New equipment trains Airmen for duty home, abroad

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Dillon White
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR BASE, Mont. --  The 341st Security Support Squadron recently received a new piece of training equipment that is part firing range, part movie theatre, part video game and all business. 

The Engagement Skills Trainer 2000 -- originally contracted for the U.S. Army then adapted to Air Force requirements -- uses a projected video, and weapons Airmen carry in the field to hone marksmanship, threat response and combat skills. 

Rifle ranges simulated by the EST 2000 are modeled after those found on U.S. Army posts and shoot/ don't shoot scenarios are played out by military police and actors. The system also simulates combat scenarios Airmen can potentially face in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

"It gives us tremendous capabilities," said Tech Sgt. David Foscue, 341st Security Support Squadron resources and logistics flight chief. "Scenarios can be replayed to show where weapons were pointed, where shots were fired and whether the shots were disabling or lethal." 

Shoot/Don't Shoot
In one response, or shoot/ don't shoot scenario, Airmen stand with their M9 pistols in the low-ready position. A radio dispatcher describes a domestic-violence emergency phone call and trainees have a first-person perspective from the front seat of a military squad car as it weaves through a base housing area. 

On arrival to the house, trainees find a couple arguing and shouting at one another on a porch. The male begins loading moving boxes into a car and the female goes back inside the house. 

The system responds to voice commands, so the trainees can interact with the people on screen. The trainees command the residents to halt, but they are unresponsive, and the male brandishes a firearm and points it at an on-screen Army military policeman. 

From here, some trainees fire and some do not. The scenario ends and the trainees must defend their actions to the trainers. The scenario can then be reviewed to see where the trainees shot and what would have happened if they had not opened fire. 

In some instances, the gunman surrenders and in others, they fire. In another scenario, the female comes back from inside the house and opens fire on the male with another weapon. 

"These scenarios teach our cops restraint," said Staff Sgt. Matthew Brauer, 341st SSPTS member. "We can see where a person will shoot or not, and give them immediate feedback. It's unbelievable how good it is. They get a wealth of experience they otherwise would not have." 

Combined Scenarios
The EST 2000 at Malmstrom is actually two EST 2000 systems set up side-by-side with five lanes each. Each system can operate separately, or combined, providing training for up to 10 Airmen. 

In the combined configuration, the systems operate cooperatively to provide a wide-angle view of a landscape or immediate area, such as an entry control point. 

"We're building elevated platforms to simulate guard towers at deployed locations," Sergeant Foscue said. "We also have heavy weapons ordered so almost every weapon Airmen at Malmstrom carry will be here for them to train with." 

Weapons currently available for use with the EST 2000 at Malmstrom include: the M4 carbine, M-249 squad automatic weapon, M9 pistol, M870 shotgun and M203 grenade launcher. Heavy weapons on order include the Mark 19 automatic grenade launcher and M-240B machine gun, Sergeant Foscue said. 

During training, magazines will become empty and trainers can input malfunctions into weapons such as jammed cartridges. 

"We have total control over every weapon," Sergeant Brauer said. "From the computer screens, we can tell how many rounds are left in a weapon, what setting a weapon is on, fire - safe - burst. We can also input malfunctions to see how well the Airmen react and how well they correct the problem, just like if it was the real thing out on the range." 

The trainers can even control the weather, wind and time of day, Sergeant Brauer said. The wind requires them to adjust fire, and trainees can determine its direction based on visual cues such as blowing leaves or flags. 

When a combat scenario is completed, trainers and trainees can watch an instant replay that shows colored dots representing missed shots, disabling shots and lethal shots. A line also shows where the trainees point their weapons when they are not firing. 

Knowing where a person points a weapon when they are not firing it is important, Sergeant Brauer said. 

"It shows who has good breathing control and good hands," he said. "From that, we can give instant feedback." 

Rifle range
The silhouetted rifle range program simulates rifle ranges from various Army posts. The system simulates Air Force qualification courses, as well as Army training courses with moving targets, Sergeant Brauer said. 

"If we have a person who is having problems on the real rifle range, we can bring them in here and work on their skills without having to pay for ammunition," Sergeant Brauer said. "The system should pay for itself with the money we are saving on brass." 

While the weapons wired to the EST 2000 do not fire real rounds, they do give Airmen experience that is close to reality and help them carry out their mission: strategic deterrence.