Army Training: Efforts to Adjust Training Requirements Should Consider the Use of Virtual Training Devices
Abstract
For more than a decade, the Army focused its training on supporting operations in the Middle East. The Army is reassessing its training programs to ensure that its forces are able to perform a broader range of operations and has established training priority areas and sought to expand its use of virtual training. Both the Senate and House Reports accompanying bills for the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act included provisions for GAO to review the Armys training plans and its use of virtual training. This report (1) describes the Armys efforts to adjust its training requirements and resources to prepare units for a broader range of military operations and (2) evaluates the extent to which the Army has integrated virtual training devices into operational training. GAO analyzed Army training priorities and initiatives; interviewed officials, including those with four brigade combat teams that were selected based on their training plans; reviewed documentation on Army virtual training devices; and selected a non-generalizable sample of nine devices to review in detail. GAO selected devices to review based on factors including total acquisition costs, which were about $535 million for the selected devices. GAO recommends that the Army update its policies for virtual training devices to conduct additional front-end planning; define the process for analyzing the effectiveness of its devices; and better integrate the devices in training strategies. DOD generally concurred with the recommendations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1014202
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office