The Army’s individual and collective virtual training simulators/simulations provide numerous offsets to the training challenges faced by today’s Soldiers, leaders and units. Virtual simulations save time, cost, lessen environmental constraints and mitigate safety risks. Among the possibilities:
- Preliminary marksmanship exercises with the Engagement Skills Trainer-2000 reduce ammunition costs, travel time, range set-up and better prepare individuals for live fire qualification/exercises.
- Training with the Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) avoids the cost of aviation fuel and ammunition, and allows crews to train in the simulation even when actual weather conditions would be too hazardous for live training. AVCATT has multiple terrain databases which allow the crew/unit to train on different types of terrain and atmospheric conditions not available at home station.
- The High Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicle Egress Assistance Trainer and the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Egress Trainer increase individual and crew situational awareness during a vehicle rollover by enabling the crew to experience multiple repetitions in a safe environment.
- The Reconfigurable Vehicle Tactical Trainer enables a crew or vehicle convoy to experience multiple IED events while reducing wear and tear on equipment. The simulator also provides a readily available, renewable opposing force.
- For additional information on virtual training systems, go to http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/TCM/.
Which virtual training offset has the biggest impact on your home station training?
4 Comments on "The virtual route to effective home station training"
What Virtual offset had the biggest training value at home station?
My assignment was OCONUS at 2ID in S. Korea. Working and training in a host nation country has its own rigors. The Simulators and support that was available to us were instrumental in overcoming training constraints, like training area availability and funds. All the trainers, the UCOFT, the Bradley and M1 simulator were all available and a valuable asset. The CCTT at Camp Casey had the whole gambit. It even allowed us to conduct Air Ground Integration training with the AVCATT located at CP Humphrey.
If used properly and with the right focus, all these simulators are a training asset to the unit commander. CDRs need to leverage this technology and incorporate it into their training strategy in order to survive in this resource constrained environment. The benefits are numerous, and help the commander make the most of the time available on maneuver and training ranges
Maj Puerto ILE 12-01
Virtual Training simulators have proven to be a very valuable asset to training for my soldiers. The simulators are a great force multiplier for combat power ,without the necessity of ranges and ammunition allocations. The EST 2000 has proven to be a great for getting soldiers familiar with weapons systems and firing them without utilizing allocated ammo for ranges. The EST 2000 gives Soldiers the opportunity to become comfortable with the systems, thus making them a more accurate marksman when it is time for Live Fire Exercise and Shoot House Training. The EST 2000, has improved the qualification stats for my unit tremendously, and has allowed us to cross-level Soldiers on several weapons systems (ie: MK19, M2, M4, and 9mm), which also helps them with promotion points. I believe the implementation of the simulated trainers for weapons is great, and I will continue to implement the use of them into my training schedules.
The Egress/ Rollover simulated scenarios is also a benefit the soldiers. These systems give Soldiers the opportunity to practice reaction drills in the event a vehicle has the misfortune of rolling over. The simulated exercises are practical and the realism in the exercise gives the Soldiers the opportunity to implement additional soldiers skills once engaged. It allows them the opportunity to see just how constricting movement is upside down and it also helps them to know exactly what is in the vehicle that could assist in the event of an emergency.
The Army has really given soldiers all of the necessary tools for success in a combat situation with the implementation of the simulated trainers. These systems are another way for the Army to protect its number one asset, “the Soldier”.
Disclaimer: “The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the offical policy or the position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense , or the Government”
MAJ Oris Coleman
ILE 12-001 SG B
The virtual training simulator that has the best impact on my unit was the preliminary marksmanship exercises with the Engagement Skills Trainer-2000. Although, there is nothing like actually training as though you are going to fit, sometimes other missions take precedence and you are left with little time to train. The Engagement Skills Trainer (EST) gave us the opportunity to closing that “gap”. My unit, a newly established FSC had about 85% new Soldiers. They were new to the army and the only experience they had with weapons qualification was at basic training. Because they did little training there, they lacked the confidence to shoot and qualify with their assigned weapons. After we made it mandatory for all Soldiers to go the EST before they went to the range, not only did their confidence rise, but the marksmanship levels for the unit did as well. The EST allowed my unit to reduce ammunition costs that would have came with Soldiers getting confident with their equipment. It also saved time by reducing the man-hours used to travel to and from the range, range set-up and the other logistical support required to qualify Soldiers. Upon activation (before the EST) we had only about 20% of the Soldiers qualified on their assigned weapon. After the EST, nearly 97% of the unit became qualified with more than 85% of those qualifying at sharpshooter or better. Not only was this a confidence builder before deployment, it saved time that was used to support other missions to better prepare us for our deployment.
MAJ Dwayne Haigler
ILE 11-003, SG33A
Of the virtual training simulators that were available to my engineer company before deployment, the one that had the biggest impact was the vehicle egress trainer. This was the only trainer that allowed my company to practice an event that otherwise could not be replicated in a training environment. Rollover drills can still be practices without the trainer, but only experiencing a rollover in a simulator helps Soldiers understand how to react.
I am concerned about the Army’s push to replicate as much of the combat environment as possible with a virtual training simulator. Virtual trainers are publicized as being a benefit to the Army due to their lower costs and reduced safety risks. The benefits of lower costs sound good with the upcoming fiscal constraints the Army is about to experience. However, as a commander I always preferred to perform the task in a real world training environment as opposed to a simulator. The Engagement Skills Trainer-2000 is a good trainer to help prepare Soldiers for an upcoming live fire range, but I can see the day when Soldiers could end up qualifying with their weapons in the simulator as opposed to at a range.
Reducing the risks to Soldiers as they train for a deployment also sounds good. However, commanders should not use this as the determining factor in their decision on how to train. Every effort should be made to ensure Soldiers have a safe training environment, but if the Army stops conducting real world training exercises Soldiers could become unprepared for combat. The Army cannot become risk adverse and must ensure training is conducted as close to a combat environment as possible.
MAJ Rob Dion
ILE 11-02, Staff Group 33B