Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference

For most of the day I'll be in Orlando attending the I/ITSEC Conference at the Convention Center. Check back later for updates on the news of the day.

I/Itsec 2012

The Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) is an organization dedicated to the promotion of cooperation among the Armed Services, Industry, Academia and various Government agencies that are in pursuit of improved training and education programs, identification of common training issues, and development of multiservice programs.[1] I/ITSEC is deeply involved in DoD Modeling and Simulation. I/ITSEC is organized by the National Training and Simulation Association.

UPDATE
Back from the Convention center and it was fabulous. The day stated out at the Warfighters Center and speeches from servicemen letting us know what was going on with the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Each speaker thanked the veterans that came before them.

The exhibit hall was wall to wall defense contractors! I stopped in to see a demonstration for a virtual Afghanistan with a contractor and Airman. They showed me what it was like to train in virtual reality. It was amazing. They had insurgents, towns people and IEDs. Naturally I asked the Airman a stupid question "Why didn't you shoot the IED when you saw it?" He told me very politely, "If I am close enough to see it, I'm close enough to get blown up by it."

The designer later told me that he also designed a virtual reality for PTSD when they wire the veteran to monitor their reactions and then be able to find the root of their trouble. Really smart considering when they have a flashback every part of their body is responding.

I was shown what it was like to train flying a helicopter. There were contractors from the Netherlands and I asked them how they are doing on PTSD now. When I did my first video in 2005 I received an email from a professor in the Netherlands asking if he could use it because they didn't have anything like it. The contractor told me they have done a lot in the last few years with universities working on it but there is still much more they have to do. While the US has been working on it since the 70's and we still don't have it right, they have a long way to go.

I met with a Reservist and we talked about what was being done for contractors with PTSD and who was helping them. I had concerns because I've heard too many times no one was doing anything for them.

There are a lot of great things being done to adapt to the new wars our troops face and it was also good to see so much of the technology being adapted to suit the age of these men and women that grew up with computers.