National Defense Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2008

Floor Speech

NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008 -- (House of Representatives - May 16, 2007)

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Missouri for yielding, and I thank him for including my amendment in the en bloc amendment.

Mr. Chairman, the defense authorization bill is a tremendous undertaking and I would like to commend Chairman SKELTON and his Committee for their hard work. My amendment would simply insert findings that Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Technology is an important tool that ought to be utilized to the utmost by the Department of Defense.

Modeling and Simulation has become an essential component in ensuring that we meet both the defense and domestic challenges of the 21st century. It allows us to build and develop models of complex systems--whether it be a car, an airplane, an entire battlefield, or even a major city's evacuation plan. By doing this, we can easily and effectively sharpen the tools, procedures, and decisions needed to address difficult and complex problems. Determining how certain actions will affect the end result before implementing the plan in real life provides strategic, tactical and financial benefits. These simulations help us develop better and practical analogies of real world situations.

With the growing international challenges of the 21st century, this technology is vital to the defense of our great Nation. The practical uses of Modeling, Analysis and Simulation technology as a training tool are boundless. Military and airline pilots have been using this technology for decades. Now, simulating battlefield conditions will sharpen the skills of the brave men and women serving in our armed forces. And it is my firm belief that Congress should be interested in using this technology for defense, homeland security, disaster preparedness, and other ways to benefit the public. Every effort should be made to include Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Technology in the training and planning doctrines of the Department of Defense. This amendment is a step in that direction.

The power of modeling, analysis and simulation technology can be particularly useful in urban areas. The fact is that current and future military operations, and emergency management of natural and manmade disasters, do and will continue to involve operations in highly complex, urban environments; we are no longer engaging in traditional battlefield operations. These urban environments include complex geographical, communications, transportation, informational, social, political, and public support subsystems. The interdependence of these subsystems and the cascading effects of warfare or disasters imposed upon them should be modeled in a computer simulation environment. This will help us prepare for emergency consequence management of military, natural and manmade disasters in complex urban environments.

Using modeling, analysis, and simulation technology in the fields of national defense, science, homeland security and disaster planning will better the lives of all Americans, make our Nation safer and save time and money in the process. I urge my colleagues to adopt the amendment.

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