The 627th Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS) recently invested in a Doron 660 Simulation System, a modern virtual reality driving tool that provides Airmen the foundational driving skills needed to succeed in their jobs.
McChord’s ground transportation team is confident the simulator will enhance the vehicle training program’s safety and cost effectiveness.
“Virtual reality is really the best thing when it comes to safety,” said Tech. Sgt. Roger Rhodes, 627th LRS ground transportation section chief. “We don’t have to worry about other people on the road, it’s a controlled environment.”
Many Airmen who begin their Air Force careers in ground transportation only have a Class C driver’s license. The benefit of having multiple types of simulated vehicles and driving conditions is invaluable.
“We can change the size, the transmission – automatic or manual – rain, snow, daytime, nighttime, whether the roads are slick or not,” Rhodes said. “Overall when it comes to how we can manipulate the training we can accomplish a lot inside the work station.”
Tackling difficult terrain conditions is a big part of ground transportation Airmen’s training. It is crucial they are vetted for all types of weather conditions.
“Instead of us having to go to the mountains during winter time so Airmen can train in the snow and ice, we can do that right here where it’s controlled so there’s no risk to the trainee, trainer or the vehicle,” Rhodes said.
The simulator will also mitigate fuel cost and miles put on vehicles during training.
“It’s similar to anyone who’s learning how to drive a regular car, they’re hitting the brakes hard, hitting the gas hard, so over time it’s a lot of wear and tear on our vehicles,” Rhodes said. “They’ll get comfortable in the sim [simulator] then move on to the vehicles.”
Considering most Airmen in this career field start out as novice truck drivers, it is important they acclimate to the simulator in order to gain confidence and eliminate the initial fear factor associated with operating big vehicles.
“I have an Airmen who’s really gung-ho,” said Staff Sgt. Larry Todd, 627th LRS trainer. “I can put him in here and slow him down and start getting the muscle memory of shifting, fine tuning of how to steer while backing up, so when I take him out there, it’s no longer just a big old truck, it’s something he’s familiar with driving. He gets in and he’s comfortable and all of those extra little things that we can’t quite replicate with virtual reality are just little things he has to overcome now.”
Progress and hours required in the simulator will depend on Airmen’s previous driving experience and licensing.
“Simulators like these provide incredible training opportunities for our Airmen, helping us get after readiness without costly TDYs and prolonged absences from home station,” said Chief Master Sgt. Joel Buys, 627th Air Base Group superintendent.
The state-of-the-art simulator has a tracking replay function, which allows instructors to review active training sessions from another perspective, allowing Airmen the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and apply their new knowledge instantaneously.
“We can go over the same events a few times, look at it from different angles so that they can get a better idea of what they’re doing in the sim before they get out there and they start doing the same thing,” Todd said. “They say, ‘okay I’ve seen this before, I know what I’m doing.’”
The Doron 660 Simulation system provides 80 different vehicles including buses, tractor-trailers, police cars, fire trucks and several military vehicles such as Humvees or Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles. There are upwards of 200 different programmed driving scenarios, giving trainers the ability to control weather, road conditions, visibility and vehicle malfunctions.
“Anyone who drives a government vehicle can participate in this virtual reality training,” Rhodes said. “We want to expand it eventually and get civil engineering, the aerial port squadron involved; as well as security forces and medical since there’s high speed chases, defensive driving scenarios, including an ambulance. We picked this [sim] to fit the needs of almost anyone on the installation.”
For years the Air Force has used virtual reality training for pilots and air traffic controllers to better handle the skies; now it is time to streamline vehicle training on the ground.
“This simulator is a prime example of what happens when innovative Airmen turn an idea into reality,” Buys said. “As leaders, we owe it to our Airmen to foster a culture of innovation and create the framework to bring these innovations to life.”
| Date Taken: | 10.02.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 01.15.2021 18:52 |
| Story ID: | 380146 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 58 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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