FORT POLK, La. -- From the outside, it looks like your average trailer park on wheels. Once inside, you realize you have entered the realm of the Close Combat Tactical Trainer and the Reconfigurable Vehicle Tactical Trainer.
The Soldiers of Bravo and Charlie Companies, 3rd Battalion, 353rd Infantry Regiment, 162nd Infantry Brigade, deciphered their initial operations orders May 10, discussed and rehearsed their tactics, maneuvers and recovery options, and then it was simulated game-on.
The CCTT/RVTT is a series of connected simulator systems that allows each team to occupy a vehicle with a driver, passenger, gunner and two rear passengers and interact with other teams. The system provides a 360-degree virtual world on huge screens, providing an outlook over real-world terrain.
The training includes the dizzying effect of vehicle movement. Participants also feel the hum of the vehicle as they drive through objectives. The best part of the training is that it doesn't require a single drop of fuel or round of ammunition. In this training, Soldiers have to actually turn the turret and/or their heads to observe surroundings.
Another highlight of the training is that it is customizable to meet unit needs, including scenarios for vehicle recovery, route clearance or convoy escort.
The training is more than typical arcade game simulator with remote control/joystick/mouse peripherals. With the RVTT, Soldiers have to pick up their weapon systems, pull the trigger and engage their targets. When they run out of ammunition they actually have to reload, not just click on the reload button. In addition, they have to maintain situational awareness of not only fellow comrades in the simulated training, but also who is an enemy target and who is not, and they have to stay in touch with their command post via communication systems.
After each mission, an after-action review is conducted to critique performance. During the AAR, leadership can monitor who maintained proper speed and distance, who took good aversive maneuver actions and who actually took down targets.
The training is geared towards the combat advisors who come through the 162nd for their training prior to deploying to Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. The Bravo and Charlie Company Soldiers who normally train combat advisors at the range on crew-served weapons more than welcomed the break from Range 34 for a taste of scenario-based training as a convoy team.
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