(phil hunt) wrote in message ...
On 22 Sep 2003 18:23:29 -0700, Kevin Brooks wrote:
And just as usual, the accuracy of computer simulations of tactical
ground fights is strongly suspect.

Garbage in, garbage out.

No, not so much GIGO as it is a matter of the goals of the simulation,
which is usually to stress the side being exercised. That retired USMC
GO who ran the JFC exercise last year was whining about how he could
not conduct true "free play", and that certain actions of his were
rescinded by the exercise controllers, but that ignored the fact that
the game had for one of its primary goals, for example, the validation
of the IBCT/SBCT as a tool for the JTF commander--sliming the APOD
that was to serve that unit might be a "real world" thing to consider,

Care to "de-jargonize" that? I get the general gist, just not the
details.

JFC- Joint Forces Command
Free Play- No restrictions on player actions as long as they are IAW
his units' abilities
IBCT - Interim Brigade Combat Team (a brigade combat team being a
combined arms force built around a maneuver combat brigade, including
"slice" elements such artillery, engineers, field arty, service
support, etc.)
SBCT- Stryker Brigade Combat Team (what the IBCT became after the LAV
was selected and named "Stryker")
JTF- Joint Task Force; typical designation of the joint/unified
elements contributed by the seperate services for a contingency
operation, ensuring unity of command
APOD- Aerial Port of Debarkation, or the airfield where the forces are
arriving (APOE being the *E*mbarkation site)
Slime- slang for hitting a target with chems; against critical targets
such as the APOD, likely to be persistent chems.

Brooks