Do-it-yourself simulators speeding up army training.

• Author: Todaro, Chelsea

A new generation of simulation software is promising to put more control into the hands of trainers, who can create their own computer-based exercises in a matter of hours.

The Army Training and Doctrine Command tasked the training brain operations center to create an exercise-design tool called Training Brain Repository. The web-based application allows instructors to create realistic exercises that replicate operational environments, Tony Cern, director of the data transformation lab, TRADOC G2, at the training brain operations center, said at an annual modeling and simulation expo sponsored by the National Training and Simulation Association on Capitol Hill.

"It is both a repository and exercise design tool that's intended to put the power back in the users' hands instead of having to go talk to a sirnula-tionist," said Cern. Testing on the new tool wrapped up in November and the program was released for wider use in July, he said.

The Training Brain Repository allows for continuous instruction at a soldier's home station, he said. The software creates simulated real-time operations, using intelligence reports and surveillance feeds. All the tools to create a training support package are provided through a web browser, he said.

Training planners can create their own support package, which allows for the selection of specific scenarios, operation orders and timelines. This excludes the necessity for multiple trainers to set up a simulation, he said.

"They can create story lines, create units, ... do their own graphics and anything that is necessary to create an exercise," said Cern.

The Training Brain Repository reduces the preparation time needed to instruct soldiers, which reduces the cost of training, he said. Typical training support packages would take a month to create. "We've had users create a full [package] in an afternoon using the technology, so we see a big time savings there," said Cern.

Users at different workstations can work interactively on the same training support package because the software contains a storyline synchronization tool that updates changes made to simulation timelines instantly, Cern i said.

Also, anyone authorized can have access to the program with no source codes required. It "is 100 percent open source, so if someone calls me I can give them the code [for access]," said Cern.

The training brain operations center continually updates the repository through user feedback. "It really is a matter of what...