Modeling, simulation, and operations analysis in Afghanistan and Iraq
Subtitle: operational vignettes, lessons learned, and a survey of selected efforts
By: Ben Connable, Walter L. Perry, Abby Doll, Natasha Lander, Dan Madden
Contributors: Perry, Walt L., author; Doll, Abby, author; Lander, Natasha, author; Madden, Dan, author; Rand Corporation; National Defense Research Institute (U.S.); International Security and Defense Policy Center
Publisher: RAND Corporation
Published: 2014
Place of publication: Santa Monica, CA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 167
ISBN-13: 9780833082114
Copyright date: 2014
Subjects: Counterinsurgency; Logistics; Military planning; Irregular warfare; Computer simulation; Decision making; Evaluation; Simulation methods; Soldiers; Iraq War, 2003-2011; Protection; Afghan War, 2001-; Operations research
Description: RAND conducted a lessons learned examination of operations analysis, modeling, and simulation in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. This report identifies ways in which analysts have attempted to support commanders' decisions in counterinsurgency and irregular warfare, describes many of the models and tools they employed, provides insight into the challenges they faced, and suggests ways in which the application of modeling, simulation, and analysis might be improved for current and future operations. RAND identified four broad categories of decisions: force protection, logistics, campaign assessment, and force structuring. Modeling, simulation, and analysis were most effective in supporting force protection and logistics decisions, and least effective in supporting campaign assessment and force structuring.
Notes: "RR-382-OSD."--Page 4 of cover.

"National Defense Research Institute."

"Prepared for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation."--Title page.

"Approved for public release; distribution unlimited."--Title page.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 137-167).

"This research was sponsored by OSD-CAPE and conducted within the International Security and Defense Policy Center of the RAND National Defense Research Institute ... under contract W74V8H-06-C-0002."--Title page verso.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: Decision issues and analysis in COIN and IW literature; title: Support to force protection decisions; title: Support to logistics decisions; title: Support to campaign assessment decisions; title: Support to force structuring; title: Conclusions, findings, and recommendations; title: Appendix. Review of selected models and simulations.