View From The Hill
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Collaborating on a National Level
The Orlando, Fla., metropolitan area is renowned for tourism, theme parks and conventions. But just beyond Orlando’s tourism corridor, lies a high-tech sector about the same size as that in Austin, Texas.
Modeling, Simulation, and Training (MS&T) comprises a sizeable part of that sector. Central Florida represents one of the larger, if not the largest, MS&T clusters in the United States. The Navy’s NAVAIR Orlando and the Army’s PEO-STRI, which have been highlighted in this publication, are based in my 24th Congressional District. Over 100 MS&T companies directly employ over 6,000 people. Having reached a critical mass in Central Florida, the MS&T industry continues to expand.
Central Florida achieved critical mass by leveraging relationships among military, academic, industry, and government entities. Locally, we refer to this rich and complex web of cooperation, collaboration and partnerships as Team Orlando.
Over 50 years before “jointness” and “transformation” became favored concepts in the Department of Defense, the Navy and Army demonstrated these traits in Orlando by starting a partnership for the development of training systems. The Air Force and Marines joined as full partners during the 1990s. All military services use a common infrastructure of facilities, contracting, administration and technology.
Collaboration with academia is demonstrated by the University of Central Florida (UCF). As a relatively young and up-and-coming research university, UCF helps cross-pollinate the MS&T community through its academic programs in modeling and simulation and its Institute for Simulation and Training.
The private sector is represented by a portfolio of MS&T companies. Recognized and established entities are present. But Central Florida is also home to scores of innovative, entrepreneurial start-ups. Central Florida’s critical mass also provides a catalyst for innovation and expansion into areas beyond military applications. For example, EA Sports studio in Maitland, Fla. produces video games such as Madden NFL Football, NCAA Football, and NASCAR Chase for the Cup.
State and local governments provide a business-friendly environment with low taxes, reasonable regulation, and attention to preserving an enjoyable (and warm) quality of life. Unlike some parts of the country, when business expresses an interest in expanding into Central Florida, we ask how we can help instead of demanding what you must do for us.
Finally, the National Center for Simulation, which is located in the Central Florida Research Park, helps provide national and local leadership for the MS&T community.
I recount these accomplishments not just for parochial pride (an allowable vice for elected officials). Rather, the lessons learned from Central Florida’s experience can be applied nationally, including by the Congressional Modeling & Simulation Training Caucus.
All of us are deservedly proud of the MS&T business done within our local communities. But business development in this industry isn’t a zero-sum game where success in one geographic area comes at the expense of another. MS&T holds so much promise both within and outside the military community that everyone benefits if we cooperate and collaborate not just locally but nationally.
Congressman Randy Forbes and I constantly emphasize this point. Forbes represents Virginia’s Hampton Roads area and chairs the Congressional Modeling & Simulation Training Caucus. Any growing MS&T enterprise would probably examine Central Florida and Hampton Roads as places to locate. As Congressmen from those districts, we certainly have our dogs in that hunt. But we focus on expanding the overall MS&T pie. If we and other members of the MS&T community dedicate ourselves to that task, everyone—both individual communities and businesses—will reap the rewards.
So the Modeling & Simulation Training Caucus strives to educate my congressional colleagues about what MS&T offers and the strong returns on investment it generates to both public and private sector customers. Quite frankly, the denizens of Capitol Hill— with some notable exceptions—are hardly tech savvy. So the Caucus’ sponsorship of Capitol Hill MS&T demonstrations provides members and staff with hands-on exposure to this technology. Furthermore, the Caucus can highlight the distinctiveness of this technology from others such as information technology. Finally, the Caucus will raise MS&T’s profile within the Department of Defense, other government agencies, and the private sector and, if needed, advocate for acquisition reform.
You can help our efforts by creating a unified national identity for MS&T. This task includes improving national organization and creating focal points for cooperation among various industry players. By looking beyond parochial interests and focusing on national objectives, you will raise this industry’s visibility and provide policymakers with a discrete agenda to pursue in Washington.
This February, we made considerable progress on this challenge during the First Annual Modeling and Simulation Leadership Summit sponsored by the National Training Systems Association. I attended this summit along with Congressman Forbes and was heartened by the sizeable attendance, breadth of talent, and quality of ensuing discussions. Clearly, the participants were eager to take their national game to a higher level based on cooperation, collaboration and partnership. Let’s stay focused on that prize. ♦