models and simulations to address those functions. In addition, this paper identifies potential collateral benefits incident to using the process and assorted modeling and simulation tools that support the JTF commander and his staff. In short, this paper focuses on what modeling and simulation can do to: analyze the JTF missions, reveal training requirements, accomplish training objectives, and assist in the contingency planning process.
M&S Tools for the JTF Command and Staff: Enhancing Mission Analysis and Training
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