Sea Control Sea Control 584: Wargaming in the Pacific with Chris Denzel and Sebastian Bae
Aug 15, 2025
Join Sebastian Bae, a Senior Game Designer at CNA focused on Indo-PACOM, and Chris Denzel, a Major in the U.S. Marine Corps known for his wargaming expertise in Japan, as they delve into military strategy. They discuss the differences between war games and command post exercises, emphasizing creativity in uncertain scenarios. The importance of collaboration, both in-person and through organizations like CNA, is highlighted. Additionally, they touch on the cultural significance of Hawaiian shirts and corporate knowledge retention in military contexts.
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Games Reveal Decisions; Exercises Train Execution
- War games focus on decisions and discovering solutions where none are known, while CPXs train execution of known procedures.
- Games condense the theater story so participants see the entire problem and learn across functional boundaries.
Prototype In Games, Rehearse In Exercises
- Use war games to prototype concepts and then rehearse successful options in CPXs the next year.
- Feed game outputs into exercises so con‑ops can become executable capabilities.
FFRDCs Provide Corporate Wargaming Memory
- FFRDCs like CNA hold institutional gaming knowledge and provide professional designers and adjudicators for complex wargames.
- They preserve continuity across personnel turnover and bring an outside, unbiased perspective to sponsors.