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Tactical Decision Kit Seen To Help Marines Prepare For War

Gungho Cowboy

In what looks like a fun thing for first person shooters to play with can help the U.S. Marines prepare for war. They can train without actually leaving the barracks as they can use an augmented reality system combined with a first person shooter system called the Tactical Decision Kit (TDK). Designed by Lt. Col. Marcus Mainz this will allow Marines to train on and off duty virtually.

Make no mistake that this is a video game. Whilst it does look like a video game, any decision can make difference between life or death. The Marine Corps Rapid Capabilities Office collaborated with the Office of Naval Research to develop the TDK so that Marines can train virtually on or off duty, and test their decision-making skills from the barracks. Especially whilst in transit to a theatre of operations, they can train virtually such as being on an amphibious ship far from any land-based training camp.

“Mainz performed a mission analysis of what defined the success of his battalion,” said Col. Walter Yates, program manager for Training Systems in a report at the Marine Corps System Command website, adding that, “He said it boiled down to the basic elements of accomplishing the mission—whatever the mission might be—and bringing his Marines home from the fight alive and well. Mainz wanted to develop the Marines of 2/6 to become the best tactical decision-makers in the world.”

The Marcorsyscom lists the following components of the TDK:

Augmented Reality: The augmented reality system allows Marines to visualize a variety of terrain to aid in their mission planning and real-time decision-making skills.  It enables a group of Marines to conduct virtual briefs and terrain walks while interacting with other Marines in the same virtual environment.

Virtual Battle Space 3: A first-person shooter simulation from the viewpoint of the player that places the Marine in squad- and platoon-level force-on-force scenarios. VBS3 requires Marines to think tactically, make decisions, and communicate with subordinates and adjacent units in a complex, competitive environment using a range of supporting assets.

Interactive Tactical Decision Game 5: The ITDG 5 system allows the users to create and execute in-depth, customizable TDGs that show second- and third-order effects of decisions. This enhances Marines’ abilities to create after-action reports, debriefs and digital sand table exercises, among other uses.

It would be fun if airsoft players are allowed to try the TDK out if they can develop decision making skills that are required by the Marines. Many airsoft players are first person shooter video game players and thus it is easy to have them setup with the TDK. The only thing that an FPS shooter will need to understand is that it is not like any other video game and instead assume that any tactical decisions can lead to a disastrous or successful mission and getting fellow Marines killed in battle just like in the real world.

The TDK is being delivered to the Marine Corps infantry battalions since May 2017 and it will conclude in October 2018.

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