war gaming and military culture

8/18/2019 War Gaming and Military Culture

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Wargaming and Military Culture:

Education and

Cohesion-BuildingEric M. Walters, MA MSSI

Professor of and Warfare, Military !istory, and

Intelligence

American Military "ni#ersity


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Eric M. Walters 2

Agenda• Some $efinitions

• %he &oals of Military Culture• Sym'toms of an "nderde#elo'ed Military

Culture

• %he Cultural Parado(

• Wargaming Para)les

• Wargaming and Education

• Wargaming and Cohesion

• *uture Wargame +euirements


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$efinitions

Culture: .a/ de#elo'ment,

im'ro#ement, or refinement of the

mind,)/ the result of this, refined

0ays of thin1ing, tal1ing,acting,etc.2. %he ideas, customs,

s1ills, arts, etc., of a gi#en 'eo'le in

a gi#en 'eriod.

Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American

Language, Second College Edition, '. 34.


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$efinitionsEducation: 5. %he 'rocess of training and

de#elo'ing the 1no0ledge, mind, character,etc., es'ecially )y formal schooling6

teaching6 training 7. 8no0ledge, a)ility,

etc., thus de#elo'ed 3.a/ formal schoolingat an institution of learning )/ a stage of

this . Systematic study of the methods

and theories of teaching and learning.


Language, Second College Edition, '. .


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$efinitions

Cohesion: 5. %he act of condition of

cohering6 tendency to stic1 together...

Cohere: 5.a/ to stic1 together, as 'arts of a

mass7. %o )e connected naturally or

logically, as )y a common 'rinci'le6 )e

consistent 3. %o )ecome or stay united in

action6 )e in accord.


Language, Second College Edition, '. 792.


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$efinitions

Wargame: 5. Same as 8+IE&SPIE 7.

Practice maneu#ers in#ol#ing actual

troo's and military eui'ment.

8riegs'iel: a game for teaching or

'racticing military tactics )y the use of

small figures re'resenting troo's, tan1s,

etc., mo#ed a)out on a large ma' or

re'resentation of the terrain.


Language, Second College Edition, ''. 93 ; 52


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%he &oal of Military Culture

=%he essential thing is action. Action has

three stages: the decision )orn of thought,

the order or 're'aration for e(ecution, and

the e(ecution itself. All three stages are

go#erned )y 0ill. %he 0ill is rooted incharacter, and for the man of action,

character is of more critical im'ortance than

intellect. Intellect 0ithout 0ill is 0orthless,0ill 0ithout intellect is dangerous.>

!ans #on Seec1t, Thoughts of a Soldier, '. 573


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Sym'toms of an "nderde#elo'ed

Culture--in Planning=%he clearest e#idence ofdeficiency is

too much communication--reams of

orders and directi#es 0hich in the'lanning stage are little more than

generalities and e(hortations, and 0hich

defer too much to the moment ofdecision.>

CAP% Wayne P. !ughes, ?r., "S@ +et./ leet Tactics

and Coastal Combat, Second Edition, '. 35


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Culture--in E(ecution*rom =A Band of Brothers Multi-Player &ames>=If you hold the chief command, among other things you

0ill learn that:

5/ our su)ordinates cannot read your hand0riting.

7/ our su)ordinates cannot tell left from right.

3/ our su)ordinates cannot gras' the sim'lest

conce'ts of maneu#er.

/ %hreats of 'hysical #iolence are often necessary tosecure com'liance 0ith your orders.>

S. Craig %aylor, =*ighting Sails,> The !eneral

"aga#ine, $ol% &', No% ( )*ul+Aug &-./, '. 4.


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Culture--in E(ecution=If you hold a su)ordinate command, you 0ill learn

that:

5/ ou cannot read the commanderDs hand0riting.

7/ %he commander 1ee's issuing orders to turn left0hen the situation o)#iously calls for turning to the

right.

3/ %he commander must thin1 you can read his mind to

e#en attem't such com'le( maneu#ers./ %he commander has a nasty tem'er.>

S. Craig %aylor, =*ighting Sails,> The !eneral

"aga#ine, $ol% &', No% ( )*ul+Aug &-./, '. 4.


