I__. - International Military Testing Association

in baseline classes and 39 platoons in SIMNET-trained classes.
Platoons were supervised by a group of 16 officer and senior
noncommissioned officer (NCO) instructors, called Team Chiefs,
each assisted by a team of NC0 tank crew instructors. Every
platoon had one Team Chief guiding all of its tactical training.
Eauioment
SIMNET Traininq. Training was conducted in the Combined
Arms Tactical Training Center (CATTC) at Fort Knox that houses
the SIMNET system. AOB classes used four Ml tank modules per
platoon with a terrain data base portraying the Fort Knox areas
used for AOB,field training. Vehicle crews operate SIMNET
modules interactively through a local area computer network (LAN)
in a manner similar to real vehicles. Scenes shown in simulated
sights and vision blocks respond to control inputs to create the
illusion of moving and fighting on the battlefield. Crews can
detect and shoot enemy vehicles, and communicate both within the
crew and to other vehicles and organizations. Operating together I
as a unit, crews can use many standard tactical techniques to
execute a combat mission.
Field Traininq. Each AOB student crew in SIMNET-trained
classes (except for the first such class) used High Mobility
Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) for some MTT-like preparatory
training on cavalry operations. All student crews used an
M60A3 tank (U.S. Department of the Army, 1979) and basic issue
items furnished with the tank during MTT.
Trainina Procedure
SIMNET Exercises. In the first day of simulator training,
the students were introduced to the operation of SIMNET tank
modules, and conducted a tactical road march mission as a tank
company. Platoons.then practiced techniques of movement and
battle drills, and performed a movement to contact mission
against static unreactive target vehicles placed on the terrain.
Two force-on-force (FOF) exercises were completed on the next
day, with pairs of platoons alternating in offensive and defensive
roles. For every exercise, the platoon Team Chief selected
two students to act as platoon leader and platoon sergeant. The
Team Chief gave these students a company-level mission order, and
allowed them about an hour to plan and prepare the platoon
mission. The Team Chief controlled the execution of the mission
by acting in the role of company commander. After an exercise,
the Team Chief led an after-action review (AAR) in which the
platoon assembled to discuss strong and weak points exhibited in
planning and executing the mission. After a FOF exercise, the
opposing platoons met for a joint AAP.
Field Exercises. Students platoons completed from two to
four on-tank exercises per day during MTT. For several days the
exercises were relatively elementary, gradually increasing in
complexity and difficulty. Initially, the exercises consisted of
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