Wargaming entertains—it stirs the imagination. Wargaming challenges—it sharpens the intellect.

Ian T. Brown works as a wargame analyst for Group W. He recently retired from the United States Marine Corps after 20 years of active duty service primarily as a CH-35E Super Stallion helicopter pilot, but with experience as a forward air controller and requirements officer as well. He deployed twice to Iraq, twice to the Pacific, and once to Afghanistan.

Ian’s final billet in uniform was at the Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Future Warfare, where his love of wargaming aligned with the Center’s mission of injecting critical thinking and creative problem-solving opportunities into professional military education curricula. In that job he developed extensive skills in wargaming facilitation, scenario design, and leveraging social media platforms to build networks to share best practices.

He has also published extensively on military history, military theory, and future warfare in both fiction and non-fiction formats. His book “A New Conception of War: John Boyd, the U.S. Marines, and Maneuver Warfare” has been on the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ Professional Reading Program list since 2019.

His first commercial wargame, “#Maneuver Warfare: The Card Game,” is currently available from the Dietz Foundation for pre-order. (edited)

 Mr. C. Travis Reese is Troika Solutions’ Advanced Warfare Solutions Group Director of Wargaming and Net Assessment (WNA).  WNA applies the craft of wargaming, the practice of net assessment, and the science of operational research -breaking down the barriers between all three- to maximize the benefit for organizations that need visualize, identify, diagnose, quantify, and solve future challenges.  WNA applies traditional qualitative wargaming methods and combines this with modern quantitative AI-enabled tools to improve organizational outcomes and decisions.

Travis was commissioned in the Marine Corps in December 1995 and retired from active duty in October 2016 after nearly 21 years of service. He was an artillery officer and earned the additional military occupational specialties of foreign military advisor and operational planner. 

 For his operational billets, he served in: cannon artillery battalions; the staff of a Navy Amphibious Group; on a Marine Expeditionary Unit staff; on the staff of forward deployed Marine Expeditionary Force; as a foreign Military Transition Team advisor; as a planner for an Marine Logistics Group both deployed and in garrison; and on the personal staff of the Commander International Security Assistance Force.

 During the course of his operational career Mr. Reese was deployed to Okinawa, Iraq, and Afghanistan garnering 5 combat tours totaling four years of combat deployments in every echelon from tactical to sub-unified Theater command. He worked myriad issues from lethal/non-lethal target engagements, civil affairs, logistics, surge and withdrawal planning, and international community engagements.  

Mr. Reese’s institutional tours included service as a Naval Surface Fires Capabilities Integration Officer at the Marine Corps’ Deputy Commandant for Capabilities Development and Integration; a Strategic Analyst on the Commandant of the Marine Corps’(CMC) Strategic Initiatives Group; and the Transition Teams for CMC 36 and 37 where he was a writer for the 36th CMC’s Commandant’s Planning Guidance and the 37th CMC’s FRAGO 01. 

Senior Analyst with demonstrated performance working within the Federal Government and military industry. Skilled in working within the Department of Defense with extensive experience with Inspector General activities, executive-level military planning and problem solving in current/future operations and executive-level command and leadership experience. Strong ethical leader and executive professional who lives stewardship with a master’s degree in strategic studies. 

 Sebastian J. Bae, a senior game designer and research scientist at the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA), works in wargaming, emerging technologies, and the future of warfare. He also serves as an adjunct assistant professor and teaches a graduate course on game design at the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University.

 He is also the faculty advisor to the Georgetown University Wargaming Society, the co-chair of the Military Operations Research Society Wargaming Community of Practice, and a former Fellow at the Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Creativity. 

Previously, he served six years in the Marine Corps infantry, leaving as a sergeant. He deployed to Iraq in 2009. He has also designed Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific, an educational wargame exploring future tactical warfare in the Indo-Pacific region, commercially published by the Dietz Foundation. 

Retired Army Officer with Combat Arms Leadership, Program Management, Wargaming, and Operations Research Experience. TS-SCI cleared with 9 years of experience on the Joint and Army Staff. Proven team leader for sponsors at the highest levels of the DoD dissecting challenging problems and designing wargames and/or utilizing analytic methods to help senior leaders obtain solutions and insights to support their decision making.

Multi-faceted problem-solver with the ability to engage with senior leaders to understand the core issues, identify the right people and tools to get the job done, and guide the process from start to finish to ensure success. 

Aaron currently serves as the Lead Cyber Instructor at the University of Advancing Technology and is a seasoned Defensive Cyber Operations Engineer. With a rich background in software development, he specializes in crafting applications for law enforcement, blending technical expertise with a deep understanding of security needs. Aaron is also recognized as an AZ POST Certified General Instructor and an engaging public speaker.

His academic journey includes a B.Sc. in Computer Information Systems from Park University (2013) and an M.A. in Intelligence Analysis with a focus on Cyber Security (2014). Presently, Aaron is further advancing his expertise by pursuing a Ph.D. in Counter Terrorism, reflecting his commitment to addressing global security challenges.

Aaron's contributions to law enforcement and cyber security have been acknowledged by several prestigious organizations, including the El Paso Police Department, State of Texas, Texas Military Forces, and the Chandler Police Department.

In addition to his technological pursuits, Aaron is a certified firearms instructor, where he combines his passion for teaching with a commitment to safety and responsible firearms handling.

While he has previously founded and led the Phoenix Linux Users Group Cyber Security Meetup, his current focus is on wider-reaching impacts in the realms of cyber defense and counter-terrorism. Aaron remains dedicated to educating a diverse audience, ranging from students and teachers to law enforcement, military personnel, and government officials, equipping them with critical insights into the evolving landscape of technology and security. 

Integration professional enabling strategy and concept development across all-domains, whole of government, and commercial industries. Global Operations experience in Intelligence, National Security, Strategic-Operational Wargames, Planning, Strategy and Policy analysis. Extensive international engagement and overseas experience.  

Kevin Johnston is a Simulations Operations qualified officer who completed his FA57 certification at Fort Belvoir, VA. After commissioning into the Army in 2011, He served four years as a Transportation Corps officer at Fort Hood, Texas. While there, his positions included movement officer in Movement Control Teams, executive officer in a Headquarter Detachment and platoon leader in the 154th Composite Transportation Company. In the US Army Reserves, he has served at the National Geospatial Agency, the 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, and the 200th Military Police Command. He holds a BA from Dickinson College and an MA from Saint Mary’s University. His Professional Military Education includes the FA57 course, Military Intelligence Captain’s Career Course, and the Transportation Corps Basic Officer Leaders Course. 

 Andrew Olson is war-game designer and analyst for the Center for Naval Analysis (CNA), where he serves as the AI in Wargaming lead and Civilian Harm Mitigation and Protection (CHMR) wargaming co-lead. His work includes design thinking and future methodologies with a particular emphasis on emerging technologies, climate, and human security.  Outside of work, Olson supports educational wargaming around DC and guest lectures at Georgetown University, where he will begin teaching an introductory wargaming course in the fall of 2024. He received his MSFS with a concentration on Science and Tech in International Affairs (STIA) from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. Previous to his wargaming work, Olson managed a genetics research lab.