The Army has made a substantial commitment to the use of a simulated, electronic battlefield for combat training. Current and next-generation training systems can provide a realistic combat simulation for soldiers fighting from vehicles, but not for individual dismounted soldiers. Virtual Environment (VE) technology has the potential to provide that capability. The Army Research Institute, with contract support from the University of Central Florida Institute for Simulation and Training, has initiated a research program to investigate the use of VE for training dismounted soldiers. Issues we are investigating include: are some types of visual displays and controls better suited for training or task performance than others; does visual immersion in a simulated environment improve learning of the configuration, locations of objects, and routes through that environment; what scene details are most important for the acquisition of spatial knowledge and the interpretation of terrain information; does immersion in a virtual world cause disorienting side-effects, and if so, how can they be reduced. This paper describes the initial results of our research program. We developed; a set of tasks, the Virtual Environment Performance Assessment Battery, and a questionnaire to measure "Presence", the extent to which the participant felt immersed in the VE experience. We also included existing questionnaires to measure the frequency and severity of simulator sickness. The tasks measure the underlying skills needed to move, employ weapons, and communicate in a virtual environment, but do not require previous military training. They include the perception of form, color, and distance; control of simulated movement; tracking of targets; manipulation of objects; and reaction time. Thirty participants in two experiments performed the tasks using either a spaceball or joystick. Results indicate that performance on the battery tasks is sensitive to differences between the control devices and amount of practice. The presence scale possesses high internal consistency and is sensitive to the type of virtual environments experienced. Most participants experienced some symptoms of simulator sickness. Future research plans are discussed.