Photo By Staff Sgt. Brooks Fletcher | A Soldier from 1st Armored Division uses a concept military vehicle to navigate the...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas - In an effort to further develop and enhance "Force 2025" capabilities, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command’s Army Capabilities Integration Center held a pilot test for Early Synthetic Prototyping on Fort Bliss, Dec. 8-11.
The ESP uses a virtual environment to allow Soldiers the ability to assess and give feedback on emerging technologies; essentially guiding science and technology research and doctrine, organization and training development.
ARCIC’s Army simulations operations officer, Lt. Col. Brian D. Vogt, said by leveraging 21st-Century technology, the Army puts Soldiers at the center of capability and concept development.
“The goal of [ESP] is to incorporate Soldiers’ insight earlier in the development process — where design changes are inexpensive — and find out what works and doesn't work,” Vogt said. “We want to make the acquisition process faster, to better meet the needs of the future operation environment.”
The pilot test introduced Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division to Bohemia Interactive’s online game, Virtual Battle Space 3. The game provided the platform for "Old Ironsides" Soldiers to assess everything from conceptual weapon systems to the game’s user interface and playability, giving Soldiers the opportunity to shape the future.
“I think it’s great that they’ve asked the lowest ranking Soldiers to test out what could possibly be the future of the Army’s technological advances,” said Pfc. Mathew Giesey, a Cocoa, Fla., native assigned to 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery. “To know that they’ve entrusted us to come here and be a part in this test and take it as seriously as they do, means a lot.”
TRADOC commanding general, Gen. David G. Perkins, said it is important for future force de-velopment to have Soldiers become part of the materiel and concept development process
“From the materiel aspect of it — when we buy stuff for the Army, how we organize ourselves, and how we apply all the elements of national power — we have to enable young leaders through training, education and organization to have the ability to innovate very quickly,” Perkins said.
Vogt said assessments made through VBS 3 will be used to refine the development of the synthetic environment and provide a solid foundation for a future online game; contributing to Army-wide ESP and allowing engineers and concept developers to be more efficient and effective in modeling multiple potential capabilities and prototypes for future use in the Army.
“We have found that Soldiers are excited about participating in the future of their Army,” Vogt concluded. “When Soldiers eventually see this equipment arrive in their motor pool or in their arms room, it will have their fingerprints all over it. They will know that this has been fleshed out — by real Soldiers — at the early stages.”
| Date Taken: | 12.12.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 12.12.2014 16:42 |
| Story ID: | 150226 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TX, US |
| Hometown: | COCOA, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 440 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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