December 1st, 2024
Today FIST.ARMY was unveiled to the world! After thinking about where I should post my research, ideas, findings, and thoughts regarding the job of the FIST, I realized a dedicated space was the best idea. The domain name was available and memorable.
I’ve thought a lot about the call for fire training (CFFT) that I was trained on in the early 2000s. We knew it as the GuardFist (not to be confused with the GuardFist II that was deployed in 2004). This virtual trainer was great for learning the basics of a call for fire and the benefit of a good terrain sketch. My issue with the system is the difference between that sort of training and my lived experience in combat as a 13F calling for fire support. During the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, forward observers were not employed in the static defense, as the CFFT scenario modeled.
A paper from 2015 explored the state of the art at the time. They also measured the impact of augmented and mixed reality on training. Their paper focused on the way training effectiveness was being evaluated and proposed some impacts it could have on training.
Fast forward ten years and the forward observers are training close-air support in domes and in desktops, they are developing their own commercial game modifications to support training. There’s still a critical missing piece - the human.
My research goals are focused on the human factors of virtual training environments for FISTers. If you’ve lived it, you know how different the combat experience can be from the training environment. There are important aspects of the environment and our own physiology that are highly impactful. I also believe these impacts can be mitigated through training.
I hope to make FIST.ARMY into a repository of knowledge for the past and future fire supporters. Let’s share our lessons learned and explore what training could be for the upcoming FISTer.