Intervention Methods and Performance Assessment for Crew Training (IMPACT)

As Air Force missions become increasingly larger and more complex, the need for effective teamwork – such as shared situation awareness, coordination, and decision-making – becomes ever more critical to mission success. The Combined Air and Space Operations Center (CAOC) is one example of a large, complex Air Force organization that requires effective coordination both within and across teams. Our teamwork training efforts begin with the Dynamic Targeting Cell (DTC), a team within the CAOC that is responsible for prosecuting time-sensitive, dynamic, and emerging targets while coordinating with other CAOC teams to execute the Air Tasking Order (ATO). With an ever-increasing OPTEMPO, demands on DTC personnel continue to rise at an alarming rate, and enhanced teamwork-related skills are needed to effectively meet those demands. The envisioned product of this Phase II SBIR is IMPACT (Intervention Methods and Performance Assessment for Crew Training) a low-cost “training accelerator” that will allow DTC operators to “hit the ground running” upon entering high-fidelity exercises – such as Virtual Flag – thereby minimizing costly downtime and ensuring effective performance from the outset.