NEWPORT, RI - U.S. Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, today announced that the Naval War College (NWC) will get a $12.26 million upgrade to Sims Hall, an academic building which houses classified research, classrooms, and war game facilities.

Established in 1884, the Naval War College is the oldest war college of its kind.  Located on Naval Station Newport, and known as the Navy’s ‘Home of Thought,’ NWC serves as the centerpiece of the Navy’s strategic war-gaming and senior officer education, and graduates about 1,600 students each year.

Originally constructed as a barracks in 1904, Sims Hall was converted into a war-gaming center in the late 1950s.  The building contains staging areas for active gaming, which uses simulations to test tactics and help maintain combat readiness.

The $12,267,000 fixed price contract will enable NWC to move forward with plans for renovating the center wing of Sims Hall.  The project is scheduled to be completed in 2021.

“The strength of the Navy is not just ships and hardware, it's also our intellectual firepower.  And the Naval War College and facilities here in Rhode Island play an outsized role in shaping and developing naval leaders and strategy.  The War College is absolutely vital to the security of our nation and the future of the U.S. Navy.  Sims Hall is an historic building that is starting to show its age.  So this renovation is a cost-effective way to ensure we have cutting-edge resources and facilities to train and educate the next generation of commanders and analysts,” said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

In support of Naval War College's academic mission, the Wargaming Department conducts high-quality applied gaming, research, analysis, and education.  According to the Navy, simulating these complex war scenarios build analytical, decision-making, and risk assessment skills.  NWC’s Wargaming Department, established in 1887 and now part of the Center for Naval Warfare Studies, helps shape defense plans and policies for various commands and agencies.  The center also houses a number of specialized units dedicated to advanced research about war and the prevention of war.