Decision Advantage

Keith Brawner: Modeling and Simulation | Decision Advantage #15

Keith Brawner, PhD is the Program Manager of the USC Institute for Creative Technologies UARC and Senior Engineer, Artificial Intelligence Area, Soldier Effective Directorate, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command - Soldier Center. In this episode, Keith provides an overview of the importance of modeling, simulation, entertainment, games, and synthetic environments for the Army. 00:58 - Introduction, military simulation and entertainment 03:21 - University affiliated research center 04:54 - Core competencies of ICT 06:30 - Defining simulation, modeling, and wargames through communities 11:28 - List of major modeling and simulation stakeholders/communities 13:30 - DEVCOM Soldier Center 15:30 - "All but war is simulation" 17:50 - Virtual reality 20:10 - How does AI fit into modeling and simulation 23:45 - The importance of terrain 26:45 - Ender's Game 30:57 - Exciting technology developments

Serj Kazar: Adapting Commercial MLOps for Intelligence and Defense | Decision Advantage #14

Exia Labs CTO Serj Kazar provides an end-to-end blueprint for building modern MLOps architecture for the military and intelligence community based on commercial systems and best practices.

Doug Small: C2 vs. C5ISR, Separating the Decision from the Tools | Decision Advantage #13

Rear Adm. Doug Small is a native of Birchwood, Wisconsin. He is a 1988 graduate of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Physics. He also holds a doctorate degree in physics from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.Small’s operational tours included mechanical division officer and main propulsion assistant on USS Camden (AOE 2), in which he deployed in support of Operation Desert Storm, as well as combat systems officer (plankowner) on USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7). During Operation Iraqi Freedom he served as the first technical director of Joint Crew Composite Squadron (JCCS) 1, assembled by the Navy to assist with defeating then-prevalent radio-controlled improvised explosive devices (IED). An engineering duty officer since 1997, Small had a number of tours in acquisition, starting at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division and then the Missile Defense Agency. Moving to the Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS), Small was the electronic warfare assistant and then the major program manager for above water sensors (PEO IWS 2), overseeing the development of improvements for the Navy in electronic warfare and radar. Following this tour he served as the executive assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. Small’s first flag assignment, in 2016, he was the program executive officer for Integrated Warfare Systems, where he led the team responsible for development, delivery, and sustainment of all surface navy combat and weapon systems. He assumed command of the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command in August 2020, leading a global workforce of 11,000 civilian and military professionals who design, develop, install, and support Navy’s networking, communications, information, and cyber capabilities and systems.Small’s personal awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and Bronze Star; unit awards include the Army Meritorious Unit Commendation and various campaign and service awards. Small retired Aug. 9, 2024. #decisionadvantage #decisiondominance

Exia Labs Congressional Briefing: Working with Taiwan & Allies to Counter PRC Aggression | Decision Advantage #12

Panelists: * Philip Yu, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral (ret) U.S. Navy, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Indo-Pacific Security Initiative, Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security * Dr. Michael A. Hunzeker, Director, Taiwan Security Monitor at George Mason University * Fanny Chao, Non-Resident Fellow, Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology Moderator: P.J. Huang, co-founder, General Resilience

Exia Labs Congressional Briefing: Gaming and AI for Defense Strategy | Decision Advantage #11

Panelists: * Jonathan Pan, CEO of Exia Labs and Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University * James Ryseff, Director of Defense, Special Competitive Studies Project * Moderator: Judy Kurtz, Columnist, The Hill; Correspondent, DC News Now and Sunrise on the Hill