For
all who have earned and worn the eagle, globe,
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the professional organization for all Marines
-- active duty, Reserve, retired, and Marine
veterans. The MCA understands and identifies
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developments and future plans, while emphasizing
the rich history of the Marine Corps and keeping
everyone abreast of current operations. The
association achieves these goals primarily
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magazine and the Marine
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These games can be configured to
suit unit training objectives. Most have
scenario generators that allow the user
to develop his own scenario, tables of
organization, and tables of equipment
for play. 1st Battalion, 6th Marines
used Steel Panthers to simulate various
engagements from Operation DESERT
STORM, using scenarios generated by
the battalion commander.
This article cannot even begin to
cover computer wargames in any
depth with the wide variety of games
available. Rather, the intent is to show
they are available, cheap, easy to use
and, despite being designed for entertainment,
have training potential.
Manual wargames are those simulations
that have traditionally been
called map exercises by the military.
These span almost as wide a spectrum
as computer games.
But manual wargames are not limited
to what can be bought commercially.
Anyone with paper and a map can
conduct a manual simulation. Units
can be represented by labeled pieces
of paper moving across a map (or on a
command and control personal computer)
with a predetermined movement
rate and fighting with a predetermined
combat value. Dice rolls, a
system of tables, or the ruling of a referee
can resolve combat. Of course,
this is simulation at it simplest. According
to how the unit wants to train,
factors such as weather, terrain, etc.
can be factored in. What makes this
system easy to use in the Marine Corps
is that, unlike commercial games designed
to entertain, the Marine Corps
can use a referee in place of a more
complex rules system for combat resolution.
This is the method the German
General Staff used at the Kriegsacademie
in the mid- to late-1800s.
While I was at The Basic School
an interesting variation of a sandtable
exercise was used. The students
were divided into teams and stood at
sandtables at such a distance apart
that the teams could not interact
with each other. Each team was given
a number of units to command, represented
by their operational symbol
on a piece of paper. Each team had
the same terrain features on their
sandtable and was given a specific
objective. All movement, combat,
and other information was given to
each team by the referees who
moved from table to table describing
to each team what they could see and
what the results of their decisions
were. This exercise proved to be very
popular with the students and tested
their decisionmaking capability, as
the referee gave only a limited
amount of time for a lieutenant to
make a decision. The use of the ref
eree kept the simulation in "realtime"
vice "turn based." In effect, it
was like being given one TDG after
another in rapid succession, each
one being affected by the previous
decisions. I have used this exercise
several times since for my Marines as
it is very easy to set up and run.
This article is not meant to imply
that wargaming is a panacea to training
and budgetary shortfalls in the
Marine Corps. Nor is it advocating
that wargaming be made mandatory
at all levels. Rather, it is attempting
to show that wargaming is another
tool the commander has to train his
Marines. It can be tailored to suit
constraints of time and other resources
and focused to meet specific
training requirements.
High-level simulations are excellent
training tools, especially for
joint strategic operations. However,
these simulations must be focused
on specific objectives and limit the
number of personnel involved to
those who can benefit from the training.
On the other end of the spectrum,
this article hopes to show commanders
the wide availability and adaptability of wargames for their
use if it suits their needs. To paraphrase
Clausewitz, the study of theory
alone will not prepare one for
combat, but will educate judgment.1
Wargames are one more type of professional
military education that can
be used to educate.
Capt Ketcherside has served as the S-4 (logistics)
with 1st Bn, 6th Mar and the maintenance
management officer, 6th Mar. Prior
to his current assignment to the Coalition
Military Assistance Training Team, Iraq, he
was an instructor at the Logistics Operations
School, Camp Johnson.
For
all who have earned and worn the eagle, globe,
and anchor, the Marine Corps Association is
the professional organization for all Marines
-- active duty, Reserve, retired, and Marine
veterans. The MCA understands and identifies
with the sacrifices made and the services
rendered as a Marine to this great country.
We strive to keep our members informed of
developments and future plans, while emphasizing
the rich history of the Marine Corps and keeping
everyone abreast of current operations. The
association achieves these goals primarily
through our cornerstone publications, 
