Photo By Ryan Morton | Winder, Ga. resident, Staff Sgt. Miguel Roman, 1188th Deployment and Distribution...... read more read more
FORT DIX, N,J., -- Combat leaders and warriors say there is a fog of war or a delicate balance of life or death, but to win, battlefield gaming may be the high energy edge to winning the battle.
Soldiers can conduct patrols, run convoys through blizzards, and fly helicopters without ever leaving their seats as they use Virtual Battle Space 2. This battlefield simulation software at Army Support Activity-Dix gives the user a chance to experience realistic wartime conditions while seated in front of a computer screen.
"The purpose is to help prepare Soldiers for what they might see in combat. The idea of VBS2 is to speed up the learning curve. The units can learn the ideas and concepts virtually and then go out and do it for real to attain better muscle memory," said General Dynamics VBS2 instructor Don Mills.
Mills says the VBS2 can simulate hundreds of different battlefield scenarios and the user can work through various obstacles or elements ranging from weather conditions to insurgent attacks. The instructors also have the ability to control and manipulate the scenarios to help units meet their training needs.
"We aim to get the information from the unit before the training. We find out what their objectives are and from that we figure out what our system's capabilities are. We then find a way to mesh them together," said VBS2 instructor, Robert Miller, also of General Dynamics.
The VBS2 can also track the battle actions of the user, including how many rounds they've fired and where they fired them. Adding to the realism, the VBS2 can simulate terrain by importing actual map data into the system from sites such as Google maps. Weather conditions like rain, snow, sleet, and fog can be incorporated into the scenario, Mills said.
"It helps us to understand one another and gets us to communicate with each other. You can also learn from your mistakes on the equipment too," said Winder, Ga. resident, Staff Sgt. Miguel Roman, 1188th Deployment and Distribution Support Battalion.
Roman's unit, an Army Reserve organization from Decatur, Ga., conducted training on the VBS2 as part of its pre-mobilization preparations for an upcoming deployment to the Middle East.
"It gives you a bird's eye view of what's going on and gives you a chance to reinforce what you've already learned, and also a chance to learn new things as well," said Montgomery, Ala. native, and 1188th DDSB operations officer, Maj. Maxwell Ward.
The VBS2 can have the user simulate driving vehicles including humvees, mine resistant ambush protected vehicles, and 5-ton trucks. It can replicate flying aircraft including A-10 planes, harrier planes, Blackhawk helicopters, CH-47 helicopters, and heavy lift helicopters.
"The concept is think it, see it, and do it. The VBS2 can speed up the learning process and can throw variables into the mix to help the Soldier think outside the box of what to do in a given situation," said Mills.
ASA-Dix training personnel have been using this training resource since September. The military is currently conducting studies to gauge the effectiveness of this training with the results expected to be released this fall. The VBS2 is offered at several U.S. Army and Marine Corps installations and at ASA-Dix, it's located at Range 86 with 52 laptop computer terminals. Military personnel interested in training on it, or who have questions, should call 562-4590 or stop by the Training Support Center, located at 5411 Alabama Ave.
| Date Taken: | 06.07.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 06.07.2010 10:08 |
| Story ID: | 50988 |
| Location: | FORT DIX, NJ, US |
| Web Views: | 274 |
| Downloads: | 184 |
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