Minimum Cost Planning Strategies for Training Army Cadets Using Mixed Integer Programming Model

Abstract

This article, is adopted from the original paper of (Murty et al, 1995) as a non-mechanized mixed training model for the Direct Short Service Course (DSC) of the Nigerian Defence Academy. When the proficiency standards are given, the model will determine the training modes with the associated critical mission tasks, the resources needed, the training methods for using them, and the frequency with which each method needs to be repeated, in order to maintain the standards at minimum costs. A formulation and computation of  the expected proficiency retention function,  (which is the expectation over discrete training schedule-time  using triangular distribution), the Zero Practice Minimum, , the upper bound on the number of repetitions of training mode, , average slope of the learning curve for task-mode pair, , in the range of interest ,where  is the number of repetitions of training mode and the linear form of ,  . The model is applied specifically to the analysis of training scenarios in a battalion training strategy of the Short Service wing of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna. The “Algebraic Mathematical Programming Language (AMPL)” a modeling language for mathematical programming was used to modeled the problem and solved using CPLEX 12.0. From the analysis of the model, a saving of about 10% was reported.