Anti-Terrorism / Force Protection (AT/FP) training specialists from across the nation gathered for the 9th Annual U.S.N.S.T.A. National Training Conference at Bally’s Las Vegas during the week of December 15-19. In addition to the five days of intense, “hands-on” tactical training and specialized presentations, AT/FP operators participated in the official introduction to the Virtual Training Concept that the Controlled F.O.R.C.E. Team has been shaping over the past year.
On Wednesday, December 17, a day referred to as Virtual Wednesday, the Controlled F.O.R.C.E. Team, led by Directors/Chief Instructors Tony Grano and Don Roberts, opened the portal to the new future of tactical training. In one 30 minute presentation, Tony, Don, and Team were able to manifest a year of targeted development into a viable mission for the future: to save lives by using video game technology to improve training methods.
Trainers, Operators, and Decision-Makers from law enforcement, military,
and security worlds at the 9th Annual U.S.N.S.T.A. National Training Conference
Just as the U.S.N.S.T.A. (United States National Standards of Training Association) brings people together from law enforcement, corrections, military, security, and protective operations fields to identify common problems and develop universal solutions, Controlled F.O.R.C.E. is in a unique position to bring the video game industry, Department of Defense (DoD), and law enforcement together to rise to the challenge of developing modern life saving solutions for the contemporary operating environment.
The biggest obstacle that team leaders Grano and Roberts anticipated in educating law enforcement, military, and security personnel on the full potential of the virtual training concept was getting past their preconceived notions of “video gaming” and “video gamers.” Video games are serious business, and the number of military and law enforcement personnel engaged in gaming is larger than you might think, and is steadily growing.
Controlled F.O.R.C.E. certified instructor and collaborator Vik Long, a long time video game industry insider, informs us that while many people are under the mistaken impression that the video games are merely child's play, the truth is that the top video games not only have the most advanced technologies currently available anywhere, but also pioneer the software, hardware, communications, etc. technologies of the future. .
With all these internal resources that video game companies have at their disposal, why are industry insiders like Vik Long interested in developing a training programs utilizing video games and why team up specifically with Controlled F.O.R.C.E.? Long explains:
My job is to work with the best companies and talent in the video game industry. Controlled F.O.R.C.E. has an a proven track record of delivering “hands-on” AT/FP training to all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and all levels of law enforcement. As units exhaust existing instructional resources, they look to Controlled F.O.R.C.E. and its cadre of U.S.N.S.T.A. Subject Matter Experts to supplement those resources. In an effort to further provide the most cost effective training solutions to our fighting forces, Tony, Don and team are developing the virtual training concept that is based on the latest video game technology. What I see here at the U.S.N.S.T.A. Conference confirms that Controlled F.O.R.C.E. is in a fantastic position to establish a program that works, and I am happy to help make it happen.
DoD and law enforcement currently use training simulation systems such as FATS, LaserShot, PRISim, and RangePro. The U.S.N.S.T.A. has utilized every single one of these systems in their scenario-based training modules throughout the years. What the U.S.N.S.T.A. has found in their research is that when you factor in start-up costs, maintenance costs, upgrade costs, and the costs for on-site setup and equipment instruction, these systems are very cost prohibitive. In addition, the U.S.N.S.T.A. found that these systems are complicated to use and require an on-site expert to properly run the equipment. One of the benefits of using video game systems is that a large portion of operators already own the necessary equipment and are already familiar with how the systems work.
Commercial-Off-The-Shelf systems such as Microsoft Xbox allows
Controlled F.O.R.C.E. to deliver more tactical training at a lower cost
While DoD is already familiar with the use of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) systems such as video game consoles as a means of reducing costs, there is no standard program in place that integrates virtual training with reality training. Controlled F.O.R.C.E., never being satisfied with status quo solutions, is driven to develop new and improved training delivery methods to be able to provide operators with the best possible tactics.
With a combination of experience in developing Points of Instruction (POI) and course curriculums for the DoD and law enforcement entities, and the years of research that has been put into the virtual training concept, Controlled F.O.R.C.E. has become a pioneer in the systematic use of video game technology in the development of highly effective hands-on tactical training programs. Through test-bed programs, Controlled F.O.R.C.E. has found that the combination of virtual and reality based training systems reinforces skills developed in both modes, and is by far the most cost effective delivery method currently available.
