Professional military education and simulation

This is an abridged and edited version of a speech given by Major General Craig Orme, presented at the 'SIMTECT 2012: Asia-Pacific Simulation & Training Conference and Exhibition' on 19 June 2012.

Simulation is not about technology – it's about culture. Simulation is about being willing to be confronted directly by your strengths but, more importantly, also your weaknesses. It is about learning how to deal with complexity, risk, uncertainty, chaos and ambiguity.

In summary:

• simulation prepares people for operating in complex systems

• simulation allows learners to fail safely and quickly

• simulation provides objective adjudication

• simulation builds behaviours and culture

• simulation builds capability

• simulation also saves resources.

Defence needs to have a broader understanding of the power of simulation, and its contribution to both capability and culture, to harness its potential. In particular, simulation provides objective adjudication to prescribed scenarios, enabling learning to deal with complexity, and removing prejudice and pre‐ conceptions from policy and operational decision making. It has the potential to change the way Defence thinks about what they do so that it is informed by evidence and experience. In other words, it has the potential to change Defence culture.

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