DOD simulation center aims for outreach

Robert Graebener, newly-appointed director of the Defense Department's Modeling and Simulation Information Analysis Center, plans to expand the center's reach beyond DOD. DOD, he said, already sees the MSIAC as a one-stop shop for the modeling and simulation community. But it also supports the Homeland Security Department, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, NATO and U.S. government-sponsored international organizations, and could be of service to an even greater array of agencies.

The first item on Graebener's agenda: making those pertinent organizations aware of the MSIAC’s resources and reaching the potential audiences to which the center could offer operational support. The outreach effort is both his primary goal and what he sees as his biggest challenge, Graebener said in an interview Oct. 26.

Designed as a single, integrated support resource that provides insight and in-depth analysis, the MSIAC promotes operational readiness and awareness through its modeling and simulation activities, Graebener said.

The information repository uses modeling and simulation to evaluate various events and situations, such as assessing satellites and sensors or determining collateral damage inflicted by a nuclear attack or other weapons of mass destruction.

The center also ensures that simulations are available for reuse after the initial testing, which means each model or simulation can have multiple purposes. “It’s an inexpensive means for researching and evaluating military projects – this can save lives, improve operational effectiveness and be used for coalition efforts,” Graebener said.

The center’s efforts go beyond simulation and modeling, he added. The center also provides training events, and its university promotes educational outreach to communities and organizations that could use modeling and simulation capabilities.

The MSIAC, located in Alexandria, Va., is operated by Alion Science and Technology, of which Graebener is an employee. The MSIAC is one of ten specialized DOD information analysis organizations across the country operated by the Defense Technology Information Center.