Fort McCoy RTC-Central cadre train with Ultimate Training Munitions

By Rob Schuette, Fort McCoy Public AffairsJune 7, 2011

Fort McCoy RTC-Central cadre train with Ultimate Training Munitions
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Fort McCoy RTC-Central cadre train with Ultimate Training Munitions
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FORT McCOY, Wis. -- Cadre from Regional Training Center (RTC)-Central spent two days training on new Ultimate Training Munitions (UTM) equipment that will provide added realism to their premobilization training procedures at Fort McCoy.

Master Sgt. Joseph Koeck of RTC-Central said organization cadre will implement the training into their premobilization program as a train-the-trainer program.

Eric Seto, a training manager for UTM, said the system is being fielded to all the Army RTCs. The Close Combat Mission Capability Kit (CCMCK) is used to convert weapons to train on close quarters, force-on-force scenarios.

CCMCK is a multi-component training system that allows Soldiers to train in realistic urban and close-combat mission scenarios. The system adds no weight to the weapon, nor does it change aiming or firing characteristics. Rounds are loaded into magazines or belts just like real rounds, and the firer experiences actual recoil. Soldiers need not wear cumbersome sensor arrays as with other training systems; a simple protective mask and goggles are all that is required.

The training involves classroom training and then demonstrations/simulations in a training area. UTMs use ammunition that contains a type of cosmetic dye material, which leaves an impression on the impact area.

“The training has some resemblance to paintball, but we are using our own weapons,” Koeck said. “You can feel being ‘hit’ by the UTMs so you know you have done something wrong, and you know what type of injury you would have sustained. It provides immediate, accurate feedback on the training.”

“You can do this anywhere you have a 10-yard range,” Seto said.

“The units can take it with them to home station or when they are being mobilized/deployed to train on the fundamentals of close-quarters combat. They can use it in all of their own weapons and at anytime, unlike the use of other simulations or live-fire ammunition. They will remember the muscle movements they make and be prepared to make them when the situation arises.”

Koeck said the RTC-Central cadre appreciated training with the UTM system because it introduces real-life scenarios into training and allows personnel to actually see and experience the results of different training scenarios.

“Personnel would encounter many of the situations we trained on during deployments,” he said. “The big thing is they’re using their own weapons so they know how the weapons will react in different scenarios.”

RTC-Central soon will implement use of UTM simulations into its 21-day premobilization training process for Army Reserve Soldiers, he said.

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