Cmdr. Mjelde has distinguished himself among all students attending the Naval Postgraduate School, maintaining a Graduate Quality Point rating (GQPR) of 3.93 in the NPS Human Systems Integration master’s degree program. Additionally, he completed Level II and Level III certification programs in two functional areas of the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA). Mjelde’s Thesis, “Performance Assessment of Military Teams in Virtual and Live Environments”, was nominated as “best in the class” by the HSI faculty and is focused on the extent to which team performance assessment in a series of simulator exercises can predict performance in a live exercise, and whether training objectives for a live exercise can be realistically and effectively achieved through scenario-based simulator training.
Mjelde graduated from the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy in 1995, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in electronics. As a mine warfare and weapons systems officer he participated in operational NATO deployments in the Mine Counter Measure Force, North. His staff assignments include serving as a mine warfare instructor at the Tordenskiold Naval School; navigational instructor at the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy, and as systems officer, Simulation and Training at the Norwegian Navy Navigation Center.
Mjelde has taken advantage of many opportunities to volunteer at NPS and within the community. At Stevenson School, Carmel Campus, he served in the Parent Admission Ambassador Program (PAA) working with other prospective military families in the admission process for the school. Working with the Monterey Soccer program, he assisted the U9 soccer coach during the fall recreational league in 2011, the La Mesa Tech Connection. He also served as a parent volunteer for the Monterey County Futbol Club for two girl’s teams during the 2011- 2013 seasons; assisting at practices, carpooling, and fundraising events. And he volunteered with the VFW at the Moto Grand Prix in 2012, where proceeds are distributed each year through the VFW to the American Legion and other veteran non-profit organizations to assist with veterans’ needs both locally and nationally.
Mjelde is an outstanding ambassador for his country. His thorough knowledge and understanding of his field of study and his outstanding leadership skills make him an officer with unlimited potential, both academically and professionally. His motivation to succeed in his program has been obvious to both his peers and his professors. He will continue to be a tremendous asset to the Royal Norwegian Navy upon his return home, and he is most deserving of this award.
Human Systems Integration (HSI) is an interdisciplinary program that emphasizes human considerations as a priority in the design and acquisition of systems, aiming to improve total system performance and reduce life cycle costs. The program had multiple classes with MOVES and Systems Engineering. The HSI curriculum taught me to recognize that people - whether they are operators, maintainers, or support staff - are essential components of any system. In the Royal Norwegian Navy, I have applied this expertise in technology acquisition by prioritizing the integration of human factors with system engineering, ensuring the optimization of system performance and operational capability.
Maintaining connections with fellow NPS alumni and faculty has been incredibly valuable. This network has led to significant findings and innovations through collaborative defense-focused research projects and other joint initiatives.
NPS/MOVES offers specialized programs in modeling and simulation that attract students, professionals, and military personnel from around the world. By bringing together a diverse group of learners, NPS fosters a global exchange of ideas, methodologies, and best practices in M&S. MOVES conducts cutting-edge research in M&S, often in collaboration with national and international partners. Through joint research projects, NPS can bridge the gap between different nations’ M&S efforts, promoting innovation and the development of new technologies and strategies.
Being the world's largest event dedicated to modeling, simulation, and training, I/ITSEC has an emphasis on defense, safety, and security. The event features opportunities for paper presentations, tutorials, exhibit halls showcasing tools and systems, and special events. Participating at this and similar events provides opportunities for international and interdisciplinary collaboration across these fields to advance Navy training and education.
The accident investigation showed a complex layer of errors in context with human factors, technical and mechanical systems, environment and organization as causal or contributing effects to the loss. The Norwegian findings closely mirrored those of the U.S. Navy in the USS McCain and USS Fitzgerald incidents. Therefore, increased collaboration between our two navies holds the potential to offer mutual insights, deepen understanding, and share knowledge on effective measures to enhance warfighter safety. The NPS networking possibilities, including the school’s academic and operational advantage in the Naval service, made it a natural choice to return here to conduct my research.
Being able to have conversations with warfighting communities and SMEs at NPS has facilitated a more efficient approach to my research. I can discuss technical solutions to recreate the event in synthetic environments on one hand, but then able to discuss maneuver tactics with Surface Warfare experts on the other, and even more, can discuss human operator considerations across all of it.
The Navigation Competence Center has created virtual playbacks of the Helge Ingstad accident and integrated specialized training sessions into the ship handling and navigation simulator system. MOVES will be instrumental in supporting our efforts with their expertise in modeling and simulation within virtual environments.
The COMNAVSURFPAC Det Monterey and the Surface Warfare Chair has already shown their support to my work. They can provide the link to the Surface Warfare Officer's School Command and the Human Factors team at COMNAVSURFOR, in addition to other US Navy professionals working with training and education.
The Department of Operations Research and Human Systems Integration for analysis and recommendations to manpower, personnel, training and human factors engineering.
The Dudley Knox Library offers a range of resources and services that greatly benefit my research, studies and professional development. I have received valuable assistance from the graduate writing center, and I hope to continue this relationship.
The NPS Foundation & Alumni Association to stay connected to NPS and to foster professional and personal relationships within their network. I also wish to assist the foundation by providing lessons identified and learned from my experience as a visiting researcher to NPS.
The research conducted thus far has already prompted several changes in the Royal Norwegian Navy, particularly in manning, selection, and training practices. A recent collaboration with the Surface Officer School Command in Newport, RI, revealed that similar measures have been implemented in these areas for the US Navy.
Increasing training programs, tests, and qualifications is a natural and often necessary response to accidents. However, adding these new requirements presents significant challenges, including crew availability, scheduling, and the fact that each day has only 24 hours. As demand for schoolhouse training grows, crews face greater strain from relocating between land and sea, leading to less time for naval operations. This is particularly concerning given that the demand for OPTEMPO is unlikely to decrease anytime soon.
The potential impact of my research lies in enhancing the effective learning from mishaps and accidents, whether national or allied, through virtual environment training that can be conducted onboard ships during deployment. While it cannot address all the challenges an accident presents, it can help increase the time available for operational readiness.
We inherently rely on each other across the globe, and being able to work on defense-related research and solutions is an integral part in those relationships. I met my counterpart at MOVES over 10 years ago at NPS, and we have since been able to work together on research and extend that to Cadets and Midshipmen at our respective service academies to continue in these critical partnerships. As we have experienced, they will work together again one day, so it is important to create those partnerships early and develop them throughout our careers. Then, we will be able to solve problems that we share together.
Collaboration among allied nations in defense research and solutions is critical for addressing shared threats, optimizing resources, establish common standards, ensuring technological and operational advancements and interoperability, and reinforcing alliances that contribute to global security and stability.
We can do good things on our own – we can do great things together.
