Connections 2002

Lecture: US Air Force
Academy Wargaming

by Russ Lockwood



presented by Major Rick White

Wargaming is not part of the official student curriculum, but there are three classes which students can take to further their interest and participation in air war simulations.

    MS111 Introduction to Military Strategic Studies
    MS310 ?
    MS411 ?

These simulations are used to teach, reinforce, and assess knowledge of air power concepts delivered in the classroom. White outlined the five requirements for wargaming in the classroom

    Support educational objectives
    Easy to learn and understand because class time is limited
    Easy to operate for both the students and the instructors
    Multiplayer capability so all may participate
    Challenging situations to promote interest, for if it is too easy--or too hard--students lose interest

Approximately 900 students per semester run through the various classes, and each throws a particular scenario at them.

MS111: As befitting an introductory course, so is the war simulation introductory. Students are armed with wads of paper, with half on offense and half on defense. The offensive players go out in the hall while the defenders can rearrange furniture to protect their base of operations--a cache of candy. The battle begins with the entrance of offensive players, who quickly learn than filing in single file while the defenders hurl paper invites disaster. Thus is taught the idea of concentration of force. It goes on from there.

MS310: This is an air campaign in North Africa, where students learn the art of operational planning.

MS411: This is a computer wargame. The war simulation lab holds 36 networked computers and students engage in joint operations in a hypothetical China versus USA scenario. Here students begin to understand joint force structures as well as an appreciation for US naval power and Chinese missiles.

Other scenarios are available for students. One is called Operation Hostile Shore, set in World War II, where students assume the role of the Luftwaffe in Norway defending against a British aircraft carrier attack.

Issues

Computer versus Board Games: In many respects, a long as the five requirements are being met, it doesn't matter, however, White pointed out that computer games have an edge because increasingly complexity of modeling stuations can often be handled in the background.

Government versus Commercial: Government games are generally better because they are custom made to provide specific instruction to students about core air power doctrines. However, commercial games can provide much of the same lessons and the graphics are better. On the down side, most commercial wargames are too complex to introduce in the classroom.

Future of Academy War Simulations

New simulations are always being introduced and evaluated by the instructors, and hite hopes to introduce intra-mural style wargaming to hone student skills. Inter-Academy games are being worked on to get a better feel for the joint operations necessary for today's and tomorrow's wars.

Bio

Major Richard L. White is Chief, Space Warfare Division, 50th Education Squadron, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado. Major White graduated in 1979 from Pawnee High School, Illinois. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in History, and a Master of Science Degree in Computer Science. He began his Air Force career as a programmer analyst maintaining software for the joint cruise missile program. He was instrumental in deploying computers and equipment critical to building and distributing the Air Tasking Order during the Gulf War. Later, he commanded a remote detachment representing U.S. interests in a Luftwaffe system providing command and control to allied air forces in Central Europe, and was deployed as the Director of Communications for Operation PROVIDE COMFORT. Major White was placed in charge of the Network Control Flight, 786th Communications Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and also served as the Deputy Commander, 721st Communications Squadron, Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, Colorado. Major White presently directs a course in "The Media and the Profession of Arms," and teaches "Introduction to Joint and Multinational Operations", a required cadet course in Military Strategic Studies. Major White also directs the activities of the USAFA Planetarium and 34th Education Group Wargaming Laboratories.

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