Thankfully not more work angst
Every now and again I come across a job that, had I been born at a different time in a different country to different parents etc. etc, I really would have wanted to do. This job involves wearing a green suit and pointing at maps. In US Army speak it is an FA57:
"Functional Area 57 (FA57) is the Army’s Simulation Operations branch, though in fact FA57s are triple-hatted: they manage the use of simulations to provide simulated data to commanders and staffs during training; they manage mission command systems in order to help present real information to commanders and staffs when deployed; and they are the Army’s Knowledge Managers, responsible for organizing information so it is useful. FA57s are expected to have both knowledge of the operational army, and also knowledge of computers, simulations, and battle command systems: they are expected to be able to translate between geeks and grunts in order to ensure that technical requirements and deliveries actually meet the needs of the field."
In other words, playing wargames and getting paid for it. I like the idea of having three hats as well. This is from an interview on Grogheads with Dr James Sterrett, the Deputy Director of the US Army Command and General Staff College’s Digital Leader Development Center’s Simulations & Exercises Division. Its a good read so if you have a yearning for an alternate career path go to Grogheads.
Another interesting thing I came across recently is this British Forces News item on professional wargames. I had not seen BFN before and I was very impressed with it. The video (at BFBS) includes interviews with Phil Sabin, Tom Mouat and Jeremy Smith and is well worth 2:40 of anyone's time. A matrix game on the Syrian insurrection makes a brief appearance.
