Analysis of Mission-based Scenarios for Training Soldiers and Small Unit Leaders in Virtual Environments

Book excerpt: "This report describes a multi-tiered process for generating a set of high payoff tasks that can be cost effectively represented in virtual environments. The tasks were used to guide the development of small unit (squad/team) dismounted Infantry training scenarios which were evaluated at the Dismounted Battlespace Battlelab (DBBL) Land Warrior Test Bed. Scenarios were based on five major tasks, Assault, Move Tactically, Enter Building and Clear a Room, Reconnoiter Area, and React to Contact. Soldiers, working as teams or part of a squad, executed all task-based scenarios through the use of individual combatant simulators. Soldiers indicated that simulations improved their real-world performance on similar tasks. Overall, the simulators were seen as effective for small unit training, e.g., team coordination, communication, decision making. the scenarios which provided the most training value integrated soldiers with computer generated forces to provide live force-on-force capability. The research showed the potential training value of dismounted infantry simulation technologies for soldier and small unit training, particularly cognitive-based activities. Subsequent research will focus on the use of this technology to enhance the decision-making skills of soldiers and small unit leaders."--Stinet.