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June
2007
Forbes Introduces
Congressional Resolution Recognizing Modeling and Simulation
Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04), Chairman of the Congressional Modeling & Simulation Caucus, announced today he has introduced bipartisan legislation to formally recognize the contribution of modeling and simulation (M&S) on our nation’s economic prosperity and national security.
Nine Members of the M&S Caucus, Congresspersons Solomon Ortiz (TX-27), Mike Conaway (TX-11), Jo Ann Davis (VA-01), Tom Davis (VA-11), Thelma Drake (VA-02), Tom Feeney (FL-24), Ric Keller (FL-08), Heather Wilson (NM-01),
and Robert Aderholt (AL-04) have joined as cosponsors of this legislation.
“Modeling and simulation is transforming a breadth of industries across the United States as varied as defense, health care, construction, and transportation,” Forbes said. “This legislation will recognize M&S as a national critical resource that is providing unparalleled advancements in American competitiveness, developing new and innovative ways to protect our homeland and our war fighters, and bringing high-tech jobs and economic prosperity to our communities.”
This legislation, H. Res.
487:
* Formally honors the contribution of M&S technology to the security and prosperity of the United States;
* Recognizes M&S as a National Critical Technology;
* Acknowledges the significant impacts of M&S on a breadth of fields including defense, space, national disaster response, medicine, transportation and construction;
* Urges Congress to continue to place emphasis on math and science as key disciplines in elementary and secondary education, and encourages the expansion of modeling and simulation within higher education; and,
* Affirms the need to study the national economic impact of this important industry.
Today the scope and influence of M&S reaches well beyond the defense industry. Modeling and simulation has been responsible for the progressive developments in health care, homeland security, construction and transportation. Members of the M&S community come from diverse backgrounds such as psychology, medicine, computer science, mathematics, engineering and physics. Many of the technologies are universally applicable and may be used in multiple fields, including visualization tools, analytical tools, knowledge management and behavioral representations. In addition, M&S provides lower-cost opportunities for joint training and development of operational plans and assessments in dangerous situations, such as warfighting or national disasters. H. Res. 487
was referred to the House Committee on Science and Technology, and on June
22nd, was reported out of Committee by voice vote.
Flight Simulators
During the month of May,
Congressman Forbes worked hand in hand with the House Armed Services
Committee to loosen a restriction on the use of flight simulator contracts
in the Department of Defense. Since last year, flight simulator services
contracts were prohibited unless they met a strict national security interest test. Under the negotiated term
that was included in the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY08, a contract
can move forward so long as it is in the national interest, which is
broadly defined as making sense for the Department and the taxpayers.
These services contracts have been utilized on F-16, AWACS, and F-15
simulators, as well as the Army’s state of the art Flight School XXI
simulators located at Fort Rucker, AL.
Upcoming Events
July 19, 2007
Second Annual Congressional Modeling & Simulation Expo
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Cannon Caucus Room (345 Cannon)
Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
M&S In the News
Noble
Resolve 07-1 yields new opportunities for experimentation
By USJFCOM Public Affairs
(SUFFOLK, Va.) - The initial experiment of U.S. Joint Forces Command's (USJFCOM)
Noble Resolve campaign designed to look at ways of enhancing homeland
defense and support in the event of a natural or man-made disaster proved
to yield promising results. To read more, please
click here.
Video
simulates 9/11 attacks
From Chris Kokenes
CNN
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A computer simulation of the September 11, 2001, attack
on the World Trade Center, posted on the Web site YouTube by Purdue
University researchers, shows how hijacked planes crashed through the twin
towers, stripping fireproofing materials from the steel columns and
eventually leading to their collapse. To read more, please
click here.
Crashing
Cars When They’re Still a Gleam in the Designer’s Eye
By Stuart F. Brown
The New York Times
The
accuracy and speed of the simulations enables engineers to conduct many
more tests, and to put their results to work right away. Automakers are
willing to invest in this technology to bring products to market more
quickly. To read more, please
click here.
.
The
Mind-Bending New World of Work; Motion-capture technology has burst out of
Hollywood and into businesses from aerospace to advertising
By Aili McConnon
BusinessWeek
Now motion capture is bursting out of Hollywood and changing the way
consumers interact with home electronics. Motion sensing is the secret
ingredient in Nintendo's (NTDOY ) wildly successful Wii game system, which
lets you swing a wand in your living room to hit a home run in an animated
ballpark on your TV set. To read more, please
click here.
Modeling & Simulation e-newsletter
Join the Modeling
and Simulation Caucus email newsletter list by signing up online at
http://randyforbes.house.gov/mscaucus.
In addition, you can stay informed by reading
past issues online as well.
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