Noble Resolve 07-2 kicks off
www.jfcom.mil/newslink/st...pa082007.htm

Long-distance virtual connections came online as simulations began to support decision-making and working together in a crisis situation as U.S. Joint Forces Command's Noble Resolve 07-2 started in Suffolk, Va.

By Robert Pursell
USJFCOM Public Affairs

(SUFFOLK, Va. - Aug. 20, 2007) -- U.S. Joint Forces Command's (USJFCOM) Noble Resolve 07-2 kicked off today and will conduct a series of simulation-driven experiments throughout the week to enhance homeland defense measures and military support to civil agencies during natural or man-made disasters.

Noble Resolve, sponsored by USJFCOM, is an experimentation campaign plan supporting U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) to develop solutions for U.S. agencies and organizations by providing the means to deter, prevent, and defeat threats and aggression aimed at the U.S., its territories, and interests.

Noble Resolve 07-2 will use intricate computer-based models and long distance virtual connections to provide the environment for participants to make decisions and work together as they would in the case of a real crisis.

By using the models, no troops or emergency personnel will actually have to deploy or respond to events, saving money and time.

Navy Capt. John Kersh, the experimentation director of Noble Resolve discussed the purpose of the campaign.

"We're trying to enhance homeland defense by putting together an experimentation venue that allows interested parties to work research objectives of mutual interest," he said. "We're actually distributing the game itself with this series of vignettes so that organizations do not have to leave where they normally work, which is gigantic.

Noble Resolve 07-2 will bring approximately 100 people from across the United States and abroad to develop solutions to provide improved defense support to civil authorities and build upon global partnerships.

In addition to NORTHCOM, USJFCOM will work with the state of Oregon, the Joint Task Force Homeland Defense, located in Hawaii, and other federal agencies such as the Dept. of Homeland Security, the FBI and FEMA. It will also partner with the Republic of Korea, as well as other foreign liaison officers from other countries.

Last April's Noble Resolve 07-1 held experimental scenarios with the commonwealth of Virginia; however with Noble Resolve 07-2, the focus will be on the state of Oregon and the Pacific theater.

Kersh said throughout the campaign, USJFCOM will benefit not only from the opportunity to work with partners in this collaborative environment, but also from the chance to apply some of its own modeling and simulation products.

Kersh also discussed the future of the campaign and the optimism of where it's headed.

"This is a multi-year homeland defense experimentation campaign plan and we're going to have another spring time event next year and another fall event," he said. "They'll be even more distributed with more partners using this common operational picture and we'll bring in additional modeling and simulation products to help out. It's just going to get better from here on out."