Posted on http://mywebtimes.com by Charles Stanley

It’s winter outside the semitrailer parked at the Illinois National Guard’s Marseilles Training Center.

But inside it’s virtual Baghdad, Iraq. And soon it may be virtual Afghanistan.

Officially, however, the semitrailer holds a Virtual Convoy Operations Trainer system. It’s a setup designed to give soldiers bound for the Middle East a taste of what convoy duty is like.

There are two simulated Humvees where soldiers maneuver around a computer-generated Baghdad, encountering bad guys and bad situations where they can test their training.

“What we’re trying to do here is get them some hands-on with these vehicles, especially the new soldiers that aren’t familiar with convoy operations,” said Sgt. 1st Class Shane Martin, the noncommissioned officer in charge of training aids, devices, systems and simulators.

“That way they don’t have to wait for last-minute training to get it accomplished while they’re there (overseas).”

The objective is to make the experience as realistic as possible.

“You’re missing the heat and the smells, but the sights and the sounds are all there,” said Chief Warrant Officer Jonathan Deering.

Each vehicle has three positions. There is a driver and a vehicle commander, and behind them is a machine gunner in a modified turret position.

For the driver, three computer screens situated where the windshield would be provide a view of what’s ahead. The other two wear headgear with goggles and earphones that give them their own view of the same terrain.

“The commander has a map that corresponds to the scenarios that we download into the system,” said Martin. “So they’ll pull up the map and see what route they’ve got to take.”

If the commander decides to get out of the vehicle, the control computer is alerted by a sensor in the seat. “Outside” the vehicle the commander uses a replica of an M-16 rifle. Instead of being loaded with bullets, it contains computer chips, wiring and a joystick on the barrel hand guard used to move around in the virtual world. When the weapon is pressed to the commander’s shoulder, another sensor triggers the view down the barrel sights.

Once under way, the crew is likely to run into armed enemy fighters to be evaded or for the gunner to fire at. There also are other residents, including protesters, that require a different response.

In theory, the soldiers should already have been trained by their units on how to respond to convoy situations and be able to rely on learned standard operation procedures, said Martin.

But the VCOT takes it to another level with the simulation.

Soldiers can successfully complete their mission, but they also can be “blown up” and “killed.”

“There’s multiple situations and scenarios we can download that we can put them through,” said Martin.

“Then, once they’re done sitting in the simulator, they come up front for an after-actions review.”

Each mission is recorded.

“That way they get to go through what they did right, what they did wrong and how to correct it so it doesn’t happen again.

“Then we can send them through that same scenario to see if they’ve made those corrections so they don’t make the same mistakes again.

“After that they can move on and advance to tougher scenarios.”

In the two years the VCOT has been available, it has been used by an estimated 2,400 soldiers. Typically it gets more use during the weekends and summers when units drill. It also has been made available for use by Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps members.

“It’s definitely taken advantage of,” said Deering.

Units are encouraged to make use of the simulator, said Martin.

“They can use it as long as its available and as long as they want. It’s pretty much up to them.

“The main emphasis is for them to experience the VCOT before they move out into their own vehicles and get boots on ground, so they can get an understanding and idea for what they need to do to be successful in convoy operations.”