Photo By Staff Sgt. Frederick Brown | U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kiefer Chiu, 9th Force Support Squadron (FSS) Recce-U...... read more read more
Subscribe
BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Beale Air Force Base’s (AFB) Recce-U recently acquired virtual reality (VR) technology to be implemented in the Air Force Enlisted Airmanship Continuum Foundation Courses. These Foundations Courses, introduced in October 2023, became mandatory prerequisites to the Enlisted Professional Military Education (EPME) courses as of December 31, 2025.
A review of the enlisted professional development structure revealed a disconnect between initial skills, training, and formal EPME, deeming the previous system of base-level Professional Enhancement Seminars as insufficient. This led to the creation of the Enlisted Airmanship Continuum Foundations Courses to bridge this gap in knowledge and execution.
Foundations Courses were created to supplement development for enlisted service members, serving as bridges within the Enlisted Force Development Model. It’s designed to teach skills through experiential exercises, case studies, and group activities that are a part of the standardized curriculum for Foundations Courses from the Barnes Center for Enlisted Education.
“The Foundations Courses are to deliver relevant and comprehensive content that empowers Airmen to make informed decisions and execute the commander’s intent in support of the Joint Force,” said Master Sgt. William Cronin, 9th Force Support Squadron Force Support Professional Development School-Recce-U development advisor. " The intended result is to prepare Airmen for leadership roles by enhancing readiness and equipping them with the skills required in the era of Great Power Competition, as well as the ability to train others in those skills."
For enlisted members at Beale AFB, the Foundations Courses are taken at Recce-U, however, a unique problem-set was discovered in the gap between learning skills and implementing them. Working with the Beale Innovation Team (BIT) to find a solution to this unique problem, Recce-U was able to acquire enhanced learning and retention training via the introduction of VR technology featuring Moth+Flame programming.
“Members of Beale AFB receive training on topics such as crucial conversations and leadership communications at Recce-U but identified a gap in the ‘continuation of learning line’ of growing these skills into a competency”, said Master Sgt. Brandon Eastman, AFWERX Developmental Special Experiences, Western Spark Cell Coordinator and BIT director of innovation. “These members can now practice these fundamental skills in closed, safe environments to apply lessons learns into competent skills used in the real world.”
The Moth+Flame software used through VR headsets allows students in Foundations Courses to simulate and act out stressful critical situations. Practicing communication and responses in these situations builds exposure and confidence to tackle different challenges. The Air Force’s efforts to modernize training and engage with innovative technology are being met by programs such as the Air Force Research Laboratory’s AFWERX, the Air Force’s innovative arm. Their goal is to bring American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges faced by the Department of the Air Force (DAF). This is done through such initiatives as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program.
Through the SBIR program, Moth+Flame technology has been used by the Air Force on various VR training projects such as the DAF Suicide Prevention Program’s training modules. BIT was able to fill a gap in conventional military training by identifying the Moth+Flame technologies’ used for other DAF programs and the SBIR portion of AFWERX to acquire this VR equipment at Beale AFB.
“The integration of VR in these courses provides hands-on scenarios for Airmen to practice critical thinking and decision-making, putting them in these uncomfortable but realistic positions they may one day find themselves in, but mastering these skills in a controlled environment,” said Cronin. “The modernizations of training methods help the Air Force maintain a competitive advantage by developing a more lethal and ready Total Force in the face of near-peer adversarial threats.”
This is an example of the future-forward nature of Beale AFB and today’s Air Force commitment to leveraging modern homegrown technology across the force while supporting American innovation to prepare Airmen for the challenges of tomorrow. Beale enlisted Airmen anticipating the next step of EPME should schedule their Foundations Courses with Recce-U at https://recceu.setmore.com/, and visit the Recce-U SharePoint at Recce-U (Beale AFB Professional Development Center) - Home.
| Date Taken: | 01.07.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 01.08.2026 19:04 |
| Story ID: | 555889 |
| Location: | BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 100 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, At Beale AFB, recently mandated Enlisted Foundations Courses Feature VR Technology, by SSgt Frederick Brown, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
