Military Operations Research Society (MORS)

This course will be taking place across 4 consecutive Fridays: 24 April, 1 May, 8 May, and 15 May.

This course is intended for operations research analysts wishing to learn about the methods and techniques that underpin campaign analysis. Campaign analysis is unique in its challenge to analyze long timelines, large geographical areas, heterogeneous assets, parallel and sequential heterogeneous missions, and multiple factions.

Throughout the course, participants will be provided with:

• An overview of campaign analysis
• How it's applied in the community
• A description of common campaign tools
• A review of applicable MS&A techniques
• A demonstration of building elements of a campaign model

This course is not tool-specific, but will focus on application of fundamental operations research techniques to campaign analysis.

The MORS Certificate in Wargaming is a five-day course designed to enhance analyst capability and knowledge in multiple aspects of professional games, including research, design, development, execution, analysis, and reporting. Through a combination of lectures and exercises, participants will learn the theory behind wargames before diving into research design and execution. Building on Peter Perla’s theory of the “Architect, Artist, and Analyst” model for game designers, the course includes material that covers each style of wargame design. The course culminates in a practicum where participants will be divided into teams to develop and execute their own game for an assigned analytical problem.

MORS has partnered with Virginia Tech to offer this certificate. Participants will receive a number Continuing Education Units (CEUs) upon completion, in accordance with the number of contact hours determined by Virginia Tech.

Objectives

Our expert instructors will guide participants through the key aspects of wargaming and aid them in creating their own game on the final day of the course. Along the way, participants will learn about the following:

• Defining a wargame
• A brief history of wargames
• Building blocks of game design
• Adjudication
• Strategic gaming
• Wargame graphics
• Game analysis

For 60 years the annual MORS Symposium has been the national security operations research community’s premier forum to exchange insight, examine emerging research, and address the most complex analytic challenges facing our nation. Each year, the Symposium brings together roughly 1,000 operations research and analytic professionals representing military, government, industry, and academia to share best practices, sharpen analytic approaches, and strengthen professional relationships in a collaborative environment. At its core, this work is focused on supporting the warfighter with high-quality, decision-ready analysis.

The Symposium begins with learning-focused Monday Tutorials and CEU Courses, followed by multiple days of deep, content-rich Working Group sessions and panels. Throughout the week, participants present in-progress work, share completed studies, discuss future analytic priorities, and explore new techniques and methods. The MORS Symposium continues to be the best venue to present, discover, and advance the latest developments in operations research and analysis while building the connections that drive national security impact year-round.