Preparing Marines and the Marine Corps for the Future
Q: Lt. Gen. Rhodes, what technologies or concepts have you borrowed from industry/government?
A: Our interactive Combat Decision course is an example of our learning from industry and government. We went to the New York Mercantile Exchange on Wall Street. They used audio and video cues to influence their decisions, as well as their ability to read the behavior in "the Pit" at the exchange. We went to the FAA and saw how they trained. 30 percent to 45 percent of their people wash out of FAA training because it is so unforgiving. Then, we went to the New York Fire Department to see how they trained their fire chiefs. They used an interactive computer graphic along with a facilitator.
We took all of those things and built a Combat Decision course that uses modern graphics and footage from real operations. We put Marines in an urban, jungle, wooded or desert. During this simulated mission, Marines are faced with obstacles such as enemy patrols and physical barriers. The Marines that take this interactive course live with the consequences of their decisions.
We're fielding this interactive course as we go. It's being used among the operational forces to train the troops and they love it.
A: Our interactive Combat Decision course is an example of our learning from industry and government. We went to the New York Mercantile Exchange on Wall Street. They used audio and video cues to influence their decisions, as well as their ability to read the behavior in "the Pit" at the exchange. We went to the FAA and saw how they trained. 30 percent to 45 percent of their people wash out of FAA training because it is so unforgiving. Then, we went to the New York Fire Department to see how they trained their fire chiefs. They used an interactive computer graphic along with a facilitator.
We took all of those things and built a Combat Decision course that uses modern graphics and footage from real operations. We put Marines in an urban, jungle, wooded or desert. During this simulated mission, Marines are faced with obstacles such as enemy patrols and physical barriers. The Marines that take this interactive course live with the consequences of their decisions.
We're fielding this interactive course as we go. It's being used among the operational forces to train the troops and they love it.
