Drew F. Lawrence
Capt. Nicholas Royer describes himself and many of his fellow Marines as "nerds with a drive for violence." It's an apt description for disciples of a booming craft in the Corps: war-gaming.
In 2023, about six months into his tenure as II Marine Expeditionary Force's modeling and simulation officer -- or as he puts it, the unit's "pet little mad scientist," Royer was responsible for coordinating training and war-gaming needs for units across Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, at its Battle Simulation Center, the Marine Corps' first purpose-built facility of its kind.
Amid the fancy simulation systems and high demand for laptops, Royer saw that there was not only a frequent "technical burden" to offering Marines a chance to test out battle scenarios, but an accessibility gap. War-gaming was a staple at higher echelons, and other available simulations -- which can be loaned out to or scheduled by troops on a limited basis -- catered to small-unit tactics for motivated junior noncommissioned officers or officers amid their busy schedules.
Royer said "we had a bit of a gap in something that we could do in between those two extremes" and identified a need for a war game that units could easily check out from the center that would still fulfill the immersive quality of the technical simulators, but without the barrier to entry or logistical support.
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