TOAW for Training

[USXpat]

This has been brought up before (http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3699636 ).- could TOAW (and other wargames) be useful to military professionals - for training, or otherwise?

Consensus here was pretty mixed. Asking the same thing on LinkedIn was universally favorable - and from individuals with interesting credentials. I resolved to go ahead and field an article to a broader audience on my friend's blog while he is on vacation, with his blessing.

http://www.odessatalk.com/2015/04/training-officers-acronyms-wargames-toaw/

The blog is obviously focused on Ukraine. It faces a fair number of challenges, to say the least. I'm not sure how far I will pursue this beyond a short series of articles, though there are some regular readers of the blog who could lend a voice to the idea of using TOAW as a training tool and for other purposes.

I'd welcome you to chime in as well. I'll try to keep up with any conversation here, too.

[SMK-at-work]

TACOPS was quite widely used by various militaries as a training tool in the late 990's-early 2000's - several had custom versions of it made for htem.

Not sure if it still is, but it was quite an interesting 2D game

[USXpat]

Thanks Mike, yes - I've referenced TacOps, Brigade Combat Team, and Harpoon when presenting on LinkedIn. I've yet to come across anything with the kind of flexibility that TOAW has. Even asking those who would likely know, they've mostly referred to these sorts of games.

[Oberst_Klink]

ORIGINAL: USXpat

Thanks Mike, yes - I've referenced TacOps, Brigade Combat Team, and Harpoon when presenting on LinkedIn. I've yet to come across anything with the kind of flexibility that TOAW has. Even asking those who would likely know, they've mostly referred to these sorts of games.

Mark

I pointed the usage of TOAW III for military training out in an article at 'The Wargamer', as well as a German more detailed look on this subject in German at 'Der Stratege'.

http://www.wargamer.com/Article/3454

Klink, Oberst

[USXpat]

Thanks Klink, your notes add more to the picture on TOAW's capabilities. That Spanish AAR sort of speaks for itself, too.

One of the challenges is defining TOAW in terms that "generals" appreciate in a language they understand. Getting the blessing of other known/respected professionals - academic or military, could help quite a lot, too. There is the training side, but there is also the all source military intelligence side, too.

[Oberst_Klink]

ORIGINAL: USXpat

Thanks Klink, your notes add more to the picture on TOAW's capabilities. That Spanish AAR sort of speaks for itself, too.

One of the challenges is defining TOAW in terms that "generals" appreciate in a language they understand. Getting the blessing of other known/respected professionals - academic or military, could help quite a lot, too. There is the training side, but there is also the all source military intelligence side, too.

Mark

found more resources and articles - http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/w ... onsim.aspx

Klink, Oberst

[jmlima]

ORIGINAL: USXpat

This has been brought up before (http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3699636 ).- could TOAW (and other wargames) be useful to military professionals - for training, or otherwise?

Consensus here was pretty mixed. Asking the same thing on LinkedIn was universally favorable - and from individuals with interesting credentials. I resolved to go ahead and field an article to a broader audience on my friend's blog while he is on vacation, with his blessing.
...

Several commercial games are used as training tools (to my knowledge, TOAW is not one of them). The biggest difference is that military versions usually have different databases to suit the requirements of the intended training, or to showcase weapon platforms that are currently still in testing / evaluation stage.

[Neilster]

I'm pretty sure the Panther Games guys have been used by at least the Australian Defence Force.

Cheers, Neilster

[Oberst_Klink]

ORIGINAL: Neilster

I'm pretty sure the Panther Games guys have been used by at least the Australian Defence Force.

Cheers, Neilster

They have/and still do indeed - http://www.panthergames.com/2014/02/mil ... XgTD0Ypfko

Klink, Oberst

[Oberst_Klink]

ORIGINAL: jmlima

ORIGINAL: USXpat

This has been brought up before (http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3699636 ).- could TOAW (and other wargames) be useful to military professionals - for training, or otherwise?

Consensus here was pretty mixed. Asking the same thing on LinkedIn was universally favorable - and from individuals with interesting credentials. I resolved to go ahead and field an article to a broader audience on my friend's blog while he is on vacation, with his blessing.
...

Several commercial games are used as training tools (to my knowledge, TOAW is not one of them). The biggest difference is that military versions usually have different databases to suit the requirements of the intended training, or to showcase weapon platforms that are currently still in testing / evaluation stage.

TOAW

The Swedes do -

THE CONTEXT OF WARGAMING SESSIONS
The examples originate from a study that was conducted among military
cadets playing an educational wargame during 3 days, as part of an 8-
week course in war science. The wargaming part was one of the final
6
stages in the course where they would test their plans and apply the
theories they have learned earlier. The cadets used a commercial strategic
computer game, The Operational Art of War (Matrix, 2005), in which a
specific scenario was created to match the orders given to the cadets.

www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:768 ... TEXT01.pdf

Klink, Oberst