Thunder Run in the Classroom

摘要

In April of 2003 the American Army launched an attack into the heart of Baghdad called the Thunder Run. The 3rd Infantry Division saw most of the fighting against sizable force of moderately well armed Iraqi Army soldiers. This paper provides an in depth look into utilizing the Thunder Run scenario in conjunction with Joint Conflict and Tactical Simulation (JCATS) software and the Systems Decision Process (SDP). JCATS is an advanced military simulation program and the SDP is a methodology developed by the Systems Engineering Department in order to formalize the decision making process. With these tools cadets explore the world of modeling and simulation and utilize analytical processes in the form of a semester long project by which to recommend to a decision maker a new armored vehicle design for the United States Army. The SDP utilizes problem definition, solution design, decision making, and solution implementation processes by which cadets through a serious of in progress reviews, simulation runs, factorial design analysis, and a final paper work through all the steps necessary to recommend a new armored vehicle design.