U.S. Army Turns To Video Games For Training

Fort Leavenworth, KS (AHN) - A new U.S. Military office was created with the sole purpose of developing modern gaming technologies that will aid soldiers in their military training. The new office will be part of the National Simulation Center based in Fort Leavenworth.

The new training branch is set to focus on bringing the usual military situations into the virtual realm, but with a more realistic, better-looking feel. In order to obtain this, the Army will turn to video game technology, which has in the past produced military games that provide at least some introduction to the nature of the U.S. Military.

"I haven't seen a game built for the entertainment industry that fills a training gap," commented Col. Jack Millar, director of the Army's Training and Doctrine Command's (TRADOC) Project Online for Gaming, or TPO Gaming.

Brig. Gen. Thomas Maffey, training director at the Pentagon, also noted, "While one game might provide excellent battlefield visualization, another might support training bilateral negotiation techniques," as quoted by Daily Tech.com.

In a released statement, Brig. Gen. Maffey continued, "Currently, we are focusing on first-person shooter and real-time strategy games, but there are many other genres of games that have desirable training capabilities. They provide an immersive environment capable of simulating thought within a given context, thus giving us the ability to exercise cognitive skills along with functional tasks."

Wired.com disclosed that TPO Gaming has also started development on a training kit that would allow soldiers "build and customize their own training scenarios without waiting for a contractor to do it for them."

Video games that provide training to any player have been available to the public for some time, with an example being America's Army, which was released five years ago.

The game functioned as a recruitment tool, with several military officers that gave instructions to players for various missions such as parachute jumps and capturing enemy bases while staying under enemy detection.