Connections 2023 Wargaming Achievement Award goes to ED McGrady

The 2023 Award for Contributions to the Advancement of the Art, Science, and Application of Wargaming was given to ED McGrady by Peter Perla at the end of his Keynote speech at this year’s Annual Connections Wargaming Conference at the National Defense University:

“I am more than pleased to be able to introduce this year’s Connections Award honoree, my friend and colleague, Dr. ED McGrady. Ed, come on down!

I first got to know Ed when he volunteered to help run the CNA Shipbuilding game back in the early 90s. His enthusiasm for getting into the game and driving its stories was infectious. Over the years we have worked and played together innumerable times. In the Wargaming classes we present for MORS, I point to Ed as the archetype for the type of game designer I call the Artist. Ed is a great storyteller, but his stories are based on solid research and analysis. And they inevitably suck the players into his games.

Let me honor you with this award for your long and enduring contributions to professional Wargaming”

Peter Perla — Keynote at Connections 2023

For the full list of awardees by year see the Connections USA Wargaming Conference Proceedings website.