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The sound of footsteps echoes throughout the room as the Soldiers
pace quickens and the noise grows. Loud shouting, gunfire and radio
chatter fill the air accompanied by an odd clamor of clicks. The
Soldier spots an enemy across the courtyard and alerts his comrades
over his radio then engages. Suddenly he is down. Blood covers the
screen as it fades to black. Now his only glimpse of the fight comes
from watching his teammates screen as the team completes the virtual
mission.
About 20 Soldiers from the 3rd Armored Brigade
Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, participated in Squad Overmatch,
a new program designed to condense and enhance several existing Army
training programs, at Camp Buehring, Kuwait Dec. 13-15, 2016.
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About 20 Soldiers from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Armored Division, participated in Squad Overmatch, a new program
designed to condense and enhance several existing Army training
programs, at Camp Buehring, Kuwait December 13-15, 2016.The course
was inspired by information gathered from analysis of current
programs throughout the Department of Defense and other agencies,
including advice from industry subject matter experts. Squad
Overmatch focuses in detail on improving situational awareness,
psychological resilience, teamwork, tactical casualty combat care
and human performance enhancement and has been in development since
2013 and is constantly updated with the latest data from across a
broad spectrum of operations. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Aaron
Ellerman)
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“This training is about taking the best of existing programs and
condensing them into a package of information that tailors to the
essentials a Soldier needs to win, survive and thrive in current and
future combat environments,” said Rob Wolf, strategic requirements
integrator with U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation,
Training and Instrumentation.
The course was inspired by
information gathered from analysis of current programs throughout
the Department of Defense and other agencies, including advice from
industry subject matter experts. Squad Overmatch focuses in detail
on improving situational awareness, psychological resilience,
teamwork, tactical casualty combat care and human performance
enhancement and has been in development since 2013 and is constantly
updated with the latest data from across a broad spectrum of
operations.
Soldiers train in three phases during the
program, classroom instruction, virtual practice and live
application, each building upon the skills learned and implemented
in the previous phase.
“The streamlined process of the class
allows Soldiers to develop through phases building on what they've
learned and teaching them how to identify and deal with the ever
changing environment on the battle field,” Said Sgt. 1st Class
Richard Boone, team development program instructor for the class and
M1 armor crewman with 1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment.
The program emphasizes the importance of the train-the-trainer
principle, whereupon Soldiers gain the knowledge and then teach
other Soldiers.
“The unit level training with this program is
very beneficial because a lot of time when you send a Soldier away
to a training class, they don't receive the information well due to
the lack of understanding between them and the instructor. Having
this taught in the unit with Soldiers who know each other and how
one another operate allows them to absorb the material faster and
retain it,” Boone said.
In the first phase the participants
learned about the importance of the courses core principles while
getting to know each other through discussion. They also established
roles and operational plans and received a refresher course in basic
combat casualty care.
During the virtual portion of the
training, each Soldier monitored and controlled a digital avatar
through numerous virtual scenarios. They communicated through
headsets while moving as a team to accomplish several objectives. In
an adjacent room fellow Soldiers acted as an opposing force
directing their avatars to interfere with ongoing operations while
simultaneously shooting and disrupting communication and inducing
stress into the quiet computer room.
In the group, there was
a variety of different skillsets from medics to tankers that came
from numerous units so few were familiar with one another forcing
the team to adapt efficient communication in a short period of time.
“The skillsets taught in the program apply to every Soldier, from
infantry to logistics, it's important for all to develop mental
models and behaviors that are going to help save their lives,” said
Wolf.
For the final phase of the training, the small
contingent of troops geared up to patrol a small mock village. Three
different scenarios were played out in which the teams reacted to
civilian and team member casualties, sniper fire, a hostage
scenario, improvised explosive devices and suicide attackers.
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Soldiers with the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored
Division, provide care for a wounded team member after clearing a
mock terrorist encampment during a squad overmatch training exercise
at Camp Buehring, Kuwait December 15, 2016. The unique training
opportunity incorporated a multi-platform teaching approach built on
existing Army warrior skills training programs with detailed focus
on improving situational awareness, psychological resilience,
teamwork, tactical combat casualty care, and human performance
enhancement. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Aaron Ellerman)
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“Advanced situational awareness is a key part of this
training, because if a Soldier knows how to read a
population through physical patterns they can identify
dangerous anomalies and avoid negative situations before
they happen,” said Boone.
By U.S. Army Sgt. Aaron Ellerman
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2017
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