Fort McCoy’s Engagement Skills Trainer key to Soldier success for marksmanship

Photo By Scott Sturkol | Army Reserve Soldiers complete training on the Engagement Skills Trainer II simulator Aug. 10, 2023, at Fort McCoy, Wis. The Soldiers were completing qualification annual training for marksmanship on their rifle requirements. According to the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center’s description of an Engagement Skills Trainer, the trainer is designed to simulate live-weapon training events that directly support individual and crew-served weapons qualification, including individual marksmanship, small unit collective and judgmental escalation-of-force exercises in a controlled environment. Every year more than 11,000 troops train on the Engagement Skills Trainer at Fort McCoy. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)  

FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES

08.29.2023

Story by Scott Sturkol                                                                                                

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office           

The Engagement Skills Trainer in the Fort McCoy Simulations Training Complex in the 200 block of the installation sees a lot of boots go through its doors every year — more than 11,000 sets as a matter of fact.

That’s right. More than 11,000 Soldiers complete marksmanship training on this simulations training platform every year at Fort McCoy, and it’s only growing, said Fort McCoy Training Support Officer Rob Weisbrod with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security.

“Soldiers are required to complete training on the Engagement Skills Trainer before actually going out to the range to complete their qualifications there, so this training facility is one of our busiest,” Weisbrod said. “The system is realistic, and it allows Soldiers that opportunity to hone their marksmanship skills.”

The U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center’s description of an Engagement Skills Trainer, available at https://asc.army.mil/web/portfolio-item/engagement-skills-trainer-est, states the many capabilities of the system.

“The Engagement Skills Trainer (EST) II is designed to simulate live-weapon training events that directly support individual and crew-served weapons qualification, including individual marksmanship, small unit collective and judgmental escalation-of-force exercises in a controlled environment,” the description states. “It provides detailed feedback to the individual fire team/squad that covers the fundamentals of marksmanship, fire control, and distribution of fires. The EST II simulator provides enhanced diagnostics with intelligent Automatic Coaching and Virtual Battle Space 3 based collective training enabled by the system’s open architecture.

“The EST II provides an impressive array of functionality for both instructor and trainee — solid weapon handling and shot placement analytics, coaching tools that highlight trainee results in real-time for reinforcement of correction, and enhanced graphic capabilities for an immersive training platform,” the description states.

And as a benefit to the warfighter, the center’s description further states, “EST II simulates weapons training events that lead to live-fire qualifications for individual or crew-served weapons. EST II provides weapons training in a controlled environment that reduces range/live-fire fees and provides the Soldier with more trigger time. Units utilize EST II to improve and excel at marksmanship skills, which improve performance during live-fire training and on the battlefield.”

Simulations training is also a large part of operations during exercises and other training events at Fort McCoy, which includes the Engagement Skills Trainer, Weisbrod said. An example is when Reserve Soldiers completed training during the recent 86th Training Division Combat Support Training Exercise 86-23-02. And in years past, for example, there was Operation Cold Steel, which was the Army Reserve’s first large-scale live-fire training and crew-served weapons qualification and validation exercise.

Simulations training also has improved overall in recent years on post, Weisbrod said, especially with the six new simulations buildings built in the 200 block since 2020. The addition of all the new buildings have provided more opportunities to bring in more training.

In a previous article, Weisbrod said the new buildings helped the garrison co-locate all installation simulators together to “provide a one-stop service for units conducting training on post.” Additionally, he said, it allows Fort McCoy to fully support a “live-virtual-constructive integrated training environment.”

Fort McCoy’s motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.” Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.

The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”

Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.

• Date Taken: 08.29.2023
• Date Posted: 08.29.2023 11:14
• Story ID: 452371
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US