National Training Systems Association.

• Position: Affiliates

Companies in the simulation, training, mission planning/rehearsal and support services industry are represented through membership in the National Training Systems Association (NTSA), an affiliate of NDIA since 1992.

NTSA provides the training, simulation mission planning, related support systems and training services industries a recognized, focused, formal organization to represent and promote their business interests in the marketplace. The association provides a forum to communicate the full capability and broad characteristics of all of the elements of training systems and mission planning to include associated support services.

Founded in 1988, as a non-profit corporation, the association fosters communication between the training industry, planners and acquisition agencies regarding requirements, procurement issues and policies. An important aim of NTSA is to see that all aspects of training, mission planning and rehearsal, training services and training range requirements are highlighted as independent and important "line items" in the overall planning, programming, budgeting and acquisition process.

The International Training and Simulation Alliance (ITSA) has been established to strengthen NTSA's international access and to better promote training and simulation to the international community.

The first regional organization, ETSA, the European Training & Simulation Association, is headquartered in the United Kingdom. Other organizations are being formed in both Korea and Australia, with more likely to follow. Visit the ITSA home page at www.itsalliance.org and the ETSA home page at www.etsaweb.org.

The Modeling & Simulation Professional Certification Commission (M&SPCC), led by NTSA and composed of members from industry, academia and government, has begun the process of certifying Simulation Professionals. Link to M&SPCC from the NTSA Web site, or go directly to www.simprofessional.org

Charles W. Richardson Jr., chair of the NTSA Executive Committee, is the vice president of business development for the Information and Technical Services (I&TS) Division of Northrop Grumman Mission Systems (NGMS) in Fairfax, Va. He is responsible for strategic planning and the development of new business with the Defense Department, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, plus the Defense Information Systems Agency, combatant commands and other defense agencies. Prior to joining NGMS, Richardson spent several years with Martin...