Joint staff exercises are fast paced and challenging, with a wide range of training objectives that must be accomplished on a compact schedule. In other words, these exercises represent the "run" phase of joint staff training. However, newly arrived staffers and Individual Augmentees (i.e., temporary individual placements) are frequently tapped to perform pivotal functions during these events—even though they may still be learning basic skills or lack experience at the joint (versus Service) level. Ultimately, this training gap creates time and cost drains in the joint event life cycle.
To address this issue, Joint Staff J7, Joint Training is investigating ways to incorporate targeted, team-focused training into the joint event life cycle prior to the large-scale exercise. This initiative builds upon the positive outcomes of the Continuum of eLearning system first introduced in 2012 (Schatz, Fautua et al., 2012). The Continuum of eLearning system trains under-practiced skill sets to personnel in preparation for joint staff events. It delivers this training via online and—as of this year—distributed virtual environments, and it includes mechanisms for blending the distributed training into the existing live-training exercise components.
The virtual, team-focused training addition to the Continuum of eLearning is based upon the existing Small Group Scenario Trainer (SGST) capability. The SGST incorporates storytelling scenarios, real-time remediation, advanced sequencing, and avatars to support team training and critical thinking. While the SGST has been used effectively as a standalone trainer, we look to broaden its usage as part of this systemic solution for virtual joint staff training. This paper describes the initial insights gained from prior research efforts, best practices for effective team training, the challenges and handoffs associated with staff training in the virtual environment, and our approach for future development and testing of this blended online, virtual, and live joint training implementation.