Developing the Reserve Component Virtual Training Program: History and Lessons Learned.

Abstract : This report describes the development of the Reserve Component Virtual Training Program (RCVTP) for training U.S. Army National Guard (ARNG) armor-units using the simulation technologies of Simulation Networking (SIMNET), Janus, and an automated tactical operations center simulator called the Commander/Staff Trainer (C/ST). The report presents the project's background, including the conceptualization of the RCVTP by the contracting agency, the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI), and the contractor team's proposal for operationalizing ARI's conceptualizations. Three of the major goals of the RCVTP are to emphasize execution, to compress training time, and to reduce training management by providing a turn-key program for the ARNG. The report summarizes the design and development of the RCVTP's platoon-, company-, and battalion-level exercises and their training management materials. Significant design issues discussed include identifying tasks appropriate for training in designated simulated environments and incorporating specified design concepts through the process of outlining the training exercises. The development of the exercises and the training management materials is discussed in light of their relationship to the design principles and in terms of their relevance to the final RCVTP product. The report describes the formative evaluation and presents findings in the context of the developmental framework Finally, the report documents the process of extending the developmental methodology through the creation of cavalry troop exercises and identifies lessons learned. (AN)