Squad overmatch: Using virtual technology to enhance live training environments

Abstract

The application of virtual augmentation to the U.S. Army’s training continuum may reduce Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) and suicides by increasing Soldiers’ resilience and cognitive skills at the squad level pre-deployment. This may be accomplished through current programs of record with technological injections, thereby enhancing the training experience improving involvement and retention. Virtual platforms also invite more skill and task repetitions at a much lower cost and reduced risk of injury. In support of the squad as a decisive force, MG Brown, 2011 Commander at the Maneuver Center of Excellence, conducted a study to identify the critical aspects of U.S. Army training support needed to prepare squads to see first and act first. Focusing on the training devices utilized at the squad level, the concept was to build an enhanced training environment that would make our squads more resilient, efficient, and effective through improvements in human performance. This was demonstrated through virtual insertions into current programs of record spanning the gaming, virtual, and live continuums. Using data from Walter Reed Medical Center and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center on stressors and stress exposure training, the study assessed where such exposures could be inserted during the current U.S. Army training cycle. Leveraging standard U.S. Army battle drills, a series of scenarios were developed incorporating the most detrimental of stressors including; loss of a comrade, defensive and unintentional civilian casualties, and witnessing of a death. Soldiers experienced a gradual increase of knowledge and stress through a base scenario in the gaming environment and two subsequent scenarios in the virtual and live environments. Each scenario built upon the previous and was driven by a standard U.S. Army mission planning at the platoon level and intelligence injects. The live scenarios used virtual targets and interactive avatars, live actors, and battlefield effects to enhance the training environment.