Military Simulations

Austin Wallace

TCC BCTAL 1301

Mrs. Wright

September 22, 2015

Use of Simulations in the Military

Throughout the years, the search for the most effective training methods remains a pertinent topic for serious military discussions. Earlier military training was typically composed of an intricate combination of several methods, including practice at the shooting range, and even studying books to help new recruits comprehend common battle strategies. In the last hundred years however, the growth of technology opened many new gateways and opportunities that allowed the vital use of computers in the military. Computers now fill a role in every position in the military, ranging from flying planes, commanding troops, and even training. This advanced

This very simple game laid the foundation of what a game is defined as today. The game simply featured two small spaceships, controlled by two human players, navigating space and trying to survive the longest, which represents how simulations are currently set up, one team versus another. Eventually, gaming was implemented into military training through a game named Marine Doom, a heavy modification of the commercially successful game Doom (McLeroy). The fact that the simulation spawned out of a commercial game proved that, to some extent, modern shooting games taught valuable skills. This modern simulation was the first of its kind and created an entry way for simulations and videogames to be implemented into military training. All of the aforementioned games and simulators were very primitive and non-intuitive yet eventually evolved into complex tools that feature a numerous number of

The huge scale of cooperation provided numerous benefits, the main being it has allowed soldiers to converge and discuss potential threats and how they could implement them into the simulator and react appropriately. The large number of players in a single match also motivated players to perform better in order to satisfy teammates and as a result, gain more knowledge and insight on the scenarios played. Another technological feat implemented into the games presents itself through stats that represented attributes of real life soldiers, such as accuracy or stamina, that when placed in the simulator, affected each person’s avatar (Insinna). When these stats were implemented, soldiers became more motivated to train in real life, even going to the shooting range to improve real life accuracy and game accuracy. The progression that has taken place as a result gave the soldiers a game-like sense of progression, rewarding them for their actions at every step. The usefulness of the simulations came from the countless number of functions and features that, when used, create numerous scenarios that benefit soldiers in many