September 2014 STTC Welcomes Incoming Commander Col. Gary L . Laase By Michelle Milliner, STTC Public Affairs Specialist

The US Army Research Laboratory-Human Research and Engineering Directorate’s Simulation and Training Technology Center (STTC) welcomed incoming commander Col. Gary L. Laase and his family during an assumption of responsibility ceremony on September 3, 2014. Col. Laase a native of Ft. Sill/Lawton, Oklahoma received a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma and a Master’s of Science in Material Acquisition Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. He is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, and the Field Artillery Officer Basic/Advanced Courses.

NAWCTSD's Etz: I'm Here to Give Back and Serve the Team By Dolly Rairigh Glass

Captain Erik “Rock” Etz joined the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division leadership team in June as the new Executive Officer, replacing Capt. Wes Naylor, who assumed duties as Commanding Officer. Etz and his wife, and two daughters, made the transition to Orlando, coming from southern Maryland. “We moved down about the middle of April, and have already enjoyed visits from all our immediate family members and friends from all parts of the country,” Etz said. “Over the last few years, we’ve vacationed here quite a bit, either at the Disney parks or on the coast, and really liked it here. Frankly, when I was looking at options for this period in my career, this was the only job for which I put my name in the hat. This is an outstanding team executing an important mission, in an amazingly supportive community.”

Future Soldiers Get a Peek at Future Training By Dolly Rairigh Glass

In the coming weeks, the U.S. Army will welcome their newest recruits, and some of them will be from the central Florida area. Part of that group will be headed to Fort Sill, others to Fort Bragg and still others to Fort Leonard Wood. But on Aug. 28, before they begin their journey, they were invited to see and learn a little bit about how Central Florida and the efforts of Team Orlando are impacting the training of U.S. military forces, and what they may see in the near, or far future, as it relates to their training.

GameTech: Great Networking and Partnership Opportunity By Dolly Rairigh Glass

At the start of this month, Sept. 3-5, the National Center for Simulation and Team Orlando presented the 2014 Defense GameTech Users’ Conference, which brought together a diverse group of presenters and topics, as well as keynoters from areas of government, academic and industry. Kicking off the conference’s 7th year was Dr. Manny Dominguez, the Deputy Chief Learning Officer for the Veterans Health Employee Education System, and the leader in the effort to build the first VA Virtual Medical Center, a collaborative, 21st century virtual hospital and learning environment for patients, providers and staff.

Secretary of Navy Mabus Visits Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Courtesy of FLETC

Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) Director Connie Patrick hosted Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) headquarters Aug. 11, where he toured the facility and observed Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) students in basic and advanced training programs. Accompanied by NCIS Director Andrew Traver, Secretary Mabus met with students in Special Agent Basic Training Program, the follow-on to their entry-level training from FLETC’s 11-week Criminal Investigator Training Program.

SimLEARN breaks ground on new National Simulation Center By Gerald Sonnenberg, EES Marketing and Communication

Start for the construction for the VHA SimLEARN National Simulation Center (NSC), was recognized Sept. 4 with a special groundbreaking ceremony. The facility is being constructed on the campus of the new Orlando VA Medical Center, located in Lake Nona’s Medical City.

September 26 Noon, EDT Deadline to declare submission for game Serious Games Showcase & Challenge www.sgschallenge.com

September 30 Deadline to declare intent to submit for Serious Games Showcase & Challenge www.sgschallenge.com

October 4 Central Florida Navy League Annual Birthday Ball Rosen Centre Hotel www.cfnavyleague.com

October 7 PALT PEO STRI 9 a.m. Partnership 3, Rooms 321 A/B 3039 Technology Parkway October 7 MT3 Tech Expo PII, Rooms 208, 209 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. October 22 Fall Team Orlando Industry Capability Day 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Partnership 3, Room 321 A/B www.simulationinformation.com

November 4 PALT PEO STRI 9 a.m. Partnership 3, Rooms 321 A/B 3039 Technology Parkway November 4 PALT NAWCTSD Time: TBD Partnership 3, Rooms 321 A/B 3039 Technology Parkway November 8

Harry Robinson, SimLEARN national program manager and the event’s emcee, welcomed nearly 100 guests and staff to Central Florida Marine the event. Special guests included U.S. Senator Bill Nelson Corps Birthday Ball of-Florida; U.S. Representative Daniel Webster from Florida’s 10th District; and Alan Grayson, whose 9th District is the location of the facility; several local community leaders and a variety of Rosen Centre Hotel www.CentralFloridaMarines.org other representatives and guests, including VHA Chief Learning Officer and acting Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Workforce Services Jim Warner. Nelson, Grayson and Webster briefly addressed the audience. The keynote speaker for the event was Timothy W. December 1-4 Liezert, director of the Orlando VA Medical Center.

Teach-In: Spend an Hour as a Teacher By Twanna Scroggins, Foundation for Orange County Public Schools

I/ITSEC Orange County Convention Center

Join Team Orlando and our modeling and simulation industry partners across the region as we participate in Teach-In on November 19, 2014. Each year, in celebration of American Education Week, the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools brings business and civic leaders into the classrooms — in a fun and engaging way — to talk with students about academics, careers and the future. This year, Team Orlando is counting on the support from our M&S industry professionals to help make Teach-In 2014 a success. So don’t delay in signing up; it takes as little as one hour of your time.

Serious Games: Enhancing Today's Training and Education By Dolly Rairigh Glass

Serious Games. What are they and who uses them? The definition of Serious Games: any games that are designed for a specific purpose other than pure entertainment. They can be based on a simulation of a real event, or created specifically to help solve a problem. Although these games can be, and sometimes are entertaining, the main goal is to train or educate its user. Celebrating its ninth year, the Serious Games Showcase & Challenge (SGS&C) was born from the desire to inspire creativity, and generate interest and enthusiasm toward the use of digital game technology and approaches for training and education.

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NAWCTSD Professionals Earn Women of Color Technology Rising Stars Awards Courtesy of NAWCTSD Public Affairs

The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) is an organization that celebrates diversity and encourages innovative ideas to develop via diversity of thought. Three of NAWCTSD’s professionals, System Engineers Lauren White and Petra Robinson, along with Procurement Contracting Officer Cynthia Armound, were recently selected for the Women of Color Technology Rising Stars award, presented by the Career Communication Group.

ADL: Plugfest at I/ITSEC and Virtual World Sandbox Submission by Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative

ADL to Hold Special Event at I/ITSEC: Experience API (xAPI) PlugFest The Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative will conduct an Experience API (xAPI) PlugFest on Wednesday, December 3 at this year’s I/ITSEC. Participants will spend the morning learning about how the xAPI, a component of the Training and Learning Architecture (TLA), works and how it can be used to increase learning and performance effectiveness.

NCS Now Accepting Applications for 2015 Hall of Fame The National Center for Simulation is accepting nominations for the 2015 class of the Modeling and Simulation Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors men and women who have made meaningful contributions to improving, changing or enhancing modeling and simulation in any of the disciplines in its diverse use. The inaugural class was inducted on March 26, 2014, and will have its permanent home displayed in the South Concourse of the Orange County Convention Center.

Workspace Pilot Programs Underway at NAWCTSD By Phil Howell

The cubicle. First embraced in the 1960’s as a modern, comfortable alternative to dreary, open offices packed with rows of desks and sneezing coworkers, it slowly became a perpetual object of derision in cartoon strips like Dilbert and movies like Office Space. But love them or hate them, for most of us, the cubicle will probably remain the base for our work efforts—at least for the foreseeable future.