Handbook of Military and Defense Operations Research

Part I: Approaches

Modern Data Analytics for the Military Operations Researcher

Raymond R. Hill

Microsoft Excel: The Universal Tool of Analysis

Joseph M. Lindquist, Charles A. Sulewski

Military Decision Analysis

Roger Chapman Burk

Military Workforce Planning and Manpower Modeling

Nathaniel D. Bastian, Andrew O. Hall

Military Assessments

Lynette Arnhart, Marvin King

Threatcasting in a Military Setting

Natalie Vanatta, Brian David Johnson

Analytical Modeling of Stochastic Systems

Roger Chapman Burk

Modern Methods for Characterization of Social Networks Through Network Models

Christine M. Schubert Kabban, Fairul Mohd-Zaid, Richard F. Deckro

Process Optimization Through Structured Problem Solving

David M. Bernacki, Robert E. Hamm, Jr., Hung-da Wan

Simulation Optimization

Shane N. Hall, Brian M. Wade, Benjamin G. Thengvall

Analytical Test Planning for Defense Acquisitions

Darryl K. Ahner, Gina Sigler

Part II: Soft skills and client relations

Why Won’t They Use Our Model?

Walt DeGrange, Wilson L. Price

From BOGSAT to Turbo Teams

F. Freeman Marvin

Part III: Applications

A Model for and Inventory of Cybersecurity Values: Metrics and Best Practices

Natalie M. Scala, Paul L. Goethals

Applying Information Theory to Validate Commanders’ Critical Information Requirements

Mark A. C. Timms, David R. Mandel, Jonathan D. Nelson

Modeling and Inferencing of Activity Profiles of Terrorist Groups

Vasanthan Raghavan

Expert COSYSMO Systems Engineering Cost Model and Risk Advisor

Raymond Madachy, Ricardo Valerdi

Part IV: Perspectives

How Data Science Happens

James P. Howard, II

Modernizing Military Operations Research Education

Chris Arney, Michael Yankovich, Krista Watts

Strategic Analytics and the Future of Military Operations Research

Greg H. Parlier

Biography

Natalie M. Scala is an associate professor and director of the graduate programs in supply chain and project management in the College of Business and Economics at Towson University. She earned PhD and MS degrees in industrial engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Her primary research is in decision analysis, with foci on military applications and cybersecurity. Dr. Scala frequently consults for government clients and has extensive professional experience, including positions with Innovative Decisions, Inc., the United States Department of Defense, the RAND Corporation, and the FirstEnergy Corporation. She is currently serving as the president of the INFORMS Military and Security Society.

James P. Howard II is a scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Previously, he worked for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as an internal consultant on statistical computing. He has also been a consultant to numerous government agencies. Additionally, he has taught mathematics, statistics, and public affairs since 2010. He earned a PhD in public policy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Listen to Natalie Scala talking about election security and her book Handbook of Military and Defense Operations Research on Problem Solved, a podcast by IISE here.

“This handbook, edited by Scala (Towson Univ.) and Howard (Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Univ.) comprises four parts. Part 1 presents ten key activities involved in operations research (OR), including mastery of data analytics, structured problem solving, and simulation optimization, among others. Part 2, titled "Soft Skills and Client Relations," explores the practicalities of persuading users to actually implement and test the theoretically developed OR solutions. The third part, "Applications," offers a set of case studies on how various OR techniques and modeling approaches have been applied in different contexts, e.g., cybersecurity, terrorist group activities, and engineering cost and risk management. Part 4, "Perspectives," deals with the relationship between OR and data science, and especially the issues surrounding modernization of OR education within the military to meet its inevitably changing needs both today and in the future. Though the emphasis throughout the book is on specific military issues and applications, the methods and cases discussed would be applicable for use in OR courses offered in nonmilitary institutions. In addition to being a natural acquisition for libraries of military academies, the book would find a readership in the libraries of all institutions where OR courses are offered.”
—CHOICE Review

"The Handbook of Military and Defense Operations Research is an excellent introduction to the application of operations research and analytics techniques to current defense related problems."

—Emeritus Professor Steve Horton, United States Military Academy

"The editors and contributors are a 'who’s who' of operations research professionals in the field of applied national security analytics. This Handbook should occupy a prominent location on every analyst’s bookshelf – from undergraduate student to senior practitioner – and its techniques should be in every analyst’s toolkit."

—Brian Morgan, President-Elect, Military Operations Research Society

"This reference book has important papers on all the topics needed for a practitioner of military OR to improve his or her skills toolbox. This book will not collect dust on a shelf. It will be used regularly."

—Professor Robin Dillon-Merrill, Georgetown University

"Scala’s experience and observations inspired her research interests as a professor and recently motivated her decision to write her first book, Handbook of Military and Defense Operations Research[. . . .] The book offers tools and techniques that help transition a person from learning operations research and analytics in school to applying it in a new problem space – namely, defense. Or, it works vice-versa; the same tools and techniques could help a person who has experience in the military but may not have formal education in analytics."

—Jenna Harrity, Business Dialog, Towson University

"The Handbook of Military and Defense Operations Research will make a great addition to any defense analyst’s library. With contributions from some of the most well-known practitioners and researchers in the defense analysis field, this volume provides a great introduction to modern analytic methods and how they apply to critical problems in national defense."

—Andrew Loerch, Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research, George Mason University