Hill’s Top Cops Enter The Digital Age With Virtual Reality Training Simulations | News, Sports, Jobs
Photo provided, Cynthia Griggs/US Air Force
Staff Sgt. Brandon Wilson, 75th Security Forces Squadron, uses the Street Smarts virtual reality system to practice an armed person de-escalation scenario. The squadron recently implemented virtual reality to fully immerse themselves in realistic three-dimensional situations to enhance their training.
HILL AIR FORCE BASE — Three-dimensional training systems help personnel from the 75th Security Forces Squadron at Hill Air Force Base act out real-world scenarios. The recently introduced training, Street Smarts Virtual Reality, simulates a range of situations, including domestic violence, suicidal ideation, traffic stops, gatekeeper duties as well as active shooter incidents.
Technology. sergeant. Elizabeth Gregson, 75th SFS Training NCO, said Airmen learn valuable critical thinking skills by being exposed to a range of situations in the controlled environment of a realistic and interactive virtual world.
SSVR includes body camera footage of live law enforcement incidents while allowing trainers to create their own scenarios. According to Staff Sgt. Devon Ashton, 75th SFS unit trainer, the simulations are playback capable, providing a third-person perspective with feedback on a participant’s performance.
“It made our defenders more confident in their skills and the overall training experience much more immersive,” he said.
Gregson applied for the idea for the systems through the Wing’s Innovation Fund in February after hearing good reviews from other Air Force Global Strike Command bases that had used the system. The 75th SFS received three SSVR systems, each costing $16,000, in July. Over time, the system will significantly reduce the squadron’s non-lethal training ammunition costs, according to Gregson.
“This system doesn’t require elaborate configuration or a security protocol, allowing us to use it whenever we can,” she said.
More than 300 active duty and civilian personnel use the digital training platform at Hill Air Force Base. Ashton said units benefited greatly from the first-person aspect of the SSVR system.
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