Command Sgt. Maj. Hector Marin, left, talks shop March 2 with 60 noncommissioned officers from throughout the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command during professional development training at the Simulation Training and Technology C...
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Sixty U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command noncommissioned officers and invited guests convened March 1-5 at the Simulation and Training Technology Center on the University of Central Florida campus for quarterly NCO Professional Development.
Intent on informing, training, interacting with and assessing the RDECOM NCO corps, Command Sgt. Maj. Hector Marin kicked things off by challenging the NCOs to deliver the technology being developed in research and development centers to the Army Warfighter as quickly as possible.
"What's being developed needs to be in the hands of the Soldier sooner," Marin emphasized.
His comments conveyed the NCOPD theme: How RDECOM supports training to the Warfighter, and how we incorporate the Army 'Train as we Fight' mission essential task list.
Marin showed the NCOs "the big picture," presenting a video of Army Materiel Command functions and connecting the lines so his audience clearly understood their role in the process.
"There's so much going on right now it makes your head hurt. We are going to get the equipment to the Soldier in the field. The priority is downrange," he stressed.
Marin was followed by the RDECOM commander, Maj. Gen. Nick Justice.
"RDECOM has to become the verifier, the validator of all the programs we are involved in," Justice said.
"We have 12,000 scientists and engineers, kids that are wizards, working on things like x-ray vision that will make our Soldiers super men. That's what we want to do. That's why what we do is so important."
During site tours coordinated by STTC Senior Enlisted Advisor Staff Sgt. Javier Velazquez, NCOs witnessed the next evolution of simulation training being developed for the Army.
They engaged in conversations with Sgt. Star, a 3-D avatar-like answer man who will soon appear in Army training modules, displays and possibly on the Army homepage.
They were presented comprehensive briefings on the innovative UrbanSim, a video game-based trainer that puts the Soldier in battlefield scenarios while sitting at a computer.
The NCOs touched the latest medical training modules. They toured other simulation facilities in the area, including flight simulators at L-3 Communications and the workshops of Lockheed Martin.
They heard from NCOs assigned to the Army's major training centers how training is enhanced when new technologies are integrated into current training platforms.
"It's going to take everyone in our organization to help people understand what we are trying to achieve here," Justice said to the RDECOM NCOs. "You understand field expedient solutions to problems. That's what you bring to our mission."
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