New mobile Counter-Improvised Explosive Device training device to help US soldiers identify roadside.

“We bring in all the senses, feel, sight, sounds and smell. It’s in all the trailers,” said David Baade, MCIT training white cell coordinator.

Soldiers from the 536th Maintenance Company, 25th Infantry Division recently received the training and were impressed by the interactive features.

“It gives the Soldiers hands-on realistic training, rather than sitting in a classroom, reading textbooks, and viewing PowerPoint presentations,” said 2nd Lt. Bryan Hollman, executive officer, 536th Maintenance Company. “Soldiers virtually see how missions are accomplished.”

Team or squad leaders train their Soldiers. Interactive quizzes at the completion of the first three modules help reinforce the material covered. The final piece of the instruction pits blue forces against red forces.

“Those of us who are in the gamer generation got into that [simulators],” said Spc. Dominique Kithcart, 536th Maintenance Company. “This kind of training got us into the environment, into the homes and laboratories.”

“It was awesome training,” said Spc. Sierra Bracken, 536th Maintenance Company. “I’ve been deployed and everything that went on in there can happen during deployments. Having us go through every scenario, that could save lives downrange.”

Baade said that one Soldier who underwent training before deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom recognized a patrol route from one of the scenarios.

“The Soldier remembered an IED was placed at this particular intersection in the video scenario,” he said. “When his convoy approached the intersection they started noticing some indictors. They checked and there was an IED in the same place just like in the training module. Now that’s some relevant training.”