Embedded Training in an Optimized Manning Environment

"The demands upon Naval training systems, organizations, and staff will only increase as the 21st Century unfolds. Significant strides have been made not only in demonstrating feasibility (e.g., AETS) of advanced embedded training systems, but also indeploying embedded simulation/stimulation and training systems (e.g., BFTT, ATEAMS). Unfortunately, many advanced training systems under development focus quite narrowly on what happens during a given full-up training exercise, and far too little on whathappens between training exercises. The notebook computer-based PSYNTHIA (Personal SYNTHetic Instructional Agent) is intended to fill those gaps while also helping supervisory personnel and training staff manage the "big picture" for each warfighter'sadvancement to competence and cognitive readiness. PSYNTHIA will observe warfighter performance via middleware communication with BFTT, contribute to and collect After Action Review (AAR) results from warfighters and instructors, and maintain confidential"student" records. Furthermore, Phase II development will create a novel capability enabling PSYNTHIA to interact with each warfighter between exercises, analogous to the way a Marine instructor might use a sandbox to lay out a situation for a trainee -explaining, quizzing, and probing the student's understanding of the underlying processes, potential courses of action, and myriad other factors affecting the outcome of the situation. The