01/08/2017
Roles of Computers in the Military
Today, computers serve in an array of functions and capacities which, in part, have been credited into making the U.S. military perhaps the most effective in the world. As discussed in the history section, their beginnings were modest- mostly to help confirm measurements and mathematics. Now, however, they form a core part of almost every aspect or branch of the military. From the seemingly mundane to tasks on the cutting edge of technology. There are too many roles to cover in this webpage, so we will just take a brief look at a few. In no particular order, but each of great importance, there is:
Administration Guidance Systems Communications
Administratively, computers play important roles in tracking salaries and wages for each and every soldier; tracking the meal plan that the unit's cooks are preparing for a certain amount of time; or preparing schedules regarding training and other important events for soldiers and their units. These tasks might seem mundane, but they are truly what keeps the military running smoothly. Necessary for the development of guided weapons that provide for accurate support for our military and reduce civilian casualties was the development of computers. Utilizing features we discussed before, such as GPS, they allow weapons such as bombs or missiles to precisely target certain locations of objects. Finally, communications, perhaps their most important aspect. Communication is paramount in the military,as it can speed up processes and allow for more fluid decision making. Discussed earlier was ARPANET, which was invented to allow communication within the U.S. Government in the event of a nuclear war. Computers provide a direct network to allow multiple lanes of communication between various parties within the military.
Advantages of Computers in the Military
The advantages of having a military that utilizes computers is numerous and exponential. It is easy to say that they make a military "more advanced"- but what does that mean? What are the tangible benefits? They are, in fact, difficult to calculate. Therefore, you have to step outside the box and perhaps look at more existential properties. In a more broad sense, you could say.
For one, they speed the lines of communications. They allow military leaders to gain quicker knowledge of what is happening around them and then communicate that to other leaders. This means that essential data can be disseminated quicker. They also provide military leaders with more current and exact data that they need. Whether that is mathematical/scientific data, or human intelligence. Perhaps a final one is that computers encourage a greater flow of informaton, since spreading that information is easier. This means, in general, military leaders can make more informed decisions.