• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

FATS cuts the fat out of the budget

US Marine Corps News

10/28/2009
By Cpl. Katie Densmore, Marine Corps Base Camp LeJeune

Keeping the country safe from terror threats requires a great deal of training to ensure military members are familiar with the weapon system they will be using in combat. However, getting the necessary training can be very expensive, time consuming and difficult to schedule, but there is a solution that satisfies these problems and gives service members the experience they need.

The Fire Arms Training Simulator at Courthouse Bay offers training that meets the requirements of an increased operational tempo and saves tax-payers money.

“We have fired a combined total of nearly 2.5 million simulated rounds between 1,445 students,” said John Sekula the FATS administrator. “To put it in a dollar perspective, during the past 24 months we fired what would have cost $5.2 million in ammunition alone.”

On top of the monetary savings, the simulator also allows students to get more comfortable with realistic problems they may face in battle.

“The use of virtual training systems provides the students with training opportunities that would be difficult or impossible to replicate in the real world, such as repeated immediate action drills,” Sekula said. “The simulations also provide the opportunity to train in geographically different environments with instant feedback.”

The weapons used at the simulator are real, but have been modified for indoor use.

“The weapons operate very similar to real ones,” he said. “They are air-operated, so you feel the same amount of recoil. We also have a sound system that replicates the volume of the weapon. When we are training everyone is required to wear ear protection just like on a range.”

For more advanced skills the students can use other software programs that use actual video. Computer generated imagery is also used, making the simulations more like a constantly evolving video game.

Although the concept of using simulations instead of actual ranges is not new, the Courthouse Bay facility differs by incorporating the weapons simulation into training received out on the water from the Joint Maritime Training Center.

To accommodate the JMTC’s needs, Seabased Wireless Integrated Target Systems was created. SeaWITS uses wireless weapons and a receiver that is attached to different parts of a boat. When a student with a weapon hits one of the receivers on another boat a strobe light goes off and provides immediate feedback. Different colored strobe lights let the shooter know exactly what part of the boat was hit.

“SeaWITS allows tactical boat on boat training at full speed with instant visual feedback,” Sekula said. “This has never been available before and the students who have been able to use it love the realism it adds to the training. There is no more guesswork in ‘who got who?’”

For Sekula, a retired sergeant major, the opportunity to train young service members is one of the most important jobs he can do.

“It’s extremely satisfying to have the students come in not knowing a thing about these weapons at all, and after about half an hour they leave with the ability to effectively handle the weapon,” he said. “The system is not designed to replace live fire training, but to compliment it and make range time more productive.”