News From USJFCOM: USJFCOM signs agreement with Old Dominion University Research Foundation

Image of Dr. Maginnis and Rear Adm. Wachendorf USJFCOM signs agreement with Old Dominion University Research Foundation

U.S. Joint Forces Command signed a cooperative research and development agreement with the Old Dominion University Research Foundation in Norfolk, Va. to utilize emerging technologies to support joint training and experimentation using modeling and simulation.

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By Robert Pursell
USJFCOM Public Affairs

(NORFOLK, Va. - April 29, 2008) -- U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the Old Dominion University Research Foundation (ODURF) here today to utilize emerging technologies to support joint training, experimentation using modeling and simulation.

A CRADA is a non-Federal Acquisition Regulation legal agreement between USJFCOM and one or more non-federal parties, such as private industry and academia. CRADAs offer both parties an opportunity to share knowledge, personnel and facilities while conducting mutually beneficial research and development (R&D). This is highlighted by the fact that no funds are allowed to be passed to the non-government party.

The CRADA between USJFCOM and ODURF provides a three-year agreement with two one-year options, focusing on using Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC) capabilities to advance modeling and simulation (M&S) and research and development (R&D).

Navy Rear Adm. Miles B. Wachendorf, USJFCOM's chief of staff who signed the CRADA explained that one of the greatest benefits of this CRADA is that it will enhance command efforts to build partnerships.

"When we talk about security in general, it's not just the military dimension, a growing piece of this is how we can bring all of the elements of government at all levels and sometimes international capabilities together to go after a common threat or mitigate a common problem, so that's nothing but good. This capability will help us," he said.

Greg Knapp, USJFCOM's executive director of joint training, explained the benefit for USJFCOM.

"This will facilitate a greater transfer of information between what ODU is developing and a much broader partnership than we have," said Knapp. "What this does for us is it helps them bring the best of that information to our facility and inculcate it into our laboratory environment."

Dr. Michael McGinnis, VMASC executive director & ODURF principle investigator discussed the ODURF benefit.

"What we've recognized is that the CRADA sets conditions for us to explore how we can leverage and advance to make our fighting forces more effective and our expenditure of resources more efficient," he said.

Army Lt. Col. John Janiszewski, USJFCOM's principle investigator for the CRADA explained how the agreement will enhance training development and benefit the warfighter in theater.

"It's going to allow us to better replicate the kind of conditions they're facing through a training event so that the tools that we use to train them prior to deploying in theater gives them an accurate representation of the environment that they are going to," he said.

In the CRADA, USJFCOM looks to develop an M&S capability that represents the behavioral, political, social, economic, and informational aspects of warfare.

The CRADA provides ODURF with access to USJFCOM facilities for the opportunity to advance the M&S skills of VMASC researchers and academic partners.

"[ODURF is] getting access to the real world problems the military is facing today and an understanding of where the military and U.S. Joint Forces Command is going in terms of modeling and simulation," said Janiszewski. "That helps them understand the challenges that we have. It helps focus their future research efforts, so it's a win-win situation all around."

The CRADA allows USJFCOM to use ODURF's VMASC assets to include experts in M&S, lab and support facilities, and the ability to engage other academic institutions.

"[ODURF has] some unique skills when it comes to defining complex concepts dealing with modeling and simulation," said Janiszewski. "What we try to do is use their expertise, their personnel, their high-level thinkers and try to help them identify cognitive models and use processes that we can then use for our training systems that we develop."

"We have engineers, technical guys that actually do the programming and develop training systems, but you have to do the up-front work with identifying how logically those simulations are going to work and we'll use their minds to do that," he said.

The new agreement represents the twelfth CRADA signed by USJFCOM. Janiszewski said the goal is to start doing new work immediately on various USJFCOM projects.