25-10-2012, 12:34 PM
Simulation Support of Large-Scale Exercises: A REFORGER Case Study
ABSTRACT
Traditionally, the Army has favored the large-scale, multiechelon exercise because it provided the closest approximation
to conditions encountered in actual warfare. But exercises that depend on large numbers of combat vehicles maneuvering
freely over a wide area may no longer be a viable training strategy outside of a military installation. Such exercises are
becoming increasingly difficult because of cost, environmental, and political constraints. In addition, as the Army faces a
future in which its mission is likely to shift from forward-deployed defense of overseas areas to contingency operations in any
part of the world, traditional large-scale ground maneuvers may become even more difficult to perform. These issues have been
particularly important in Germany, where one of the more prominent large exercises, REFORGER (Return of Forces to
Germany), took place annually during the 1970s and 1980s. This type of exercise faced growing constraints arising from its
increasing cost and the German public’s loss of patience with the damage and disruption that inevitably accompany such
maneuvers. As a result, U.S. Army, Europe, decided to experiment with different ways of conducting exercises to determine
if there was a better alternative. Caravan Guard 89 (CG 89) and Centurion Shield 90 (CS 90, a REFORGER exercise) were
selected as vehicles to test alternative exercise modes, including the use of simulations. This report describes the four exercise
modes used in the CG 89 and CS 90 exercises, i.e., field training exercise (FTX), command field exercise (CFX), command
post exercise (CPX), and computer-assisted exercise (CAX); it analyzes these exercises to determine each one’s advantages
and disadvantages; and it makes recommendations about future large-scale, multiechelon exercises. The authors conclude that
simulations should be the primary training mode, with selected command elements in the field to achieve specific objectives.
(3 tables, 2 figures, 9 refs.)