Ground School XXI – The Next Step in Combined Arms Simulation Training

“Take off the blinders; show me the realm of the possible.” — General William S. Wallace Commander, TRADOC Ground School XXI (GSXXI) is a Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE) initiative co-chaired by the armor and infantry centers. This program establishes training strategies that employ combinations of live, virtual, and constructive simulations to train future soldiers, leaders, commanders, and staffs in conducting military operations in the contemporary operating environment (COE). Simulation capabilities have continued to improve and the Army must leverage the emerging capabilities in training to meet the challenges of an Army at war. The U. S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) has implemented a campaign plan to meet the challenges of training an increasing number of war fighters as the Army continues operations in Iraq. Efforts are moving forward to field more combined-arms forces (grow) and simultaneously improve the Army’s ability to conduct joint full-spectrum operations. The MCoE, as a critical part of the “Generating Force,” was tasked by TRADOC to determine the need for new families of simulations and simulators that will enable more efficient and cost-effective individual and collective training and education. In other words, “use virtual and constructive simulations and other tools in conjunction with live training to conserve resources, use available resources more efficiently, and produce more effective warfighters.” GSXXI is on point with two imperatives as a guide: align training with how soldiers fight and operate; and ensure soldiers see it first during training. The genesis of GSXXI is the Flight School XXI (FSXXI) program at Fort Rucker, Alabama. FSXXI was developed to solve an urgent need to improve pilot training at the Aviation Center. FSXXI contracted with industry to provide commercial off-the-shelf flight simulators and training in a contractor-owned facility. In one respect, it followed the Stryker program model of accelerated procurement to cover a critical Army capability gap in the COE. This allowed the Aviation Center to immediately address a critical training shortfall while forgoing the traditional Army development and acquisition model. The Fort Rucker program has two distinct advantages: leveraging state-of-the-art simulations; and rapid fielding, which makes it attractive to TRADOC leaders.

