Cultural Awareness for Military Operations (CAMO)

Aptima is proposing an innovative approach to developing relevant, effective military cultural training. The Cultural Awareness for Military Operations (CAMO) proof-of-concept prototype will be based on theoretically grounded and empirically validated pedagogy. It will result in a serious game built on the Delta3D game engine. Delta3D is a key development component of the Deployable Virtual Training Environment (DVTE), a laptop based training platform already adopted by the Marine Corps. CAMO will thus be on a smooth technical transition path. It will adapt to learner knowledge, background, and progress, incorporating proven training measurement technology, already effectively applied in the DVTE environment, that greatly facilitates the design, construction, and collection of valid measures. CAMO will contain accurate and relevant cultural content, with Phase I development focusing on general cultural awareness and skills. This will lay the groundwork for further elaboration in Phase II and for developing culture-specific training as well. It will be grounded in both academic research (ensured by our collaborator, Professor Lynn Smith-Lovin of Duke University) and detailed familiarity with military training requirements, ensured by interactions with military subject matter experts. It will therefore address vital military requirements and should be on track for rapid transition to operational use.