Engagement Skills Trainer 2000 marksmanship system

Photo By Sgt. Christopher Jones | CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait (August 2, 2006) - 82nd Airborne Division Soldiers watch a replay screen to see what they did wrong and right in a rifle marksmanship training program on Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The simulator, called EST 2000, has become more advanced in recent months.  

CAMP BUEHRING, KUWAIT

08.04.2006

Courtesy Story

40th Public Affairs Detachment

Spc. Christopher Jones
Desert Voice staff writer
40th PAD Journalist

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait (2 August 2006) - Recently the 82nd Airborne Division trained on the Engagement Skills Trainer 2000 marksmanship system, getting some final essential, training before heading to Iraq.

"The skills they learn here, hopefully they will help keep them alive," said EST 2000 trainer Nick Caisse. "We send them to war, so it's our job to bring them back."

The Soldiers spent a day on the EST 2000, a computer-based marksmanship simulator which is constantly being modernized. The original model, essentially had cartoons of "bad guys" running across the screen.

The 82nd practiced on actual video clips of real-life scenarios, such as insurgents running through U.S. checkpoints and suicide bombers, currently occurring in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Everything is getting better on this training," said 1st Sgt. Randall Pierce, first sergeant for Troop A, 1st Battalion. "The scenarios are more real, and it looks more accurate to the country where we will be."

"I think it's absolutely great training," said Caisse. "It helps them tweak their skills and for some, lets them know why they aren't doing as well as they think they should."

At an outdoor range, Soldiers have little opportunity to find out what they are doing wrong when qualifying on their weapons. Are they shaking when firing the trigger? Are they firing while inhaling? It can be hard to tell, said Pierce. But on the EST 2000, Soldiers see a video replay of the shots they fired, so they can identify what may be going wrong.

"It's going to tell you the good, bad and ugly - everything," said Pierce, including permanently eliminating the threats to the mission.

"Those [terrorists] want to die," Caisse said to the trainees. "They're gonna try to take you with them. You've got to send them away. Buy them, a first class ticket [home]."

• Date Taken: 08.04.2006
• Date Posted: 08.04.2006 12:36
• Story ID: 7400
• Location: CAMP BUEHRING, KW