Marines Expand Beachhead In 'Mecca' for Simulation.

• Author: Kennedy, Harold
• Position: Training system functions moved to Orlando, FL - Brief Article

The U.S. Marine Corps has moved all of its training-system acquisition functions from Quantico, Va., to Orlando, Fla., where the military services have based their simulation and modeling facilities, according to Col. Joseph F. Buranosky, program manager for training systems.

The mission for the training systems office--known as PMTRASYS--hasn't changed, Buranosky said. It is still responsible for all research, development, test and evaluation, acquisition, fielding, logistics support and life-cycle management of ground training systems for the entire Marine Corps.

The Marines, he said, have been a part of the Orlando simulation community since 1970. Until recently, however, they have maintained only a liaison office there.

Now, all Marine training-system acquisition activities are based in Orlando. In January, the size of the staff in PMTRASYS doubled, from 20 to 40, counting civilians and Marines, Buranosky said. Previously, many of those functions had been performed at the Marine Corps Systems Command, in Quantico.

The move "only made sense," Buranosky said. "It puts the Marine Corps on an even footing with the other services," which have major training operations in Orlando, he explained. "Overall, we will be more effective in dealing with training systems and with the Marine Corps as a whole."

Orlando "is a Mecca for simulation and modeling," Buranosky explained. The move, he said, will enable his unit "to leverage the training-system development efforts of the other services and take advantage of the synergy" created by the presence of the government, industry and academic simulation and modeling communities.

"If we're going to be entering into agreements with the other services, we decided that we'd rather be right across the street, as opposed to 800 miles away," said Daniel O. Torgler, deputy program manager, a civilian.

Torgler, speaking to an industry briefing in Orlando earlier this year, provided the following update on PMTRASYS programs for fiscal year 2002.

During the current year, he said, the Marine Corps plans to spend $9.7 million to buy, operate and maintain Combat Vehicle Appended Trainer (CVAT) systems. The CVAT system provides simulations to train individuals or full crews in their actual combat weapons platforms, such as amphibious assault vehicles, light-armored vehicles and M1A1 Abrams tanks. Current funding supports 36 systems for the tank and 42 systems for the LAV.

A total of $2.4 million is allocated to upgrade...