Defense: Defense Virtual Training (2017-02)
The Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps need to improve the management and oversight of their virtual training programs to avoid fragmentation and more efficiently and effectively acquire and integrate virtual devices into operational training and potentially save tens of millions of dollars.
Year Identified: 2017
Area Number: 2
Area Type: Fragmentation, Overlap & Duplication
4 Total Action(s)
The Army should specify in Army guidance for developing virtual training device requirements that training developers consider and document the time available to train with the devices and intended usage rates to achieve training tasks and proficiency goals during operational training.
The Army should specify in Army guidance for developing virtual training device requirements that training developers consider and document the time available to train with the devices and intended usage rates to achieve training tasks and proficiency goals during operational training.
As of December 2021, the Army had taken some steps to improve its guidance, as GAO recommended in August 2016, but did not plan to fully address the recommendation until 2022. Officials stated that the Army established target usage rates for existing virtual training devices and issued guidance and tracking tools for recording device usage. However, the Army had not modified the guidance, cited in GAO's August 2016 report, to require that training developers consider the amount of time available to train with or expected usage rates of new virtual training devices.
According to Army officials, they will implement GAO's recommendation in a planned update to guidance on the justification and validation of new virtual training devices scheduled for 2022. By updating this guidance, the Army will have the information it requires to evaluate the amount of virtual training capabilities needed to achieve training tasks and proficiency goals during operational training.
The Army should modify its policies to define how post-fielding training effectiveness analysis should be conducted and the process for selecting existing virtual training devices for such analysis to better prioritize Army resources for conducting such analyses.
The Army should modify its policies to define how post-fielding training effectiveness analysis should be conducted and the process for selecting existing virtual training devices for such analysis to better prioritize Army resources for conducting such analyses.
In March 2017, the Army published the Training Effectiveness Analysis Best Practices Guide, which defines how post-fielding training effectiveness analysis should be conducted, as GAO recommended in August 2016. As of August 2017, Army officials stated that virtual training devices are selected for post-fielding training effectiveness analysis based on a variety of factors that are considered by senior Army leaders. The Army's goal is to conduct one to two training effectiveness analyses of virtual training devices per fiscal year. By more clearly defining the types of qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques used to analyze the training effectiveness of its virtual training devices and the process used to select devices for analysis, the Army is better positioned to assess the value of these devices in meeting unit training needs.
The Air Force should continue to refine its planning for virtual training to incorporate the desirable characteristics of a comprehensive strategy, including developing a risk-based investment strategy that identifies and prioritizes capability needs and includes a time line for addressing them.
The Air Force should continue to refine its planning for virtual training to incorporate the desirable characteristics of a comprehensive strategy, including developing a risk-based investment strategy that identifies and prioritizes capability needs and includes a time line for addressing them.
In September 2017, the Air Force issued the Air Force Operational Training Infrastructure 2035 Flight Plan, which describes the Air Force's vision for a realistic and integrated operational training environment and incorporates the desirable characteristics of a comprehensive strategy, as GAO recommended in September 2016. The Flight Plan establishes 13 lines of effort to achieve this vision. Each line of effort includes the office of primary responsibility and required tasks, deliverables, and time frames. One line of effort called for the development of a funding strategy for operational training infrastructure capabilities. That funding strategy was issued in December 2017. By developing a comprehensive strategy, the Air Force is better positioned to acquire virtual training devices based on sound requirements and priorities.
The Marine Corps should develop guidance for the development and use of virtual training devices that includes (1) developing requirements for virtual training devices that consider and document training tasks and objectives, required proficiency, and available training time; (2) setting target usage rates and collecting usage data; and (3) conducting effectiveness analysis of virtual training devices that defines a consistent process for performing the analysis, including the selection of the devices to be evaluated, guidelines on conducting the analysis, and the data that should be collected and assessed.
The Marine Corps should develop guidance for the development and use of virtual training devices that includes (1) developing requirements for virtual training devices that consider and document training tasks and objectives, required proficiency, and available training time; (2) setting target usage rates and collecting usage data; and (3) conducting effectiveness analysis of virtual training devices that defines a consistent process for performing the analysis, including the selection of the devices to be evaluated, guidelines on conducting the analysis, and the data that should be collected and assessed.
The Department of Defense (DOD) has taken numerous actions to address GAO’s 2017 recommendation. In June 2017, the Marine Corps issued the Marine Corps Ground Training Simulations Implementation Plan. The plan provides a framework for the Marine Corps' use of current and future virtual training technologies to align training development efforts and resources. In addition, the Marine Corps continues to revise training policies to articulate requirements that document training tasks, objectives, and required proficiency and reemphasize the importance of more effectively integrating ground simulations within current ground training approaches.
In June 2020, the Marine Corps published the Marine Corps Training Environment Modernization Plan, which provided the strategic-level vision for future Marine Corps training that integrates live, virtual, and constructive training environments to support the 38th Commandant's planning guidance. This plan has been converted into Marine Corps Order 3550.14, Policies and Procedures for Synthetic Ground Training Systems. Signed on June 23, 2021, the Marine Corps Order defines the roles and responsibilities of virtual training stakeholders, outlines the decision criteria for investment and divestment decisions related to current virtual training systems, and develops a method to evaluate the anticipated value of future training systems prior to acquisition decisions.
The Marine Corps Order also formalizes two processes used to collect and analyze usage data and conduct effectiveness analysis of virtual training devices.
- The Order formalizes the inclusion of virtual training systems in the Range Facility Management Support System. According to Marine Corps documentation, through this system, the Marine Corps will collect training, scheduling, utilization, and reporting data. The DOD documentation states that Marine Corps Training and Education Command plans to use these data to track actual throughput—who reserved a virtual training system and who actually showed up—by system and location, and to conduct a cost/benefit analysis to assess demand versus sustainment cost.
- The Marine Corps Order updates the format for its Verification, Validation, and Accreditation process to reflect the prioritization of training metrics, including user feedback, and integration of proficiency data that analytically demonstrates if a system is capable of improving training and readiness performance.
By taking these actions, the Marine Corps should be able to more effectively integrate virtual training devices into operational training, as GAO recommended in September 2017.
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