Cadets’ Training and Simulation
In most countries, cadets, after 2, 3, or 4 years of military training and academic education become officers. After a second round of training, as officers, they usually get a specialization or /and a set of useful skills for meeting the needs of their position and their future mission as small units leaders. Under this consideration, cadets, during their studies in military, naval or air force academies, need to achieve a certain level of understanding in a significant set of military, academic, social and operational issues.
It is of great importance that newest generations are tightly connected to the power of electronic devices of all kind and have a perfect relation with image, picture and movies. For them, is much more easier to learn or adapt knowledge via any kind of picture than by studying a book or even worse, by listening to a lecture. Picture and movie can provide an experiential and comprehensive understanding, especially in military subjects. Therefore, simulation obtains a significant role during the last years in military academies worldwide.
A simple question arises: How simulation tools can provide the desired level of knowledge and understanding in certain subjects, under the limitations of basic military training and the deficit of live experience of cadets?
The answer is as simple as the question. Both question and answer can be also considered as “naive”. But they are not really. It seems that in some military academies there is not a standard methodological process that determines the use of simulation as training tool. That’s why, in most cases, simulation tools are not connected to evaluation tools or methods. The use of picture – movie is not providing realistic training if the user cannot check out if he did something right or wrong. The result of simulation has to be connected to an evaluation process, especially if the simulation activity is referring to tactics, leadership or decision making.
What MSETT is proposing for cadets’ training is a multilevel – multi service methodological use of simulation. More analytical:
- Individual Cadet Training (ICT) via serious games for tactics, leadership, limited operational planning, military paperwork processes, personality building and decision making. Serious games have to embody evaluation system that provide trainers a systematic report with cadets’ scores in certain periods of time. By this way, trainers will get a full picture of the cadets’ progress and skill achievements. Furthermore, cadets should know exactly their gaps and weaknesses and will try accordingly to fill the gaps and strengthen the weaknesses.
- Tactical Cadet Training (TCT) via suitable simulation models (like Artifex Marcus)that can broaden the horizons of the cadets by offering them a picture of a realistic battlefield and a simulated tactical environment. Cadets, in addition with the field exercises – training, will achieve a comprehensive view of a battlefield and they will easier understand their role as low level leaders in this. They will get also the idea of how and when their commanders have to make certain decisions which sometimes are leading to unexpected casualties or push the personnel to unpleasant situations.
- Visualization Cadet Training (VCT) via simulation models with advanced graphics (like Artifex Kronos) and accurate description of weapon systems and their capabilities. This kind of training is offering to cadets the experience of what weapon systems can do in the battlefield, as they are using the picture for providing experiential understanding of it. It is of great importance for cadets to have a realistic representation of a three dimension battlefield and put themselves inside it as in the should do in real life. There is a huge multi benefit coming from this: Cadets familiarize with the complex modern battlefield with small cost and in short time.
Based on MSETT’s CAX, War Gaming and Experimentation methodology, cadets’ training over simulation adds value to their professional skills, saves money from military academies and provide the capability to cadets to improve their personal status in a secure way.
MSETT development for cadets’ training (Cadets Training System, CTS) will be presented, in coordination with Artifex, during the Navarinon Project which will take place in Costa Navarino Resort (www.costanavarino.com) from October 15 till October 20, 2015.
For more details concerning CTS you can contact [email protected].
Dear George, I agree with your point regarding the use of simulation as an operational tool. That's why we have been developing a methodology focused on the real needs of operational people and decision makers. On the other hand we need to train our people in the most realistic way and provide them the feeling of battle without putting in the battlefield. In any case we should be honoured to publish an article of yours in our blog, analysing your pretty interesting point of view. Please let me know by sending me a direct message.
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9 年Dear TK: I, too, have been in simulation for a long time in various guises. Personally, I don't think the military uses simulation very well. There is too much emphasis on immersive training and low-levels of abstraction and not enough on strategic decision-making. They spend gazillions on simulating, say, engine maintenance as part of training to minimize having an 18-year old recruit damage a multi-million dollar asset. Quite reasonable. But they don't spend anything, for example, to provide the forward base commander with insight as to how many cargo planes he needs to maintain reliable logistics given the multitude of exogenous factors. The military has relegated simulation to the sergeants -- they should step back and let the generals have a go at it. (And, of course, this is a simplification to make a point in a blog. There are exceptions. I merely point out that simulation should be more of an operational tool and less a preparatory and support one.)
Dear George Gonzalez-Rivas, I know of course that West Point is using simulation in a really interesting way. What we are proposing is an innovative methodology for providing experiential training which will lead to an evaluation process. Evaluation can reveal the weaknesses of individual cadet and the academy will work on them. Because I am more for more than fifteen years in the simulation area, mainly in military applications, I think that our proposal can really make the difference. Anyway, thank you for your comment.
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9 年West POint has been an active user of simulation training for several years. They've been using discrete event and agent technologies in various ways to provide survey level background in simulation technology for the cadets. I believe they also have more advanced courses focusing on specific applications for the more interested students.
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9 年Thank you for this breakdown!