Virtual reality helps Army Spec. Iolani Menza trained his M-240 machine gun on the forest landscape, searching for the enemy hidden somewhere behind boulders and trees.
soldiers sharpen skills
A computerized field of combat
helps trim live-fire training costsBy Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.comHis squad of nine riflemen, belonging to Lt. Col. Burt Thompson's 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry, was spread out on his left and right, waiting for the enemy to make its first move.
But in today's virtual Army, the situation was not in Makua Valley or the training ranges of Schofield Barracks.
Instead, the eyes and weapons of Thompson's soldiers were locked on a 25-foot-wide and 8-foot-high television screen in a building that was once an Army classroom. All of their weapons had been modified with lasers and sensors.
"We can run 400 scenarios," Thompson said about the 25th Infantry Division's newest virtual-reality trainer.
These range from jungle to desert to urban environments under all conditions including rain, sleet, fog, snow, hail and smoke. Lighting conditions include dawn, day, dusk and night.
"The engagement skills trainer," said Col. Chuck Waggoner, Thompson's boss, "allows us to replicate a $10,000 squad live-fire experience and develop critical skills in our junior leaders like live-fire distribution and fire control."
Waggoner acknowledges that computer simulation "will never replace live-fire training since it is essential to us remaining combat-ready. But it allows us to enter our live-fire training at a much higher training level."
Thompson said it cost $345,000 a year to run the nine infantry squads in his battalion through outdoor live-fire courses several times a year at night and during the day, "while it cost only $125,000 to set up the Strike House."
Sgt. 1st Class Mark Jones, a military policemen for the past 17 years, said the trainer also is invaluable in preparing his law enforcement officers. "It helps by training them in the use of force," Jones added. "There are different levels for each situation. Out there you never know what to expect."
As part of yesterday's demonstration, Johnson and another military policemen participated in three scenarios: a hostage situation in a convenience store, a bank robbery and a domestic dispute.
Daniel Himphill, the system's computer operator, said the trainer can be programmed to record how many bullets each soldier fires, how many kills he registers and his hit-and-miss percentages. Each hit is registered in red. Green indicates a miss.
Jim Polk, who works in the 25th Infantry Division's operations office, said each weapon is electronically allocated a set amount of ammunition based on the scenario the unit's commander decides upon before the exercise begins.
Compressed air replicates the kick of the rifle each time the trigger is pressed, adding to the realism of the training. Loud speakers provide the actual sound of gunfire.
Menza, who has been in the Army for nearly three years, said he likes the virtual-reality trainer because "it forces me to think more. Unlike pop-up targets, these move. It forces me to react. It's more realistic.
"It also helps to bring a squad together and to work as a team."
The Army, with the help of the Hawaii Army National Guard, will add a second strike house later this year where soldiers will defend a position from an enemy assault from inside several bunkers.