The Infantry Immersion Trainer (IIT) is a

mixed reality Augmented reality (AR), also known as mixed reality (MR), is a technology that overlays real-time 3D computer graphics, 3D-rendered computer graphics onto a portion of the real world through a display, such as a handheld device or head-mounted ...

training facility prototype for small unit Infantry located in a former tomato packing plant in

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...

, California. It has been in operation since November 2007. The original IIT is now known as IIT Phase I. A purpose built IIT was built adjacent to Phase I in Camp Pendleton. A second IIT was built in a historic warehouse in Camp Lejeune, NC and a third was built in MCB Hawaii.

Description

The interior of an abandoned warehouse has been turned into an embattled Middle Eastern town through the use of sets, and special effects such as projections,

pyrotechnics Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating fireworks, but also includes safety matches, oxygen candles, Pyrotechnic fastener, explosive bolts (and other fasteners), parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, q ...

, sounds, and smells. The combination of live and virtual training is what makes this an example of immersive training.

Purpose

The IIT facility is designed to be a decision house for the Marine Rifleman and the Small Unit Leader (SUL); focusing on increasing the tempo of the

OODA Loop The OODA loop (observe, orient, decide, act) is a decision-making model developed by United States Air Force Colonel John Boyd. He applied the concept to the combat operations process, often at the operational level during military campaigns ...

during which an individual Observes a situation, Orients to it and develops courses of action (COA), makes a Decision, and Acts. Stress inoculation is conducted at the facility where a rifleman is put into multiple situations that in turn replicate the stressors and physiological responses faced in combat, thus building the individuals stress-immune system. During a visit to the IIT, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral

Mike Mullen Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documen ...

, said, "It's a reminder of what simulation can do. It certainly is great preparation for the

marines Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included Raid (military), raiding ashor ...

as they prepare to go to

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. Very impressive, very realistic and in the end hopefully, we'll contribute significantly to a better way to execute the mission and save lives."Office of Naval Researc
"ONR Demonstrates Revolutionary Infantry Immersion Trainer to Joint Chiefs Chairman"
2008-2-19. Retrieved on 2009-5-29.

History

The IIT facility was built by the

Office of Naval Research The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is an organization within the United States Department of the Navy responsible for the science and technology programs of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Established by Congress in 1946, its mission is to plan ...

and PMTRASYS at the request of the Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), then LtGen

James Mattis James Norman Mattis (born September 8, 1950) is an American military officer who served as the 26th United States secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019. A retired Marine Corps four-star general, he commanded forces in the Persian Gulf War, th ...

, and by elements of the I MEF TEG (Training and Experimentation Group) to include the Battle Simulation Center, to serve as a way to inoculate the Marine Rifleman with the sights, sounds, and smells of the chaotic environment experienced in close quarters urban warfare.Muller, Schmorrow, Buscemi. ''Marine Corps Gazette'', September 2008 "The Infantry Immersion Trainer--Today's Holodeck" Although it was built quickly, it was based on more than 10 years of training and simulation research. Three trainers were built, one at

Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by ...

, second at

Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune ( or ) is a United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports ( ...

, and another on

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

. In 2015, the Hawaii location will take on a

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

setting, and the ones on the continental United States will be changed to "generic third-world" settings.

Technology

Technology elements of the facility were pioneered by the Tech Solutions program at the

under the leadership of CDR

Dylan Schmorrow Dylan Schmorrow is an American scientist and retired United States Defense Official. He is currently the chief scientist at Soar Technology, Inc.. He is a retired US Navy captain, and served as the deputy director of the Human Performance, Traini ...

. Special Effects Small Arms Marking System (SESAMS), computer-generated avatars, and other technologies combine with real sets and objects. It is this combination of the virtual and live worlds that allows the Marines to go through the training scenario wearing their standard combat gear. In 2009 a second IIT-like facility was opened at the Marine Corps Systems Command Gruntworks facility in

Stafford Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, England. It is located about south of Stoke-on-Trent, north of Wolverhampton, and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 71,673 at the 2021–2022 United Kingd ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. The Gruntworks Research for

Infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

Integration Testing (GRIIT) provides a realistic environment to test infantryman's combat equipment so it can be further optimized.Office of Naval Research
"Office of Naval Research delivers technology that integrates Marine infantryman and combat equipment"
2009-2-5. Retrieved on 2009-6-1. The Future Immersive Training Environment (FITE) Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) upgraded many of the technologies in IIT Phase I. In addition to avatar upgrades, there were significant upgrades to tracking and after action review. Animatronics of Afghan civilians were added to the marketplace. The FITE JCTD concluded in FY 11.

Developers

*Potomac Training Corporation: Program Management and Systems Engineering. *Naval Air Systems Command

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

: Developed government-owned protocol allowing small weapon-mounted lasers to interact with the avatars.Office of Naval Researc
"Infantry Immersion Trainer Begins Training Marines in a Virtual Environment"
2007-12-18. Retrieved on 2009-6-3 *Strategic Operations: Set development and construction,

and other simulated elements.McInnes, Ian
"Scenario Training More Realistic than Ever Before"
2008-9-25. Retrieved on 2009-5-29. *Institute for Creative Technologies at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

: FlatWorld technology and avatars. *Game Production Services: Designed and installed the Joint Fires and Effects Training System (JFETS) and other hardware including computers and projectors. *

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...

, Simulation and Training Systems: Software and Systems Engineering. *Design Interactive: Scenario Development

References

{{reflist

External links

PBS Frontline, “Digital Warriors: Our 21st Century Military”
Military education and training in the United States Animatronic attractions