Simulation and C4I data collection in support of Force XXI training

The U.S. Army's Force XXI initiative provides automated C4I systems to commanders and their staff at the brigade through corps echelons to increase situational awareness and support improved command and control decision making. This paper describes the Data Collection, Analysis, and Review System (DCARS) and its two principal components, the C4I Data Collection System (DCS) and the Archiving and Enhanced Retrieval (ARCHER) system. DCARS collects C4I data (perceived and available truth) from command post structures and stores it in the ARCHER after action review system (AARS), along with data from the simulation (ground truth), to support collective training of military staff. DCARS' nonobtrusive C4I data collection provides analysts and trainers with data on a near real-time basis, in forms that enhance examination of information threads, processing time, critical paths, and throughput. It uses a variety of graphical displays to provide near real-time and historical comparisons of data resident on operational systems and simulation data. It automates standard query language and Web site queries and makes the results available for analysis. It facilitates record output analysis by employing a sophisticated message dissemination system that allows key word message profiling