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Honorary commander takes on simulations training

  • Published
  • By Spc. Oscar Baldriche
  • 444th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST --  The United States Army Support Activity, Fort Dix Commander, Col. Shelley L. Balderson, welcomed a new honorary commander, Marc Zamarin, the director of Ticket Sales and Service for the Philadelphia Soul.

The Wednesday, Sept. 16 visit began when Col. Balderson provided Zamarin with a staff briefing which detailed the Dix mission and its partnership with Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst.

"This is a self-contained training environment," Balderson said. Dix personnel will support over 1.5 million man-days of training this year.  Once known as one of the busiest mobilization platforms in the nation, activities have evolved as training has become the featured event on the Dix portion of the joint base.  The USASA, Fort Dix Commander added, "nearly 20-percent of the military's Reserve component force is within about three hours driving distance of this training platform."

As a part of his induction Zamarin participated in virtual simulation training.  The various technologies used train military personnel to be lethal in close combat as well as save lives on the battlefield.

Balderson and her Headquarters and Headquarters Company Commander, Major Simon Flake, escorted Zamarin to the virtual training area to educate the honorary commander on how Soldiers improve their individual and team skills using technology similar to that found on gaming consoles at home.

Beginning with the Engagement Skills Trainer 2000, which hones a Soldier's marksmanship, collective response, and reaction time to real life combat situations and scenarios, Zamarin participated in individual and team exercises using weapon simulators that replicated the M9 pistol, M4 carbine and M240B machine gun.
Zamarin, Balderson and Flake teamed up to experience the Dismounted Soldier Training System (DSTS) which pitted their team against simulated insurgents as they patrolled a village and cleared various structures.

"This is boots on ground as you know it.  The DSTS fully immerses Soldiers on multiple battle drills by exposing them to constant changing battle scenarios," said Brad Graham, DSTS maintainer.

The final stop occurred at the Medical Simulation Training Center (MSTC), a location for training combat medics.  Soldiers participating in this training are evaluated for their response and treatment to injuries inside buildings and outdoors using high-tech moulaged mannequins that replicate the chaos of combat scenarios.  The system features technology for controlling the mannequins which stimulates medical responses and video surveillance to provide feedback for Soldiers at the end of each scenario.

"This is truly a once in a lifetime and humbling experience for me" Zamarin said, "This tour has been a real eye opener. I look forward to educating people on the military community. After participating in these training exercises, I can see why this is such a great country. It is because of the men and women who perform their job and take it to a whole other level."