Photo By Sgt. 1st Class David Bruce | Provincial Reconstruction Team Kapisa, currently training to deploy to Afghanistan at...... read more read more
EDINBURGH, Ind. – Provincial Reconstruction Team Kapisa, who is currently training at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan, was the first PRT to train on a new virtual reality combat simulator Dec. 16. The simulator was designed specifically to help soldiers better deal with the number one killer in the contemporary operating environment: improvised explosive devices.
The Counter-IED Collective and Individual Mounted Training Program put soldiers in a simulated armored vehicle and uses high definition video projected onto a giant screen surrounding the vehicle. Sound and percussion elements are used to add to the realism of the simulation.
The system is designed to replicate realistic conditions of mounted combat such as smoke, noise, poor visibility, confusion and physically jarring explosions; all within the confines of safety. The system puts soldiers through realistic scenarios and physiological challenges to fully engage all the senses that affect their performance and decision-making skills on the battlefield.
“It was designed because there was nothing out there to safely simulate an IED blast for soldiers,” said Michael Laughead, Louisville native and observer/controller with R.L. Leaders, the company responsible for building the simulator.
The simulator trains soldiers on much more than just reacting to an IED threat. Soldiers also get to practice troop leading procedures, night training, mobility kills, reporting unexploded ordinance, and medical evacuation reporting among other things.
“There is a lot being trained here, and the training device itself is really awe-inspiring to soldiers, because they’ve never seen anything like it,” said Laughead. “It gets them excited to train, and that makes it so much easier to get them the information they need so they can be successful in combat.”
Not only does the new simulator provide a realistic training environment, but it also gives a digital recording of the entire training scenario to units that they can immediately review on any computer so soldiers can look at what they did right, what they did wrong, and how they can improve.
Lt. Col. Eric K. Shafa, Woodbridge, Va., native and commander of PRT Kapisa, is excited about being with the first PRT to have the opportunity to train with the new simulator.
“This simulator is more realistic than anything I’ve seen before, and the ability for these guys to get in there and work together and actually run through scenarios where they are leaving the [forward operating base] and being able to communicate with each other as well as work on their situational awareness, that’s really the most important thing,” said Shafa.
Shafa added, “A lot of these guys have never been to Afghanistan and for them to see what the roads are like, what the scenarios are that they may encounter; it helps prepare them for what they will see when they get down range so they already have in mind what it’s going to be like.”
Spc. Darren J. Ganier-Slotterbeck, a Santa Coarita, Calif., native and civil affairs specialist for PRT Kapisa, is no stranger to Afghanistan or improvised explosive devices. He was quick to vouch for how realistic the new simulator is.
“I deployed in 2005, 2007 and 2008 with the Marines. I’ve been blown up multiple times,” said Ganier-Slotterbeck, “and it definitely brought back memories. I was a little shaky when I got out of that thing. I’m not going to lie.”
According to Ganier-Slotterbeck, soldiers like him benefit most from the experience offered by the new simulator by seeing such a realistic depiction of what to look for when trying to counter the IED threat.
The simulator shows soldiers what to look for in an environment that could only be more realistic by actually training in Afghanistan. Ganier-Slotterbeck said he wishes the simulator was around before his prior deployments.
“If we’d had the ability to go through training like this at the time, those deployments would have been a lot different,” said Ganier-Slotterbeck.
First Army East is responsible for training Soldiers deploying through Camp Atterbury and has been since 2003. Sgt. 1st Class Jason S. Graning, Grand Island, Neb., native and trainer/mentor assigned to 1st Army East’s 4th Cavalry Battalion observed and validated PRT Kapisa as they went through the new simulator.
“This simulator is extremely cost effective because we can add all sorts of variables to scenarios that we would normally have to resource all sorts of equipment for,” said Graning. “As far as the quality of the training, this the first time I’ve seen this system and I think it has to be one of the best simulators the Army has put out. It’s just awesome.”
| Date Taken: | 12.16.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 12.16.2011 18:32 |
| Story ID: | 81515 |
| Location: | EDINBURGH, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 836 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Atterbury opens new IED simulator, by SFC Matt Scotten, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
