Sim in the military
Sometimes when we hear the word simulation we immediately think of the virtual reality. the truth is they are sometimes interconnected. simulations have been around for decades, primarily in the aviation field. Simulations were used to train pilots and get the hours of flight time before they got into a plane. This saved money in various different areas. Fuel, maintenance, and risk of damaging expensive planes. This concept was adopted by the Army in the early 1950s. There were a couple of projects that were being through around at the time, but the limitation was that technology was not there yet. Know with all of the advancements we can use simulation. This has evolved into the Army creating its own modeling and simulations center to support the various projects to improve Soldier competencies. Take a look at this link that will show you what they can do. 1ST Theater Sustainment Simulators.
Thanks for reading,
Walter
Walter,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the video link that demonstrate an example of simulation that is used to train soldiers. By experiencing real experiences (e.g., vehicle rollover and heat trainer) in a simulated environment, soldiers will better understand what it looks like in a real combat in a deployed area. The video shows traditional ways of simulations by using some equipment and structured physical environments.
Concept of simulation is often employed in pre-service teacher trainings and medical field to help them learn the necessary skills in a given situation.
I am very excited to read more blogging posts about simulations.
Moon-Heum,
DeleteThese systems have helped save lives in many real situations. They help individuals who may have never experienced a deployment. It is easier to allow them to make mistakes that can be corrected in a controlled environment. This has helped me assist so many younger Soldier get rid of some anxiety by reinforcement and belief of their training . I am glad they have this training for teacher and the medical field as well. I truly believe there are so many other areas that can ability from these simulators as well.
Thanks for the insight!
Walt
Walter,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that we are now more technologically advance and simulations have gotten better with modern technology. I think sim centers in the Army are a great tool to hone your skills without having to do a lot of resourcing unlike going to the filed to train. I believe sims are a valuable part of our training it allows us to gather information ,practice our procedures, and it reduces the risk of accidents and injuries during these type of training events.
Walter
ReplyDeleteI was one of the lucky ones and actually got to go through the exact training that was playing in the video. I completed the training in Joint Base Lewis-Mchord in 2006 prior to deployment. I am suprised they are still using the same format and that it hasn't really changed since then. Fort Bragg also offers weapons qualification through a simulator for those units that are unable to attend an actual range. As you might imagine the ranges at Fort Bragg are very much in demand. I have been working with Simulators for most of my career either through Aviation or the Command Post of the Future which integrates real world battlefield data onto a simulated battlefield. Simulations, virtul reality, and augmented reality are the wave of the future for most military services. I will continue to check your blog to see what new information you provide.
Tammy
Tammy,
DeleteYou are correct they have not updated many things with the simulators, at least the HMMWV Egress Assistance Trainer (HEAT) has been the same going on two decades. In my last deployment in 2011 what did get better were the convoy trainers, those simulators were amazing. Last time I was at Ft. Bragg I had to make sure that the whole unit went through the trainers as part of the pre-deployment checklist. It increased the units reaction time in various different situations.
You also bring back good memories by mentioning CPOF, prior to that I was working with BCS3, until it went away and was replaced by CPOF. It is funny how quickly some things get updated quickly and other systems take time.
Thanks for your input!
Walt
Walter,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insights in this blog post. I can totally relate to this post as I am long time Master Gunner for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. As you know we use simulation as part of gunnery and for sustainment training. Without this technology many jobs in the military would lose proficiency due to the high costs of field exercises. I am sure the aviation field relies heavily on simulation technology within its proponent. I will say though it seems due to the cost of these simulations the military has a hard time keeping up with modernization. In many cases they continue to use the old simulation and do not upgrade like they should. Great post. Have a great day!
-Kevin
Kevin,
DeleteThanks for sharing that information, it is true the Army tends to move a bit slow on the purchase of updated simulators. I did not understand why it took so long until I started working with the decision makers and the behind the scenes individuals that have to plan funding and priorities 5 to 7 years out . This made it pretty difficult to cram everything everyone wants into once request and get it passed. Now that we have agencies that are designed to look a future equipment and training, things have gotten a lot better. The creation of the Army Futures Command, has alleviated some of that burden the other commands were facing previously. I feel that once it matures even further it will get even better, or at least that's what I hope.
You have a good day as well!
Walt