Measuring Damage Control Assistant's (DCA) Decision-Making Proficiency in Integrated Damage Control Training Technology (IDCTT) Training Scenarios

Abstract : This thesis developed a numeric index to evaluate the quality of decisions made by Damage Control Assistants (DCAs) while managing simulated shipboard damage control crises in support of the Total Ship Survivability (TSS) training doctrine. TSS is a doctrinal shift away from simply saving a ship after it is damaged, to both saving it and restoring its ability to fight. This doctrine imposes a new set of complex requirements on DCAs. They must comprehend, integrate, and simultaneously manage accurate, ambiguous, and frequently excessive levels of information. The Integrated Damage Control Training Technology (IDCTT) program was designed to meet these new requirements. The decision making proficiency index developed in this thesis was designed to validate the IDCTT approach. Recommendations were made to validate the index and to explore emerging technologies to enhance DCA training.... Damage control, Total ship survivability, Measures of effectiveness, Decision making.