Photo Essay: 'Shadow battalion' Soldiers complete training with RVTT simulator at Fort McCoy

Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 291st Brigade Engineer Battalion (1st, 291st) completed training with the Fort McCoy Reconfigurable Vehicle Tactical Trainer (RVTT) on Jan. 29.

The 1st, 291st is an active-duty battalion that is part of the 181st Multi-Functional Training Brigade at Fort McCoy. The unit provides observer-controller teams for reserve-component training in the Army.

The RVTT provides Soldiers with comprehensive and realistic combat experience before deployment, according to the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security. It is a 360-degree immersion that allows commanders to replicate realistic environments and situations from their theater of operations.

A key advantage of RVTT in this regard is the ability for an entire platoon to train simultaneously on the same mission, while at the same time removing the cost of fuel and ammunition. Each RVTT scenario can be customized to take advantage of various terrain databases (with advance notice).

The RVTT system consists of four modules equipped with life-size simulated reconfigurable vehicles surrounded by floor-to-ceiling screens on which the images are projected. A command and control room provides capabilities for the officer in charge to observe and direct the mission and the ability to conduct an after-action review with up to 20 service members.

(Article prepared by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office.)