News From USJFCOM: Command profiles modeling and simulation usage at MODSIM World Conference and Expo 2007

Command profiles modeling and simulation usage at MODSIM World Conference and Expo 2007

U.S. Joint Forces Command helped lead a panel on homeland defense and modeling and simulation as the Virginia Beach Convention Center hosted the MODSIM World Conference and Expo 2007. The event features the latest in modeling and simulation technology and discussions about the future of modeling and simulation for use in homeland defense.

By Army Spc. Andrew Orillion
USJFCOM Public Affairs

(VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Sept. 12, 2007) - U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) and several of its partners were on hand as modeling and simulation (M&S) took center stage this week at the MODSIM World Conference and Expo 2007 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.

Sponsored by the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance, Hampton Roads Partnership and Old Dominion University, the event focused on the future of modeling and simulation technology in the armed forces as well as the Hampton Roads area.

Organizers used the event to illustrate the growth of modeling and simulation technology in the Hampton Roads area, and to illustrate the partnerships that the area has with the Department of Defense as well as academia and industry.

(VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.) – Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), founder and chairman of the Congressional Modeling & Simulation Caucus, speaks to attendees of the MODSIM World Conference and Expo being held at the Virginia Beach Conference Center Sept. 11-13, 2007. (Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Bryan D. Axtell)(Released)

Chairman of the Congressional Modeling and Simulation Caucus, Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) spoke about the increased need for modeling and simulation and how far the technology has come since its early days.

"There was a time when modeling and simulation was kind of pegged as being only for national defense," said Forbes. "But as all of us know, modeling and simulation touches so many areas."

Forbes likened modeling and simulation technology, which at his request the U.S. Congress recently declared a national critical technology, to a blank chalk board that USJFCOM and other organizations are using to write the future.

"What you are doing is far more important than just the economic benefits, what you do is absolutely critical to the national security of our country and that's why it is an honor for me just to thank you and also to encourage you," said Forbes.

Among the many conference attendees who were looking for what M&S can do for them was Army Col. Michael P. Armstrong, chief of the joint training technology division at USJFCOM's Joint Warfighting Center (JWFC). In addition to spreading the word about the JWFC mission, Armstrong was looking for ways to improve joint training through the use of modeling and simulation.

"What we're really trying to do is get the message of how we're using modeling and simulation, and let the community know about the advances we're making," said Armstrong. "We're also looking at how it is we can start doing a little more testing with in our training exercises so that we can bring the analytical community into our exercises."

Armstrong said behavior modeling is a new frontier in modeling and simulation. He said that the kinetic fight, the actual battle, is slowly becoming only part of a much larger picture and that PMESII pieces (Political, Military, Economic, Social, Infrastructure, and Information) are becoming more important.

"Our ability to model the kinetic fight is very good. We trained that way for 30 years. Now we're working into the non-kinetic fight in which we start talking about behaviors that aren't just shot it kill it," said Armstrong.

Armstrong said that future models and simulation would try to take PMESII pieces, into account in order to better train personnel in how to win and keep local allies.

The conference part of the event featured tracks on four different areas of modeling and simulation technology; medical, transportation, educational/training and the homeland security/defense area which USJFCOM helped oversee.

Air Force Col. Stan Vanderwerf, who is the chief of the Analysis Division at U.S. Northern Command, strolls through the Virginia Beach Conference Center Sept. 11, 2007, prior to speaking to attendees. Vanderwerf was one of five panel members who spoke about using modeling and simulation in homeland security and the Department of Defense. Leaders in Modeling and Simulation gathered at for the MODSIM World Conference and Expo being held Sept. 11-13, 2007. (Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Bryan D. Axtell)(Released)

The homeland security/defense panel featured both local and international panelists. The panelists discussed the various applications of modeling and simulation technology when it comes to homeland defense and related areas.

Robert Crouch, special assistant for commonwealth preparedness to Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, talked about the increased use of modeling and simulation technology in emergency management, especially for the Hampton Roads area with its several ports and beaches.

"This is the most vulnerable part of Virginia for hurricanes," said Crouch. "Our evacuation planning is very robust and an integral part of that evacuation plan, that our department of transportation and department of emergency management rely, on is modeling and simulation. It is being employed each year and becoming more and more sophisticated."

Andrew Vallerand, director of the Canadian Public Security Technical Program, brought an international view to the homeland defense panel by talking about the Canadian perspective on modeling and simulation.

Vallerand said that Canadian homeland defense effort is only one year old and combines 21 different agencies. He said that since the program is still in it infancy, it focuses mostly on identifying the deficiencies of its own systems as well as those of its partners.

"This is how we feel we can have the greatest impact," said Vallerand. "At the same time we are still aiming to prepare and prevent, and to support the recovery and response aspects of homeland security and defense."

Vallerand added that the future of modeling and simulation isn't just better graphics and more interactivity. He said future systems will put a greater emphasis on behavior modeling to help identify homegrown terrorists and prevent potential attacks

Dr. Anreas Tolk, who teaches engineering management and systems engineering, at Old Dominion University, represented the academic side of modeling and simulation for the panel.

For Tolk the future of modeling and simulation is not simply better technology, but better access to simulations by soldiers on the ground and first responders. Tolk used the example of the attacks on 9/11 to demonstrate his point.

"When the towers went down, the police department was very well aware of the fact that the towers were going to go down," said Tolk. "A simulation already predicted that the skeleton of the towers was not able to hold together under those constraints, for more than three hours."

According to Tolk, having access to that information and knowing how to use it in a crisis could help save lives in the future.

"What I want to achieve with this research is that if we are in a similar situation, I want the operational person on the ground to be able to directly access the modeling and simulation systems," said Tolk. "Modeling and simulation is no longer only a tool; modeling and simulation becomes an operational service."

The conference didn't just attract the attention of industry professionals; students from Grafton High School in Yorktown, Va., paid a visit to the event. The students were part of teacher Paul Haigh's information technology introduction course. Haigh had previously taken students to the modeling and simulation facilities at Old Dominion University. He hoped that a tour of the conference might spark the student's interest in modeling and simulation technology.

"I thought lets go see what this is all about and stimulate some interest and see if the kids get excited about this," said Haigh. "Everything in information technologies is discussable in the class and this is about as cutting edge as you can get, so I wanted to bring the kids here to experience some cutting edge technology and see if it doesn't make them decide 'hey this is really cool I want to know more about it.'"