Keywords: EXERCISE
Abstract:
Individuals and organizations across the Department of Defense use the terms exercise, experiment, and experimentation in instructions and planning documents, but they neglect to be precise about the similarities and differences among these tools. A clear understanding of the underlying purpose of these tools is important, because the services seek to use them to modernize and build future capabilities. The purpose of this tutorial is to clarify the fact that exercises and experiments are different because they support different goals; however, one can use both exercises and experiments effectively as part of the toolkit of campaigns of learning (often referred to as experimentation campaigns) in our quest for deterrence and operational dominance. While exercises and experiments are themselves tools, they both use a variety of tools and methods to accomplish their diverse ends. This tutorial explores the tools they use: simulations – live, virtual and constructive, wargames – both computer-based gaming and traditional command post games, path games and other types of strategy games, together with their capabilities and deficits. We explore the different types of experiments and how they are currently in use in DoD. Finally, we bring these together in support of the current directives and instructions for designing our path to building tomorrow’s force and the people who will employ the future capabilities. We note that we combat, not only a physical adversary, but the tyranny of time. How we respond to that tyranny has the power to drive us away from the most effective use of our campaigns of learning. In this tutorial, we look at the current gaps in our processes (as well as in our tools) and provide suggestion for developing a more agile and cost-effective way of employing our experimentation toolkit.
