Defense Official Warns Data Overreliance Could Hurt Training

As the Pentagon works to become more digital, the services should be wary of their training programs leaning too heavily on data, a top official in charge of strategic readiness said Dec. 1.

Earlier this year, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks signed a memorandum promising to transform the Pentagon into a “data-centric” organization by 2025.

While she emphasized the benefits of incorporating more data into training and simulation technologies, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Readiness Kimberly Jackson said she is concerned there is not enough awareness about potential weaknesses the strategy could generate.

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Additionally, training suffers when it only focuses on quantitative data, said Chris Dougherty, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security's defense program.

“It becomes an end unto itself rather than an input to decision making,” he said.

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