Leveraging Gaming Industry Advances for Military Training

Strategic Insights -

As the hearing of the House Armed Services Committee in 2010 was told, the military was about to embark on a novel approach to training its troops by leveraging the advances made by the gaming industry. The goal was to utilize simulation and modeled training to prepare infantrymen for the rigors of combat, with the potential to save lives. This innovative approach was to be implemented through a line of funding created just 48 hours prior, as spoken by Admiral James Stavridis, Commander of U.S. European Command. The approach aimed to put infantrymen through simulated tactical and ethical challenges before and after their first firefight, with the U.S. Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) playing a key role in this endeavor.

Key Takeaways:

  • The U.S. military plans to utilize the gaming industry's advances to create simulation and modeled training for infantrymen, with the goal of reducing casualties and improving military effectiveness.
  • The training will be designed to put troops through simulated tactical and ethical challenges, both before and after their first firefight.
  • Over 80 percent of U.S. military casualties since 1945 have been infantrymen, making this training initiative particularly relevant.
  • The U.S. Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) is poised to play a key role in this training initiative, leveraging joint and coalition warfare at lower levels.
  • The training will involve NCOs receiving similar training to junior officers, marking a shift in traditional military training methodologies.
  • The initiative has the potential to save lives by preparing troops for the rigors of combat through simulation and modeled training.
  • General James Mattis, Commander of JFCOM, emphasized the joint nature of modern warfare, where coalition forces and military branches work together at increasingly lower levels.

Statistics:

  • Since 1945, over 80 percent of U.S. military casualties have been infantrymen.
  • The U.S. military plans to utilize gaming industry advances to create a line of funding that will permit the use of simulation and modeled training.
  • The training initiative will involve NCOs receiving similar training to junior officers, marking a shift in traditional military training methodologies.
  • JFCOM plays a key role in joint and coalition warfare, serving as a hub for joint and coalition operations.

Sources:

  • "Hearing of the House Armed Services Committee: The Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Requests for the U.S. European Command, the U.S. Africa Command and the U.S. Joint Forces Command." Part 32, March 10, 2010.
  • Federal News Service. "U.S. Joint Forces Command's General Mattis speaks at Defense Department's Press Corps briefing." March 10, 2010.