Ohio Guard Soldiers Try Cutting-edge Virtual Reality Training

OSCODA, Mich. - A few members of the Ohio Army National Guard's 323rd Military Police Company tested the Just in Time Multi-Mission Airmen/Warfighters virtual-reality training program during Exercise Northern Strike at Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport.

The program equips service members with the skills to perform a broader range of tasks with fewer people in forward-deployed locations.

"We're working on a research program at Air Force Research Labs that delivers an on-demand training capability for people in agile combat deployment locations," said Stephen McGee, JITMMA/W product lead, AFRL. "We have the training set up where we can take somebody with no prior knowledge of KC-135 operations and give them the necessary skills they need to perform that task. This will help in future deployed environments."

During the exercise Aug. 13, Soldiers from the 323rd participated in a hands-on virtual demonstration that simulated refueling a KC-135 Stratotanker, a task typically reserved for Airmen.

"It's Air Force training right now," McGee noted. "But, we can really open up the aperture to other branches."

Following the virtual-reality session, the Soldiers provided feedback on how the program could be adapted for the Army National Guard.

"I think it can be integrated in multiple different ways," said 2nd Lt. Kyle Funk, platoon leader in the 323rd. "I think one is our vehicle maintenance as well as weapons maintenance. And then, on a larger scale, I think it can be utilized to practice conducting battle drills or any kind of battle-space operation."

Northern Strike, an exercise focused on enhancing warfighting capabilities, developing leaders and improving joint interoperability, provided a valuable platform for testing and refining emerging technologies.

"A joint experience is great for everybody," said Funk. "We're all part of one military, and gaining experience and knowledge from other branches where we may not have that kind of technology is a great thing. Working with those civilian contractors or joint partners is always a great opportunity."

As the exercise concluded, the integration of virtual-reality training highlighted a significant advancement in military preparedness, illustrating how technology can enhance the effectiveness of service members across branches.

"Feedback from warfighters has been exceptional," said McGee. "I'm not going to be the one who used this technology; it's going to be the warfighters, so I want them to have a say in how this technology is developed. I want to incorporate their feedback into the development effort and come back next year with new capabilities."

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