Simulation and C 4 I Data Collection in Support of Force Xxi Training

The U.S. Army’s Force XXI initiative provides automated C4I systems to commanders and their staffs at the brigade through corps echelons to increase situational awareness and support improved command and control decision making. These systems provide extensive automation support, including local area networks for data communications within command post structures and wide area communications linking geographically dispersed force structure echelons. The introduction of these systems into the field generates new challenges in the planning and conduct of large-scale command post exercises using simulations. A major new problem area that this paper addresses is the interface between the C4I systems and the simulation. This paper describes the Data Collection, Analysis, and Review System (DCARS) and its two principal components, the C4I Data Collection System (DCS) and the Archiving and Enhanced Retrieval (ARCHER) system. DCARS collects C4I data (perceived and available truth) from command post structures and stores it in the ARCHER after action review system (AARS), along with data from the simulation (ground truth), to support collective training of military staffs. DCARS’ nonobtrusive C4I data collection provides analysts and trainers with data on a near real-time basis, in forms that enhance examination of information threads, processing time, critical paths, and throughput. It uses a variety of graphical displays to provide near real-time and historical comparisons of data resident on operational systems and simulation data. It automates standard query language and web site queries and makes the results available for analysis. It facilitates record output analysis by employing a sophisticated message dissemination system that allows key word message profiling. Analysts can identify quantifiable strengths and weaknesses in collective training of the staffs, and provide training feedback using standard data products automatically created from the ARCHER AARS.