New $250K federal grant expands wargaming at The Citadel

The Citadel has received a $250,000 federal grant to establish the Intelligence Futures and Judgment Lab, expanding the college’s use of wargaming and simulated national security exercises.

The grant from the Department of War will support The Citadel’s Department of Intelligence and Security Studies as it gives cadets and students more opportunities to practice decision-making under pressure in complex, simulated scenarios.

Funding will support a dedicated director of wargames, The Citadel’s annual Day of Intrigue exercise, a fellows program connecting government and private-sector participants, and software to track and analyze decisions made during simulations.

The Citadel has incorporated wargaming into its curriculum since at least 2017. Its annual Day of Intrigue places students in fictional but timely national security scenarios alongside intelligence community professionals. The most recent exercise, held in April, focused on cartel activity in Latin America.

With the new funding, The Citadel plans to integrate wargaming more extensively throughout its intelligence curriculum, allowing cadets to participate in simulations during all four years of study.

The initiative will also examine how government and private-sector organizations work together during national security crises. A 2025 simulation involving Taiwan and the global semiconductor industry highlighted differences in how government agencies and private companies approach decision-making and respond to rapidly changing events.

The new lab will focus on preparing students to navigate those challenges while strengthening judgment, leadership and decision-making skills as artificial intelligence and emerging technologies play a growing role in national security.