"Virtual Camp Trains Soldiers in Arabic, and More," by Margaret Wertheim, New York Times, 6 July, p. D3.
A DARPA-funded video game created by U.S.C. lab in conjunction with Special Operations Command, the Tactical Language Project allows users to train up their Arabic language skills by playing "Sergeant Smith" in a world of virtual constructs. Neatest part is how the program seeks to impart nonverbal skills to trainees, like common gestures of respect used to end a conversation with someone.
Last week Tom Slear of the magazine MS&T asked if there were any ways in which military sim and training could be used in support of the Sys Admin force concept, and I cited video training tools and massive, multiplayer online games as good possibilities. Then boom! This article lands in my lap a week later, showing how little ahead of the real-world transformation I really am—thus my eternal optimism that the U.S. military learns from defeat better than any large organization on the planet.
| Permalink |