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%he Cultural Parado(

=$ra0 any good na#al leaderinto acon#ersation on his e('erienceand it

0ill uic1ly come out that the tactical

'lan im'osed )y his seniors 0as to his

mind too rigid. !e 0ill tell you ho0 he

maneu#ered more cle#erly and fired his

0ea'ons more effecti#ely than

'rescri)ed.>




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%he Cultural Parado(=In the ne(t )reath he 0ill tell you ho0 0hen he

0as in command his units mo#ed together li1ecloc10or1. !e 0ill s0ear to you that all his

ca'tains 1ne0 e(actly 0hat each teammate

0ould do as instincti#ely as a )as1et)all 'layer

1no0s from )ody language 0hich 0ay histeammate 0ill cut. It 0ill ne#er occur to the

s'ea1er that there is the slightest inconsistency

in his account.>




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Co'ing 0ith the Parado(

• Education: earning a)out =the

game> i.e., War/

• Cohesion: earning a)out =theteam> i.e., the unit/

What does wargaming01riegs2iel offer3


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What 0argaming offers:• 4ndi5idual e62erience7 Education

– %he =en#ironment>

– %he =o''osition>

– What 0or1s, 0hat does not 0or1 /

– Self-confidence• Collecti5e e62erience7 Cohesion

– Collecti#e 1no0ledge ; 0isdom resulting from

indi#idual education

– %rust in each other


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A Wargaming Para)le A#aila)le

in Military iterature

$aniel P. BolgerDs: The 8attle or 9unger

9ill7 The &st 8attalion, '(-th 4nfantry

:egiment at the *oint :eadiness

Training Center 59/ – =aser tag> team com'etitions used to

train all hands

–%0o ?+%C =rotations> demonstrateim'ro#ements in indi#idual education and

collecti#e cohesion


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A Wargaming Para)le

A#aila)le in Science *iction

Frson Scott CardDs @e)ula and !ugo

A0ard Winner: Ender’s !ame 599/

– Com'uter 0argames and 3-$ Gero-&=laser tag> team com'etitions used to

train future commanders

–"sed for indi#idual education and)uilding collecti#e cohesion


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Wargaming and Education=@ine-tenths of tactics are certain, and taught in

)oo1s: )ut the irrational tenth is li1e the

1ingfisher flashing across the 'ool....It can only

)e ensured )y instinct, shar'ened )y thought

'racticing the stro1e so often that at the crisis

it is as natural as a refle(.>Colonel %. E. a0rence, =%he Science of &uerrilla

Warfare,> 572.


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Wargaming and Education:

Fne Pro)lem %o Be Sol#ed=I ha#e often seen ho0 'athetic those general staff

officers are 0ho dra0 their ad#ice from their o0n

o)ser#ed data, ho0 indecisi#e and timid they are

to accom'lish anything thatthe circumstances

demand. Such 'eo'le do not 1no0 the ris1s

0hich must )e ta1en in 0ar%hey 'ro)a)ly

ne#er ris1 a )old idea, since no similar situation

cro0ned 0ith success in the 'ast gi#e them thenecessary self-confidence.>

&eneral &erhard Scharnhorst, uoted in +udolf

Stadelman, Scharnhorst7 Schic1sal und geistige Welt,

ein ragment, ''. 544-542


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And Another.=art can )e de#elo'ed, )ut li1e hitting a cur#e )all, it ta1es

a )it of innate talent, too. Fne day, if you ha#e it, you loo1

at a situation and you get the 'icture. Some fol1s, e#en

#ery senior officers, ne#er get it. %hese men, often #ery

)right, insist u'on learning all the 'ro'er )uGG 0ords, andchant them re'eatedly, as if saying them enough 0ould

someho0 im'art understanding. $es'ite Benning,

ea#en0orth, and all the )oo1s, such 'eo'le ne#er uite

)ridge the ga' )et0een theory and 'ractice. %hey loo1, )utdo not see.>

$aniel P. Bolger, The 8attle or 9unger

9ill , '. .


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!istorical Antecedents:

Wargaming and Education• Ancient &ames: Chess and !o

• %he Prussian Army game: +eiss0itGDs

1riegs2iel – =ItDs not a game at all--itDs training for 0arH>

Army Chief of Staff, &en. on Muffling

– ots of rules and ta)les• erdy du ernoisDs Sim2lified War !ame

– +elied on um'ire e('erienceJKudgment


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Wargaming and Education• Commercial &amesJMiniatures !.&. Wells,

*red ?ane, *letcher Pratt, Charles +o)erts,

?im $unnigan, et. al./• @a#al War College 0argames

• WW II 0argames

– !erman wargames – So5iet wargames

– *a2anese wargames


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Educational Wargaming

%oday• Commercial &aming – ;aintball and Laser Tag

– 8oard wargames and miniatures

– Com2uter wargames• $e'artment of $efense &aming

– ield SA/

– SA/0=To2 !un= )>SN/0WT4 4NE?

