DoD announces winners of annual Modeling and Simulation Awards for Excellence; Department Of Defense news release

Defense AT&L, July-August, 2008

The Department of Defense announced today that seven winners have been selected for the 10th annual Department of Defense Modeling and Simulation Awards for Excellence. The annual awards recognize DoD people and organizations for achievement in the development of modeling and simulation capabilities, and the improvement of military capability, readiness, or mission effectiveness. The winners are as follows:

* The Army's Battle Command Training Branch, Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security, Headquarters, III Corps at Fort Hood, Texas, received an award for innovative uses of simulation in support of battle command training for deploying soldiers and units of III Corps' "Hub" and its "Spokes" at Forts Carson, Riley, Sill, and Bliss.

* The Army's Operational Test Command and the Research, Development, and Engineering Command at Fort Hood, Texas, received an award for collaboration between two Army commands with two very different missions, but with a common desire to provide simulation capabilities in support of the Army's acquisition efforts.

* The Navy's Verification, Validation, and Accreditation Template Team at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center at San Diego, Calif., received an award for developing and delivering a standardized template for documenting verification, validation, and accreditation for models and simulations.

* The Air Force's Homeland Air and Cruise Missile Defense Analysis Team in Washington, D.C., received an award for providing analysis culminating in a U.S. homeland air defense investment strategy.

* The Air Force's DoD Air and Space Natural Environmental Executive Agent Team in Washington, D.C., received an award for its contributions to the strategic vision for DoD modeling and simulation.

* The Air Force's 705th Combat Training Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., which operates the Distributed Mission Operations Center, received an award for making significant advancements in exercise delivery and combat training.

* Navy Cmdr. Brett M. Pierson, Joint Staff, J-8 in Washington, D.C., received an individual award for leading an effort to develop a system dynamics-based model of counterinsurgency that provides insights into irregular warfare.

The awards will be presented to winners May 11 at the DoD Modeling and Simulation Conference in Orlando, Fla.