T E A M S T R AT E G Y G A M E S Building an Understanding of International Affairs t h r o u g h S t r a t e g i c G a m e Wa r f a r e
PURPOSE: Nation Rebuilder’s team based strategy games are designed to provide an opportunity for students to engage in outdoor intelligence gathering and strategic command games that resemble a current international crisis. While the games are fun and active for all ages, they also provide a valuable opportunity to teach and inform participants about the weighty responsibility of intelligence gathering and strategic decision making. DESIGN: The program was designed with input from an international affairs professor and a former Navy Seal in order to create hypothetical missions that are based upon current international events at the time. The games generally involve a group of approximately 20-40 participants that are assigned to various teams, some in opposition, others in alliance, who are tasked with specific strategic objectives depending on the emerging crisis. The strategic games are a great team building exercise and fun learning activity for school outdoor-ed programs, church camps, youth retreats.
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E X A M P L E S T R AT E G Y G A M E E X A M P L E S : 2009 Operation Mountain Shield The future stability of Afghanistan was in question as Taliban extremists operating in neighboring Pakistan sought to regain power in Afghanistan. British intelligence and U.S. Special Forces worked together to obstruct Taliban objectives in the region. 2010 Operation Desert Strike The Saudi government requested security assistance along its southern border with Yemen as the stability of the Yemeni government was threatened by a growing Al Qaeda presence in the country. Growing concerns regarding Al Qaeda’s capacity to encroach into neighboring Saudi Arabia and control its oil fields resulted in the Saudi’s pursuing international intelligence and requesting security operations to eliminate Al Qaeda threats in the region. 2011 Operation Unified Protector Gadhafi’s ongoing attempt to maintain control through his loyal supporters was tottering as Libyan opposition groups were aided by U.S. military forces and British intelligence in their attempt to find and capture Gadhafi supporters themselves, and free their country. 2012 Operation Spearhead Intelligence being gathered in Syria seemed to confirm that the Assad regime in Syria had been using chemical weapons on opposition forces. U.S. and British intelligence were to confirm these reports, locate weapons of mass destruction and obtain permission for their elimination.
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S T R AT E G I C G A M E M I S S IO N: Each game is designed to correspond to actual events that are happening around the world at the time. Although based on events in real-time, the games adopt a hypothetical element for the sake of simulating an international crisis and a potential response of key state actors. Depending on the geographic features of the available game location, examples of strategic game objectives could include: • • • • •
Locate and destroy Iranian nuclear facilities Liberate South Korea from invading North Korean forces Find prisoners taken hostage by Taliban groups operating in Afghanistan Disrupt Somali pirate networks operating off coast of East Africa Disrupt ISIS operations in their attempt to regain control of Iraq
S T R AT E G I C G A M E O B J E C T I V E S : Teams are created by identifying what likely groups would be involved in a particular crisis, such as U.S. Special Forces, British intelligence operatives, local national groups, terrorists, dictator regimes, etc. Each team is given a set of clearly defined objectives, that if fulfilled will determine a winner for one side or another. The game location is researched using geospatial intelligence apps such as Google Earth so that a map of the current international hotspot can be superimposed upon the game location. National boundaries, geographic features and mock military assets can be appropriately marked upon the map Game objectives require strategic planning by participants by requiring teams to fulfill consecutive tasks. Before launching an all out attack on an enemy, teams maybe required to coordinate their activities with allies or conduct intelligence gathering missions to locate enemy assets such as hidden oil fields, or missile sites, or prisoners. As information is gathered, team commanders then communicate further plans for additional missions or enemy engagements. The next page provides an example satellite imagery of a 3 acre woodland with an outline of Libya superimposed over top and the objectives listed for each team. The maps was distributed and objectives explained to participants in a pre-game intelligence briefing.
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Operation Unified Protector: Game Objectives
Libyan oil fields
West: Gadhafi controlled
U.S. Navy evacuation
U.S. Embassy
East: Opposition controlled
British Embassy
Libyan Prison
Strategic Objectives: Gadhafi's forces: • • • •
Protect Gadhafi from being removed from power. Maintain control of oil fields in West and gain control of oil fields in the East. Capture Libyan opposition, U.S. & British forces in the West. Avoid being captured in the East.
Libyan opposition: • Maintain control of oil fields in East and gain control of oil fields in West. • Capture Gadhafi forces in the East who are looking for oil fields.
British MI6 intelligence: • Locate and capture Gadhafi. • Avoid being captured by Gadhafi forces.
U.S. Army Rangers: • • • •
Assist Libyan opposition in gaining oil fields in the West. Assist Libyan opposition in attack and capturing Gadhafi forces in the East. U.S. cannot remove Gadhafi from power. Evacuation area in water is considered a safe zone.
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To Win: Gadhafi forces must gain 4 out of 5 bases and protect Gadhafi. Libyan opposition, U.S. & MI6 must gain all 5 bases and capture Gadhafi.
HOW IT WORKS: Terrain The strategic games are ideally conducted on 3-4 acres of private property. Property with geographic features make the game more challenging. A wooded area is preferable, with dense undergrowth for hiding, or streams that have to be crossed, or open areas to be traversed without being caught. The greater the variance, the more interesting the game. Teams It is recommended that you have between 20-40 students that can be split into 3-4 teams that will compete against one another or form alliances in their mission. It is recommended that adults operate as judges who roam the property to help decide issues and discrepancies that arise. Game Briefing A pre-game intelligence briefing creates great expectation and excitement and is a good learning experience for participants to learn about the real world situations that the game simulates. The purpose of the briefing should be to convey clearly the overall nature of the situation and explain specific objectives of each team. Use PowerPoint to present a map and show various features of the game location.
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ABOUT US: Nation Rebuilders is a family owned business that was started in 2011 in order to create and distribute curriculum and educational materials to train the next generation to both understand the times, and to know how to effectively lead with Christian character and wisdom in 21st century world affairs.
M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N : www.nationrebuilders.com
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