)>S"C/ – Ada2ted commercial games

– Command ;ost E6ercise )C;?/ dri5ers


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Educational Wargaming Issues:• Entertainment #ersus realism

– Commercial 'aint)all, laser tag, and many com'uter

games suffer here

• &ame design )ias #ersus realism

– $o$ games most 'rone

– Acuisition im'erati#es

• CI system limitations

• $ifficulties in translating e('erience o)tained from

artificial en#ironments to real situations in the future


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Worst Case Futcome• Attem'ts at =realism> can )e a distraction for

contem'orary situations: – =It 0or1ed 0hen 0e did it in Lsu)stitute e(ercise

name here, so it 0ill 0or1 again.>

– =LInsert e(ercise name here #alidated ourconce'ts.>

• %o mitigate this, include many #aria)les onconditions, 0ea'ons 'erformance, unitmorale, and a host of other im'ondera)lesand 'lay it more than onceH


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Best Case Futcome• *ighters gain self-confidence from

their successes and learn from their

failuresJmista1es.• "nintended )ias is 1e't to a

minimum. Com'are outcomes to

historyJcom)at e('erience.


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Wargaming and Cohesion=*our )ra#e men 0ho do not 1no0 each

other 0ill not dare attac1 a lion. *our less

)ra#e, )ut 1no0ing each other 0ell, sure

of their relia)ility and conseuently of

their mutual 0ill attac1 resolutely.>Colonel Charles Ardant du Pic. 8attle Studies, '. 55<


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Wargaming and Cohesion:

Fne Pro)lem %o Be Sol#ed=%he men lac1ed true )attle drills to act on contact.

Again, home station training, hea#ily laden 0ith

li#e-fire e(ercises, e(acer)ated this tendency.

Fn the range one could merely lea'frog along,0ith one grou' shooting 0hile neigh)ors

alongside inched for0ard. %he fi(ed targets

al0ays o)ediently remained to the front. +eal

enemies do not so o)lige. A )ig )old flan1 curesthat.>

$aniel P. Bolger, The 8attle or 9unger

9ill , '. 537.


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And Another.=%iger and &riffin soldiers 0ere reduced to

chanting catcalls, 0hile their commanders

argued a)out 0hether to try to use their

o#er0helming force to attac1 $ragonArmy.Momoe 0as all for attac1ing--D0e

outnum)er him t0o to oneD--0hile Bee said, Nsit

tight and 0e canDt lose, mo#e out and he can

figure out a 0ay to )eat us.D>Frson Scott Card, Ender’s !ame, '. 547.


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Wargaming and Cohesion• Admiral !oratio @elson, his ca'tains,

and his #ictories

– %actical 0argamingJseminars

• Prussian reformers and the #ictories

of 553, 554, 522, and 59<

– 8riegs'iel – Staff rides

– %actical $ecision &ames


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Contem'orary Efforts:

Wargaming and Cohesion

• @ational %raining Center @%C/, Com)at%raining Center C%C/, and ?oint +eadiness%raining Center ?+%C/

• %o' &un "S@/, +ed *lag "SA*/, andWea'ons %actics Instructor Course "SMC/

• &A"@%E% training at *ort 8no(: ".S. Army

Armor School• Com'uter-dri#en CPOs


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Wargaming ; Cohesion Issues:

• =%raining o)Kecti#es> lead to scri'tedJcanned

scenarios

– %he grou' is not sufficiently stressed

• F''ortunities to 'ractice are limited

– +esource limitations time, s'ace, ; tools/

• Simulation a#aila)ility

• %raining areaJrange a#aila)ility

• %he =tyranny of the unit training schedule>

• 8ee'ing =the team> together

– Personnel system doesnDt encourage this


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Worst Case Futcome

• %he game is =rigged> for success each

time--the team is not seriously stressed.

•Small local teams can 0in at home, )ut itdoesnDt al0ays mean they are ready to

0in the cham'ionshi' in the =Big

eagues.>


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Best Case Futcome

• Indi#iduals 0ithin the unit learn under

stress ho0 each other thin1 and

'erform6 they )egin to trust all mem)ers

of the team IAW this understanding.

• Close 'ersonal )onding ma1es it harder

for indi#iduals to =let do0n> their

teammates.


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*uture Wargame +euirements:• Stri#e to0ards realism es'ecially for historical

situations/, )ut include entertainment 0here youcan

• Allo0 changes in 'erformance 'arameters and

algorithms, es'ecially in contem'orary scenarios• Include a 0ide #ariety of scenarioJsituation ty'es

across all conflict s'ectrums and en#ironments

– and, Air, SeaStrategic, F'erational, %actical

– Ancient through @ear *uture, e#en Sci-*i

* t W + i t


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*uture Wargame +euirements:• Ensure =free 'lay> force-on-force –

Al0ays ma(imiGe fog and friction6 rheostatJ>toggle>do0n enemy strength and ca'a)ilities to =0or1 u'>ne0 units at first

• Ma(imiGe a#aila)le resources –

F)tain commercial solutions6 'ut them to 0or1 – Integrate com'etiti#e team 0argames ; training

– Allo0 unstructured 'ractice and 'lay

• Sta)iliGe the unit

– Identify the ='laying season> and 1ee' the teamtogether throughout


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