This trainer is designed to allow soldiers the ability to go through the steps of completing the Basic Rifle Marksmanship Range. It provides the ability to train in both single and multiplayer, with the multiplayer version giving the instructor the ability to track user progress and accuracy.
Fire Support: Engage Moving Targets
Targets, both planned and opportunity, will often move on the battlefield or begin to move after being engaged during adjustment or FFE. Realistically, targets will not remain stationary for long periods of time. Therefore, observers must be proficient at engaging moving targets.
Route Guides
Another initiative to support West Point is to enable route planning inside of our VBS2 Land Nav Trainer. Cadets new to land navigation will be shown an expert route so they can get a good feel for proper route planning. As they gain proficiency, they will plan their own routes, routes that will be visible to the instructor along with the Cadet’s actual path. The instructor will be able to see, at a glance, how well the Cadet follows his or her own plan.
Terrain Guides
As part of our initiative to support West Point’s efforts to improve Land Navigation instruction, we’ve created terrain guides in our VBS2 Land Navigation Trainer. These guides move ahead of the Cadet to show differences in elevation as they traverse the course. This will help Cadet’s visualize changes in terrain height so that they will be more competent and confident on the physical land nav course.
More ROTC programs using computer gaming
This article highlights the effort I’ve put forth to continually improve the VBS2 Land Navigation Trainer for use by ROTC and other organizations training Cadets and Soldiers.
http://www.army.mil/article/91851/
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — The number of ROTC programs using the Army’s flagship gaming engine more than doubled this year and looks to increase even more next year.
The engine — called Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS2) — helps prepare Soldiers for numerous warfighting tasks.
This year 16 ROTC programs used VBS2 compared with only six a year ago. The capability gained popularity with the addition of an application for land navigation, said Maj. Craig Porter of TCM Gaming at the National Simulation Center.
“The game allows the cadets to use a compass and map,” he said. “It models the Fort Lewis terrain that the cadets visit to test their land navigation skills. It’s a great way to learn and prepare.”
One Army ROTC program using VBS2 is at Howard University, Washington D.C.“We use it for land navigation and patrolling,” said Lt. Col. Tyra Sellers, professor of military science at the university.
Yet ROTC use of VBS2 is limited.
The software’s license restricts installation to only government computers, but ROTC students use educational computers. Sellers said her program has four government computers, leaving 70 ROTC students with limited computer access to VBS2.
A change is in the works at the Army’s Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation to make it easier for ROTC programs to get VBS2 licenses.
“We are working on changing the licensing restrictions in the flagship contracting re-competition in progress right now,” said Leslie Dubow, project director for Army Games for Training with PEO STRI, Orlando, Fla.
Maj. Porter said the change will increase opportunities for more than 200 ROTC programs to use VBS2. He said VBS2 can train Soldiers on tasks in fires, maneuver, sustainment and other areas.
Given the popularity of gaming technology, it makes sense for the Army to use its capabilities to prepare Soldiers and ROTC cadets.
“It will introduce these future leaders to the training enablers available when they lead and train Soldiers and provide an immersive opportunity to train on basic skills,” Dubow said.
To learn more about the Army’s gaming technology visit: https://milgaming.army.mil/.
TCM Gaming and National Simulation Center are subordinate organizations of the Combined Arms Center — Training. CAC-T is responsible for developing and supporting training and leader development throughout the Army.
Its web site is: http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/CAC-T/ Its Facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/usacactraining and Twitter handle is: @usacactraining
First look at the VBS2 Land Nav Trainer Instructor Station for Fort Jackson
Introduction to Joint Fires is a video I created on behalf of a National Guard organization working to show their students the complexities of controlling Joint Fires. The video was actually completely just prior to a Congressional Delegation visit and was instrumental in showing off the current level of training being conducted at this installation.
Fire Support: Range Corrections – Bracketing
I created this video to assist students learning how to call for fire for the first time. It can be very difficult to see and understand what is going on while you’re sitting out on the hill for the first time, nervous about performing the mission. With this video, the pressure is off, and the student can relax and learn.
VBS2 Land Nav Trainer featured in Defense News
Learning To Choose the Right Path
U.S. Army Cadets To Test New Trainer for Land Navigation
The U.S. Military Academy will start testing a new land navigation training system within the next month, one year after a cadet collapsed and died during a land nav exercise held amid a heat wave.
The trainer was developed by the Training Brain Operation Center (TBOC), part of the U.S. Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC).
The new computer simulation, formally called the VBS2 Land Navigation Trainer-West Point Course v1.0, will be tested with cadets for the first time during the summer training course. The program runs on the Army’s standard battlefield simulation system, Virtual Battlespace 2, and renders a world where students walk through terrain to reach a series of points.
http://www.defensenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012307220010
Brian T. Hall, PMP 