incorporates the FSXXI lessons and successes — 33

FOR SAF will provide basic officer leadership course (BOLC) students, as well as noncommissioned officer course students, with the opportunity to lead a vir tual platoon during tactical operations. Imagine a simulator that offers immersive scenarios that provide students a virtual platoon of avatars that enables them to interact with, and role play in, challenging scenarios. The system of systems must interface with live combined-arms training/support operations, which allows the force to train in alive environment using a full array of available weapons that are otherwise prohibitive because of cost, space, or both. This new system should include a training management system that records and demonstrates the performance of the student in the associated task. It must also provide measured feedback and record the completion of gates as a student progresses through each gate. This system would also track student progress, training schedules, and performance, which would include access to a library of student texts, test, and reference materials, as well as provide and capture necessary data for student administration and management. It would also support unit after-action reviews (AAR), and as such, serve as a tool to predict both individual soldier and unit performance. Part of the program will be to provide a library of training support packages (TSP) designed to support tables and gates for selected weapons qualification. The TSP library will also support local commander’s needs by providing a reservoir of scenarios available to units Armywide. An exciting insight in how we can achieve the GSXXI vision can be gleaned from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA’s) RealWorld project. RealWorld consists of three components: air, ground, and maritime combat. In essence, the DARPA project simulates an environment that models the physics of the real world. This is a marked departure from current simulations that “cheat” to achieve a specific effect for an application. RealWorld’s earth is modeled from maps and digital terrain to overcome new and different challenges. Major issues addressed by GSXXI include a requirement to support dismounted soldier tactical training, as well as mounted (platform-based) training; train leaders to plan, prepare, and execute combat operations; train full-spectrum operations; and incorporate new weapons and systems. As with FSXXI, lessons learned at the MCoE likely have broader application across the institutional and operational Army. The explosion of digital technologies and the potential to effect how we train and equip the force make GSXXI a training imperative. GSXXI has tremendous implications for the entire force as we look to develop immersive training scenarios that reflect the challenges of full-spectrum operations. Another key issue is the rapid change in warfighting requirements, environments, and technology. Training solutions should be synchronized with the expansion in overall requirements across the spectrum of conflict, especially the challenges of fighting with a combined-arms team in urban environments. The GSXXI program also evaluates maneuver training requirements for both the generating and operating forces to determine what type of simulators are required to best support the force. The current systems were designed to train mounted forces to defeat a Cold War adversary. The close combat tactical trainer (CCTT) currently trains mounted platforms and does not integrate dismounted elements. Current and near-future threats require amounted force to work closely with dismounted elements, which is another factor to consider in the maneuver force train ing requirements. The technology base continues to produce new systems that will challenge our current family of simulations to remain relevant. Fielding advanced munitions with extended ranges and incorporating unmanned aerial systems (UAS), unmanned ground systems (UGS), handheld laser designators, and precision-guided munitions will require imbedded or simulator training. To support the GSXXI vision — training the way we fight/ operate, see it first in training, and train first in simulation — the MCoE team is developing requirements, which include a system of systems that replicates/simulates platforms and weapons systems that can be used to train soldiers on core competencies with primary weapons systems and crewmembers on combat platforms during combined-arms operations. The system must have the capability to provide gunnery/weapons and maneuver train ing to resident MCoE students and units across the full spectrum of conflict. It must also support training for individuals, crews, and units up to the brigade combat team level, beginning with a target date in 2012. This new system of systems would ideally immerse soldiers in tactical environments by replicating the sight, sound, and smells of conflict, weapons effects, and temperature, which is controlled to replicate stressful conditions, to include climate conditions in potential areas of operation. The system must also have the capability of being updated with new weapons technology as new weapons systems are fielded to the Army. The GSXXI systems must include semi-automated forces (SAF) that can be programmed to either supplement Blue Force (BLUEFOR) units or serve as opposing forces (OPFOR). The SAF OPFOR must be robust enough to support the entire spec trum of conflict to include asymmetric threats and local populations. BLUE- “The explosion of digital technologies and the potential to effect how we train and equip the force make GSXXI a training imperative. GSXXI has tremendous implications for the entire force as we look to develop immersive training scenarios that reflect the challenges of full-spectrum operations.” 34 — elevation data (DTED) provided by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and its software has tools that allow users to modify the simulations to meet their own requirements. The tools are designed so users without special training can change the simulation by constructing buildings or modifying terrain. For example, a company/team defense that includes fighting positions and tank ditches could be added to apiece of ground. DARPA has already built a radio plugin, which has a single-channel ground and airborne radio system (SINCGARS) radio emulator that allows users to display a SINCGARS radio that requires correct frequency, hopping sets, and encryption codes. The radio emissions are modeled to include the effects of terrain on transmitting range. The model is so sophisticated that electronic warfare officer students at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, are using it to train. The Air Force also uses RealWorld to provide low-cost, portable simulation training for pilots transitioning to the A10C, and DARPA is working on a Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2) module that will be available soon. The initial ground version of RealWorld will be available to Department of Defense users in March 2008. RealWorld is a government-owned simulation, which allows government agencies to use the program anywhere it would be useful. With traditional vendor-owned models, the government pays for the initial development, as well as user licensing fees and upgrades. RealWorld is designed to use a variety of three-dimensional models, which provides a large library of existing vehicle and weapon models ready for use with the simulation. RealWorld is also scalable, allowing students, instructors, and small-unit leaders to run the program on laptops in a classroom environment or in the field to assist in training. There are many existing simulation technology functions that can be applied to a training simulation, such as RealWorld, to quickly meet COE training requirements for the mounted force. Dismounted controllers, which allow infantrymen to communicate with hand and arm signals during conduct of fire and maneuver, are just one example of what is currently available. Simulations to support classroom tactical instruction are another area GSXXI has identified as a potential area of improvement. Since the late 1980s, instructors have occasionally used commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) gaming software to supplement tactical instruction. An after-duty-hours walkthrough of any Army barracks will likely discover soldiers locked in deadly combat using any number of available game titles. Whether the scenario is World War II, Vietnam, or the current Global War on Terror, commercial industry produces realistic combat simulations that can be networked with other players. Soldiers are drawn to these games because they are realistic and challenging. The Army has leveraged gaming industry products to produce effective training. DARWARS Ambush was delivered in September 2004 to assist in training the operational Army on how to react to a convoy ambush. Additional scenarios were developed to train soldiers on how to conduct an assault on a suspected weapons cache and surveillance of a suspected suicide bomber. DARWARS Ambush is a mod ification of Operation Flashpoint, a commercially available game. Operation Flashpoint includes a scenario builder that allows users to develop scenarios using a wide selection of U. S. and OFPOR equipment and entities. Equipment includes M1 Abrams tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, and Strykers, to name just a few. DARWARS Ambush is currently being evaluated for integration into the Advanced Noncommissioned Officers Course at Fort Knox. While commercially available games offer new opportunities for training tactical operations, there is not one game that meets all the requirements for instruction in professional development courses. An adaptation of RealWorld, or a similar simulation, that is tailored for tactical operations at the squad through brigade levels could be issued to every student. As government-owned software, it would also be available to operational units. Students could take their software and training scenarios to their next duty assignment. New platoon leaders could run scenarios with their tank commanders and new company commanders could train their platoon leaders. The MCoE could provide one-stop shopping for software updates, scenarios, and related training material on the Army Knowledge Online (AKO) website. The MCoE would synchronize new scenario and software releases that would match changes in doctrine and material fielding. GSXXI will provide the Maneuver Center of Excellence with a road map to the future using simulation-assisted training to keep pace with an ever-changing COE and evolving technologies. The Army has a number of initiatives and existing programs that may provide the solutions for its emerging training requirements. GSXXI will provide the MCoE with clearly defined requirements and a vision of the future. These requirements and vision will assist Army agencies and commercial vendors in producing the tools we will need to train in 2012 and beyond. Colonel Robert Valdivia is currently serving as the director of the U. S. Army Armor Center’s Directorate of Training, Doctrine, Combat Developments, and Experimentation, Fort Knox, KY. His military education includes Armor Officer Basic Course, Armor Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, U. S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the U. S Army War College. His previous command and staff assignments include training and operations officer, 2d Battalion, 1st Basic Training Brigade, Fort Jackson, SC; platoon leader, executive officer, and commander, A Company, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor, 3d Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA; commander, A Company, 2d Battalion, 72d Armor, 2d Infantry Division, Camp Casey, Korea; executive officer, 2d Squadron, 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; executive officer, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry (Ironhorse), Eagle Base, Tuzla; and commander, 1st Battalion, 67th Armor (Death Dealers), 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, TX. In April 2003, the Death Dealers deployed with the 4th Infantry Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. — 35