TEST YOUR SURVIVOR INSTINCTS - Military takes aim at off-duty mishaps

  • Published
  • By Chuck Betoney and Sharon Sloane
FORT MONROE, Va. --  Senior Army leaders are using interactive simulations in their battle against off-duty accidents and fatalities, and are now offering the technology to members of every military service.

While significantly cutting the number of on-duty accidents in recent years, the percentage of service members suffering avoidable accidents while off duty continues to be a major concern. This prompted officials to search for innovative tools to capture service member interest in preventing mishaps.

As a way of promoting the fight against off-duty accidents, the Army Training and Doctrine Command, based in Fort Monroe, Va., worked with Maryland-based contractor WILL Interactive to produce a virtual experience immersive learning simulation entitled "Off Duty, On Guard."

"Off Duty, On Guard," which is computer-based, runs users through safety scenarios featuring real actors and allows users to play the parts of the various characters, make decisions and see the consequences of their choices. The vignettes are entertaining and are based on actual accident experiences. The storylines and characters are believable, easy to identify with, and convey a message of "how to do it right" when prudent, reasonable choices are made.

Other simulations using this technology tackle subjects such as leadership, suicide prevention, ethics and additional topics important to military life and are already in use across the Department of Defense and the services.

According to Dave Prentice, TRADOC safety director, the video was "designed to appeal to young gamers who are used to gaming technology and are also major victims of off-duty mishaps. In addition to soldiers, this video is appropriate for members of other services as well as the civilian population at large. It has been well received and endorsed by educators and safety professionals as an innovative approach to altering dangerous behaviors."

The video is split into two stories,

"Full Throttle" and "On the Waterfront." "Full Throttle" features three main characters (Mags, Vans and Twitchy) with three different storylines, each deals with vehicle safety issues. Mags' story deals primarily with privately owned vehicle safety. Vans' segment covers all-terrain vehicles and off-road safety. And Twitchy's video covers motorcycle safety.

"On the Waterfront" is a story about six service members spending a Saturday on the lake, and the focus is on boating and water safety. There are also three main characters (Frickman, Diaz and Grimes) who play major roles in this vignette. Unlike "Full Throttle," there is only one storyline and choosing the different characters allows the user to experience how each action (or inaction) affects outcomes.

Viewers choose characters and get to "spend a day in their shoes" while navigating through a series of activities and decisions. Along the way, users are given behavior choices. Some choices result in happy endings; some do not. This allows users to play it out before they live it out with potentially fatal consequences. The simulation allows players to direct the course of the script throughout the video by their choice at each decision point. The simulation is applicable across all services because the characters and the plot lines are not innately Army-oriented. With the story playing out while the characters are off duty, their appearance and behavior allows any service member or civilian to identify with them.

"Off Duty, On Guard" addresses the major causes 
of automobile, motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and boating accidents in an entertaining medium that teaches rather than preaches. Simulation users get to virtually experience potentially tragic events, learn their lessons without harm and live to play another day.

The engaging simulation comes with a 60-second promotional presentation and facilitators' guide embedded in it. It's extremely user friendly and can be presented in a variety of ways (individual, small groups, classroom). It's available now for summer off-duty safety campaigns at www.tradoc.army.mil/offdutyonguard/.

Remember, this tool is not a magic solution to solve all off-duty safety challenges. It is only the beginning of many potentially productive conversations; how productive they are depends on how effectively the tool is used by leaders across the services. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mr. Betoney is the deputy director, Safety and Occupational Health, Army Training and Doctrine Command. Ms. Sloane is the chief executive officer of WILL Interactive.