70th MORSS:
Military Operations at the Next Frontier
By: Jack Keane, 70th MORSS WG/CG Coordinator, jack.keane@jhuapl.edu,
Don Bates, 70th MORSS Assistant WG/CG Coordinator, donald.bates@osd.pentagon.mil
LTC
The
69th MORSS at the
The
theme for the 70th Symposium is “Military Operations at the Next
Frontier.” As the settlers of the 19th
Century prepared to enter the western frontier, they ensured success by being
properly prepared for the expedition and having plenty of equipment, food and
supplies. As we prepare to enter our next frontier ¾ the frontier of new problems that demand new and
unique solutions to support decision makers ¾ we will succeed only if we are properly prepared as
well. We need to ensure that our skills are honed, our heritage of sound and
tested operations research and analytical methods is understood, and our
knowledge is complete.
The
key to each Symposium’s success is proper preparation, provided by the WG/CG
Chairs, Co-Chairs and Advisors. These
dedicated volunteers are responsible for selecting professional presentations
and ensuring the working groups that the rest of us take for granted run
smoothly. With their drive, commitment
and desire to maintain the MORSS as a world-class Symposium, the MORSS team
objectives will be met.
The
Working Group/Composite Group (WG/CG) team structure is a great place to
start. While many positions are filled,
there is always room for additional volunteers!
WG/CG
Chair – This person is solely
responsible for the overall organization of his/her WG/CG to include:
soliciting quality presentations; developing the agenda; running the working
group during the Symposium; and, selecting the best paper from each respective
working group. Typically, a WG/CG Chair
has previous service as a Co-Chair.
WG/CG
Co-Chair – The primary job of a
Co-Chair is to assist the Chair in his/her duties. There is no limit to the number of Co-Chairs
a WG/CG can have ¾ it is simply up to the Chair to determine a manageable number. Being a co-chair is an excellent way to gain
MORSS experience and potentially move to the Chair position.
WG/CG
Advisor –This position is normally
filled by senior analysts with past experience as WG/CG chairs. As such, they advise Chairs and Co-Chairs on
all matters pertaining to running a good session, selecting presentations and
selecting the best paper from their working group.
WG/CG
Coordinator and Deputies – The WG/CG
Coordinator and his/her Deputies assist the WG/CGs in all facets of running a
winning Symposium. They direct
prospective presentations to the correct WG/CG, assist in Symposium logistics
and work closely with the
Hopefully,
this short insight into the WG/CG structure has peaked your interest. If you
would like to volunteer or just want additional information, please feel free
contact me or my deputies, or browse the
Symposium Preview
By now you should have received the ACP. In it are all the preliminary details for the
symposium. If you did not receive it,
you can review it at the
Each
WG Chair will plan papers for seven sessions during the Symposium. Additionally, each CG will develop a program
which has broad appeal to the working groups and relates to the symposium
theme.
What is next?
Already, the WG/CG Chairs are seeking completed work
and works in progress to fill out their agendas. If you have a topic to present, the first
step is to write an abstract (formats, etc. are in the “Call For Papers”).
Next, you can send it directly to the respective Chair, the MORS Office, or one
of us, and we will forward it on to the proper WG/CG for consideration. You might be thinking, “I have plenty of
time, the Symposium is not until next June,” but in reality you don’t! The Chairs have to submit a preliminary
agenda by
Whether you are giving a presentation, working as a
volunteer, or just attending, make plans now
for the Symposium. Attending and
presenting is a great professional development opportunity! Hope to see you at