Mission and Purpose

Mission: Enhance the Quality of Analysis that Informs National and Homeland Security

The Military Operations Research Society (MORS) is a non-profit member association that brings together analysts, researchers, and decision-support professionals dedicated to strengthening national and homeland security through rigorous, mission-focused analysis.

MORS traces its roots to August 1957, when the first Military Operations Research Symposium, sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, was held at the Corona Naval Ordnance Laboratory in California. What began as a focused technical gathering quickly grew in scope and impact. By the eighth Symposium, the event had become a nationally oriented, joint-service forum, reflecting the expanding role of operations research across the defense enterprise. In April 1966, the Military Operations Research Society was formally incorporated, establishing a permanent home for this growing community.

Today, MORS serves as a professional nexus for operations research and analytics across the military, government, industry, and academia.

Our year-round offerings support analysts at every career stage and include:

  • Professional development communities organized around 35 Symposium Working Groups and 22 specialized Communities of Practice
  • An annual Education and Professional Development Colloquium designed to support students and early-career analysts
  • Classified and unclassified meetings, workshops, and forums addressing real-world analytical challenges
  • Phalanx, MORS’ quarterly magazine focused on national security analysis
  • A curated catalog of original publications, reports, and historically significant analytical manuals

MORS is deeply proud of its heritage, which closely mirrors the development of operations research in the United States. Through the MORS Fellows program, the Society recognizes individuals whose sustained contributions have shaped both the field and the community.

The Society is governed by an elected Board of Directors and supported by a professional staff. MORS operates under a Department of Defense contract, with funding provided by the Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, reflecting our enduring role in advancing analytical excellence in support of the warfighter.

The Society promotes the following Code of Ethics for its members:

Military and National Security OR Professionals must aspire to be:

  • Honest, open and trustworthy in all their relationships.
  • Reliable and consistent in the conduct of assignments and responsibilities, always doing what is right rather than expedient.
  • Objective, constructive and responsive in all work performed.
  • Truthful, complete and accurate in what they say and write.
  • Accountable for what they do and choose not to do.
  • Respectful of the work of others, giving due credit and refraining from criticism of them unless warranted.
  • Free from affiliation with others or with activities that would compromise them, their employers, or the Society.

President's Message

2025 MORS President, Mr. Nick Ulmer's, message to the MORS community.

Read President's Message