Abstract for: Using System Dynamics to Train Army Leaders

A strategic imperative for the United States Army is to develop, educate and train leaders to operate in a complex security environment. This requires the ability for leaders to understand complex and integrated feedback systems in multiple areas. Many of the current training aids and events do not allow for leaders to gain a long term perspective on the higher order impacts of their decisions. A potential solution is the development of “management flight simulators” for Army leaders using System Dynamics. A layered approach is utilized capturing micro-lessons, which can be integrated into larger, more robust scenarios. This paper proposes the framework for the simulations, a test-case, and the identification of five other examples of common challenges associated with combat operations over the past decade of conflict at the company level and below.